RADIO CALENDULA SEEDS

Calendula officinalis

First available in the 1930s and named in celebration of modern radio broadcasting, Radio Calendula features exquisite quilled orange petals surrounding a sunny, sherbet-orange disc. The petals are lovely sprinkled over salads, in scones, on cakes, etc. Flavor is mild, not excessively resinous like some Calendulas. An absolute gem of a flower in the vegetable and edible flower garden, growing to just over 1’. Start indoors and plant with violets and alyssum in the lettuce bed.

Radio Calendula may be useful in medicinal applications, but we recommend use of cultivars selected specifically for medicinal purposes, such as Erfurter or Resina. Radio Calendula is best appreciated as an edible ornamental.

Sow directly into the garden in spring, or start seeds indoors 6 weeks before the soil can be worked: sow seeds 1/8” to 1/4” deep in moist soil, pressing to keep seed snug, mist; cover with plastic to maintain moisture; kept warm (around 65°F) and moist in bright light, seeds will germinate within two weeks. Transplant seedlings to individual cells to grow on in cool temperatures and bright light. Root development can be slow in Calendulas, plants may benefit from weekly applications of dilute seaweed extract before and after being transplanted outdoors when soil can be worked, along with lettuce transplants and radish seeds.

Very highly recommended.

Packet contains about 100 seeds.