Seeds, Calendula Pacific Beauty Mix (West Coast Seeds)

Pacific Beauty Mix have long stems, excellent for cutting. Sun or partial shade works well for these bright annual flowers. Tear the edible petals off and sprinkle them over summer meals. Most Calendula varieties require little care once established, so they are a good candidate for xeriscaping. While they may self sow, they are easy to control, so will not become weedy. Deadhead spent flowers for the tidiest look. This blend grows 30-60cm (12-24") tall.

Annual

Timing
Direct sow in early spring when light frost is still a possibility, and continue to sow every two to three weeks until early summer for fall flowers. Calendula is easiest from direct sowing, but can also be started indoors late winter for transplanting once daytime temperatures are steadily above 10°C (50°F). If starting indoors, maintain darkness and a soil temperature of 21°C (70°F) until germination occurs in 6-14 days, and then supply bright light to keep seedlings compact. Or direct sow in early autumn in Zones 8-10.

Starting
Sow seeds 5mm (¼”) deep, and aim for a spacing of 15-45cm (6-18″) between plants.

Companion Planting
Calendula repels a number of bad nematodes in the soil, but may attract slugs. Plant with tomatoes and asparagus.