Pot marigold
Also called English marigold, Calendula, Ruddles.
| Light | full sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 5 days in the growing season, every 14 in winter |
| Humidity | medium |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 50 cm (20 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats safe, dogs safe |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, Pot Marigold entry.
Edible here means commonly eaten. Nothing on this site is medical or dietary advice.
Pot marigold is the plant to sow when someone says nothing grows there. It germinates in a week, flowers in ten, keeps going until frost if picked over, and then seeds itself for the following year. It is also, unusually for a bedding flower, listed by the ASPCA as safe for cats and dogs, which makes it worth knowing for a garden with animals in it. Hardy annuals like this can be sown in autumn, in September and October in the north, to flower earlier and bigger than spring sown plants, or from late March through May. In South Africa it is sown in the autumn months for winter and spring colour and is one of the seedlings planted through June and July. Sow where it is to flower, thin the seedlings, and pick the flowers for the kitchen.
Ailments observed
| White powder on the leaves | Powdery mildew late in the season on a plant that has run out of water. Cut the whole plant back by half and soak it. It will produce a fresh flush of clean growth within a fortnight. |
|---|---|
| Sticky residue on the leaves or the floor | Blackfly on the flower stems, drawn to soft growth. Rub them off with finger and thumb, or knock them off with a jet of water. Stop feeding, because soft growth is what brought them. |
Filed underPlants that will not poison the cat, Plants that forgive a beginner
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