Calendula officinalis var. arvensis
Field marigold
Common names: Marigold, Green manure marigold
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below −3 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- For children
- Well suited
Photo: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen · Public Domain · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The field marigold (Calendula officinalis var. arvensis) is a fast‑growing green manure plant. Its root exudates help control nematodes and reduce soil fatigue. The dense foliage shades the soil, suppresses weeds, and loosens the ground with its roots. Bright flowers attract hoverflies, bees, and flower flies.
Care instructions
Sow the marigold from April to July (weeks 14 to 30) directly into beds, preferably as a colorful companion crop among vegetables. It germinates quickly and blooms within a few weeks. Cut back the plants before seed set and incorporate the biomass into the soil, or allow a few to self‑seed so they return the following year.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–Jul
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 8 °C, ideally 15 °C
- Days to sprout
- 7 to 14 days
- Light
- Needs darkness to sprout
- Sowing depth
- 1 cm
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, well-drained, lime-loving, nutrient-rich
You need a sunny, warm spot with loose, loamy, well-drained and chalky soil. The field marigold is a clear indicator of lime and base-rich soil and avoids acidic soils. It will not tolerate waterlogging; moderately dry to fresh, nutrient-rich conditions are ideal.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
In spring before sowing, work mature compost in shallowly. On normal garden soil that is enough as basic supply. On depleted plots you can also mix in some horn shavings, which release their nitrogen slowly over the season. Grown as a green manure, it usually needs no additional feeding at all.
Overwintering
The field marigold is an annual and dies after the first frosts. You cannot overwinter it. Leave the seed heads standing in autumn, then it sows itself and sprouts anew in spring; alternatively, harvest the seeds, store them dry and cool and sow again in March/April.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You propagate marigolds exclusively by sowing; vegetative methods are not practical for this annual species. Sow directly outdoors from March/April as soon as the soil is around 10 °C; starting them from February at about 18 to 20 °C is possible, but not necessary. Press the curved seeds in about 1 to 2 cm deep (they need darkness to germinate) and keep the soil moist; they germinate after 8 to 14 days. You can sow again until July. You get your own seed by letting the flower heads ripen and drying the seeds. The field marigold also self-seeds reliably, so you can keep the stand going year after year without buying more.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Field marigold yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
Free, no time limit
Notes from real gardens
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