How to Grow, Gather & Dry Calendula
Cultivating.
This brightly colored flower grows easily as an annual. Calendula can be started inside or direct seeded into the garden in early spring. Calendula reseeds readily in the garden and can also be grown in containers on a sunny deck. Plants benefit from starting in cooler temperatures; sow them directly outdoors a few weeks before last frost is expected, or start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep. The ideal germination temperature is 55-60F.
Calendula grows best in full sun and in well-drained soil that has compost forked into the garden bed. Then mulch the entire bed with a few inches of straw. When direct seeding or transplanting seedlings, thin seedlings that have reseeded and give 8-10 inches between plants so they will have room to grow. On Avena Botanicals’ farm, we have created a 3-year rotation system for our calendula beds. It is better for the soil and for the health of an annual crop like calendula to not be planted in the same place year after year.
We aim to pull calendula plants out of the ground by mid to late October. These plants are set aside for mixing into our large compost piles. Each garden bed is covered with a thick layer of compost which is then gently forked into the soil and covered with straw. When putting gardens to bed, it is best to never leave bare soil exposed as this can cause erosion; mulch with straw or plant a fall cover crop like oats. Singing and laughing when working in the garden is good medicine.
Collecting.
Before gathering any herb, pause in whatever way feels authentic to you, connect with your breath and your heart. Quietly ask permission to gather calendula’s flowers. Let the plants know why you have come and who their medicine is for. When you sense permission has been given, leave a gift; a song, prayer, poem, a gift with meaning. Even when collecting an annual herb like calendula several times per week, attune yourself to the spirit of the plant each time you approach, and leave an offering.
Calendula blossoms need to be gathered two to four times per week, in the morning when the flowers are fresh and the dew is no longer present. Regular gathering of this annual herb stimulates the plant to keep producing flowers. Choose flowers whose petals have opened and yet are still in an upward, prayer-like gesture. It is easy to pick the flowers with one’s fingers and thumbs, gently breaking the stem of the flower just below the green base of the flowers. Calendula is full of antiseptic resins which will leave your fingers feeling sticky -- a sign of good medicine. Be mindful when placing flowers into your gathering basket not to place too many flowers in one basket. Flowers start to wilt and sweat if piled too high on top of each other, lessening their medicinal qualities. When gathering more than one basket, be sure to leave your first basket in the shade. Once the harvest is complete, carry your baskets to where you will dry the flowers.
Drying.
Calendula flowers contain a large amount of water. Eight pounds of fresh flowers equals about one pound of dried flowers. When drying calendula flowers, lay them on their side on a drying screen. As each flower dries, it curls into a tiny ball and the petals stay attached to the flower's center. If laid face down on a screen, the petals tend to easily fall off the center of the flower. Flowers may take 7-10 days to be fully dried. The ideal temperature for drying herbs is 80-100F. If you have a separate room for drying herbs, a fan for circulating air and a dehumidifier are helpful tools. Be sure windows have curtains, as direct sunlight fades the color of herbs. Some people have success drying herbs with an electric dehydrator set at 80-95F. If using an electric dehydrator, be careful to not over-dry your herbs. Check them frequently during the drying process.
FEDCO sells an affordable collapsible drying system that works well for folks living in smaller spaces. Once the blossoms are dry, store them in glass jars in a dark cupboard or inside clean brown paper bags that then go inside plastic bags. Be sure to place these bags in a dark, cool, dry and protected closet or cupboard, away from any heat, sunlight, and electrical devices. Dried calendula has a shelf life of about a year. If you have any dried calendula flowers left over from the year, you can enjoy them in relaxing foot baths and full body healing baths. (For more information on growing, gathering, and drying herbs, and making herbal preparations, refer to the book, The Healing Garden).
Creating remedies with dried calendula.
How to make calendula oil
Creating calendula oil in your own kitchen at home using dried flowers is easy, and it doesn’t require any complicated equipment or ingredients.
How to make calendula salve
After making your own calendula oil, it only takes a little beeswax and heat to craft your own calendula salve and pour it into tins or glass jars.
Other calendula preparations
Oils and salves aren’t the only ways to prepare calendula and experience its healing benefits. You can make teas, tinctures, oxymels, steams & more.