When to Plant Calendula
Calendula is a half-hardy cool-season flower. It takes light frosts but not a hard freeze.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost, and plant out from 2 weeks before the last frost to 1 week after it. Or sow it where it will grow, in the 3 weeks before the last spring frost. The first flowers open about 50 to 60 days after sowing.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start seeds indoors | Feb 1 – 15 | Mar 4 – 18 | Apr 3 – 17 |
| Harden off | Feb 22 – 28 | Mar 25 – 31 | Apr 24 – 30 |
| Plant out | Mar 1 – 22 | Apr 1 – 22 | May 1 – 22 |
| In flower | Mar 23 – Jun 1 | Apr 23 – Jul 2 | May 23 – Aug 1 |
| Direct-sown: Sow outdoors | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Apr 24 – May 15 |
| Direct-sown: In flower | Apr 13 – Jun 22 | May 14 – Jul 23 | Jun 13 – Aug 22 |
Growing calendula
Calendula tolerates light frost and blooms best in cool weather; deadhead to keep flowers coming.
- Spacing: 12 in apart, in rows 18 in apart. In a raised bed, 1 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to first flowers: 50 to 60 from sowing, then about 10 weeks of flowers.
- Traditional companions: broccoli, bush bean, cabbage, carrot, cherry tomato, collards, pole bean, tomato. See companion plants for calendula.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant calendula and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
When do I start calendula indoors?
4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost: with a last frost of April 15, that's Mar 4 – 18. Enter your ZIP code above for your own dates.
Can calendula go in before the last frost?
Yes. Calendula is half-hardy: plant it out from 2 weeks before the last spring frost to 1 week after it.
How long does calendula take to grow?
About 50 to 60 days from sowing to the first flowers, which then lasts about 10 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Growing Annual Plants from Seed
- Colorado State University Extension: How to grow, harvest and eat 12 tasty edible annual flowers in Colorado
- Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System (J. Masabni): Growing Herbs (E-561, 2009)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Growing Annuals
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Penn State Extension: Herbs Make Good Plant Partners and Companions
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County: The Art of Companion Planting (Master Gardener presentation, 2023)
- University of Vermont Extension: Creating a Biodiverse Vegetable Garden (2023)