Plants that attract bees: how to grow marigold in the garden or in pots

Share:

This is why today we are talking about the calendula, a flower that not only fills the garden with cheerful colors, and has medicinal powers, but also attracts bees. Here are some useful tips for growing it in the garden, but also in pots.

Marigold is a spontaneous plant from the Mediterranean area, where it grows spontaneously in uncultivated meadows. As a single plant or in groups, it is used to give ornamental value and fill flower beds and garden borders, but it is also suitable for pots and planters.
It gives great satisfaction, with a long and bright flowering, and its flowers are also edible.
The ideal exposure is in the sun, where it blooms profusely, but is also suitable for partial shade. Marigold resists heat and cold well, but it is good to keep it away from cold winds and spring frosts.
This pretty annual plant stands out for its countless, showy and sunny daisy flowers. It has pale and velvety leaves and blooms from spring to autumn, stopping only in the colder months.
Rustic and adaptable, it tolerates being neglected. it is also known for its medicinal properties and its use in the kitchen.
Remember to water it regularly in summer and in dry periods to obtain abundant flowering or to stimulate the resumption of flowering, which can be stopped due to the torrid heat; tolerates short periods of drought but cannot stand water stagnation.
The plant should be fed in spring and summer, using a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants every 10 days, diluted in irrigation water.
The marigold is easily obtained from seed: sowing is done every year in spring, but the seedling is self-sowing easily, replicating the spectacle from year to year. It prefers light soils, rich in organic substance and loose, with excellent drainage; it also adapts to poor soils, but not too arid.
Tip: Regular topping will yield more flowers.
And finally, some curiosities: marigold flowers have therapeutic properties (purifying, tonic, soothing for the skin) and are edible, excellent in risottos, omelettes and salads. Flower heads are also used to dye natural fibers such as silk and wool yellow.

Manufactures and stores

GardenTV is also a community of producers, stores, services. Find the nearest to you.