Sunday, February 16, 2025

Harvest Calendula Seeds in 2024 for Vibrant Blooms.

Unleash a burst of vibrant color in your garden next year by harvesting calendula seeds now! These cheerful annuals are a surefire way to add a ray of sunshine to your borders and containers. Get ready to embrace their bright, brilliant blooms.

Key Takeaways:

  • Calendula is a low-maintenance annual that rewards gardeners with a stunning display of daisy-like blooms from late spring until the first frost.
  • Harvesting calendula seeds in late summer ensures a supply of viable seeds for growing more of these vivid flowers next year.
  • Collecting and storing calendula seeds is an easy and cost-effective way to propagate these delightful annuals for a vibrant garden year after year.

When to Harvest Calendula Seeds

As summer winds down and your calendula plants start losing their glory, it’s time to gather as many seeds as you can for next year’s show. Depending on your location, you can collect seeds anytime from July until October. These cheerful annuals typically bloom from late spring until the first frost, as long as you keep up with deadheading the spent blooms.

But towards the end of summer, let a few stems go to seed. In July and August, keep an eye out for old flower heads turning light brown to gray. As the petals drop, a rounded seed pod will emerge, eventually turning from green to a darker shade. The long, curved seeds grow in a circle around the pod and will begin to loosen when they’re ready for harvesting.

The Perfect Time for Seed Collecting

Harvest Calendula Seeds in 2024 for Vibrant Blooms.
Source: homesandgardens.com

There’s no precise time during late summer, but the trick is to spot those dried-up calendula seed pods. When you see a few ready for collection, pick a dry summer’s day and get your gear ready. You’ll need a sharp pair of snips (I love my trusty Felco snips from the garden center) and a large bowl or tubtrug to catch the pods.

How to Harvest Calendula Seeds

With your clean, sharp snips in hand, carefully cut several dried calendula seed pods into your container. Once you have enough pods, take your harvest inside for cleaning.

Here’s where the fun begins! Simply work the dry pods between your fingers into a separate bowl, keeping the chaff (outer seed case) to one side. Don’t worry too much about a small amount of debris – it won’t hurt germination. Each pod can contain a treasure trove of 30 to 40 little seeds!

You should be left with small brown to light gray calendula seeds that are rounded and almost half-moon in shape. Spread these babies thinly over a paper towel on a flat surface and leave them to dry for a day or two.

Storing Your Calendula Seed Harvest

Once your seeds are nice and dry, it’s time to store them properly. Grab some handy seed envelopes (available at any garden center) and clearly write the plant name and date on each one. No gardener needs a messy or confusing seed tin!

Store your harvested calendula seeds in a cool, dry place in a tin or box. Avoid humid or warm environments like greenhouses or conservatories – these can cause your seeds to lose viability. Under the right conditions, your calendula seeds could remain viable for up to six years! But for the best chance of germination, aim to use them within one to three years.

Sticky Fingers? No Problem!

Don’t be alarmed if your hands feel a bit sticky after collecting calendula seeds. The green base at the bottom of the flower head produces a resin that can be a bit unpleasant to the touch. No worries, though – a quick wash with soap and water will take care of that stickiness.

Or, if you’d rather avoid the mess altogether, wear a pair of garden gloves during the harvesting process. Either way, it’s a small price to pay for the joy of growing those vibrant calendula blooms next year!

A Rewarding Endeavor

Saving seeds from your favorite annuals is such a rewarding and cost-effective way to keep your garden in bloom year after year. A little effort now will pay off in spades come spring, when you can sow those hard-earned calendula seeds and watch them burst into color.

And why stop at calendula? Once you get the hang of seed collecting, you’ll want to try your hand at harvesting marigold seeds, nasturtium seeds, and more. It’s a whole new world of gardening adventures!

Conclusion

Harvesting calendula seeds in late summer is a simple and satisfying task that every gardener should try. With a little patience and some basic tools, you can ensure a steady supply of these vibrant annuals for years to come. Embrace the joy of seed collecting, and let your garden burst with the cheerful blooms of calendula year after year.

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Liz Spencer
Liz Spencer
Liz Spencer, affectionately known by her friends as Liz, is a mid-aged woman who lives and breathes the world of beauty and fashion. Residing in the bustling city of New York, she has found the perfect environment to nurture her passions. From a young age, Liz was fascinated by the transformative power of a great outfit or a new hairstyle, leading her to become a personal stylist and image consultant.