Seeds - Calendula - Ivory Princess

$5.95

This variety of calendula is a farm favourite and one of the first flowers to bloom in our garden.

The pale lemon-yellow butter-cream petals and chocolate centres are a softer version of the bold oranges you might think of with this flower.

When planted closely together (6-9”), stems can reach 24” in length, and make a very pretty addition to any Spring bouquet.

Calendula likes a cool start, so sow your seeds in Fall, late Winter or very early Spring for blooms from April-July. The heat of summer will slow growth, but if you cut it back and baby it you’ll see more flowers in the Fall when it cools. Will re-seed if left in the garden to do so.

Plant type: annual 

Height: 24-30””

Planting depth: 1/4” 

Exposure: full sun 

Plant spacing: 8”

Approx seeds per packet: 100

This variety of calendula is a farm favourite and one of the first flowers to bloom in our garden.

The pale lemon-yellow butter-cream petals and chocolate centres are a softer version of the bold oranges you might think of with this flower.

When planted closely together (6-9”), stems can reach 24” in length, and make a very pretty addition to any Spring bouquet.

Calendula likes a cool start, so sow your seeds in Fall, late Winter or very early Spring for blooms from April-July. The heat of summer will slow growth, but if you cut it back and baby it you’ll see more flowers in the Fall when it cools. Will re-seed if left in the garden to do so.

Plant type: annual 

Height: 24-30””

Planting depth: 1/4” 

Exposure: full sun 

Plant spacing: 8”

Approx seeds per packet: 100

Calendula Seed Starting Information:

  • Calendula is a cool season flower. Start seeds in early Spring for flowers May-July.

  • Blooms in Spring and will go to seed with the heat of summer.

Starting Seeds Indoors:

  1. Fill a seed tray (or your preferred container) with moistened organic seed-starting mix.

  2. Sow 1/4” deep, 1-2 seeds/cell. Tip: Place the seed on top of the soil and poke it in with the eraser end of a pencil.

  3. Sprinkle with a light cover of vermiculite to help retain moisture and cover the seed..

  4. Cover with a humidity dome and place tray onto a heat mat,.

  5. Keep your grow-room cool (10-14c) to mimic their preferred growing environment.

  6. As soon as they sprout, take them off of the heat mat and move them under a grow light. You could also start them under a grow light with the heat mat and just turn off the mat when they sprout.

  7. Keep your grow lights within 3” of the seedlings as they grow.

  8. Bottom water as needed (let the soil dry a bit between waterings).

  9. When they are 2-3” tall, harden them off by taking the seedlings outside gradually more time daily for 5-7 days.

  10. Plant in a well-amended bed, 6” apart, in clusters of 3-5 for impact.

  11. Calendula benefit from pinching of the central stem (leaving 3 leaf sets on the remaining stalk) when they are 8” tall. This will tell the plant it needs to produce more stems, and you will enjoy twice as many flowers!

Starting Seeds Outdoors:

  1. Prepare your growing space with a healthy dose of organic compost.

  2. Rake the surface as smooth as possible.

  3. Press a very shallow trench into the soil using the flat side of a rake or other tool.

  4. Sprinkle seeds generously along the trench. *There is more risk of seeds being eaten or blown away etc. outside, so always sow more than you need and then thin (or transplant!) unwanted seedlings later.

  5. Cover seeds with a thin layer of soil.

  6. For added protection from pests, lay row cover or a milk just over your planting until they germinate.