You can learn more about how to grow calendula in my step-by-step growing guide: How to Grow Calendula from Seed
In this article: You can learn when and how to collect and store calendula seeds to save to enjoy growing next year!
When and How To Collect Calendula Seeds
When growing calendula for the most part-time, you will be picking off all the blossoms for your own uses, as they are so many! Picking frequently helps keep the plant producing more and more blooms and allows you to collect and dry the blooms for later uses. But if you want to collect calendula seeds, you will need to let some of the blooms go. I usually do this at the end of the season at mid-summer, so that during the bulk of the season the plant if putting its power into producing flowers to go for seeds.
After a week or two you will notice the flower head changing shape a bit, and You will see little green, half moon shapes growing on the flower head. These are the green calendula seeds. Wait and don’t pick the seeds yet. You want to wait to collect your calendula seeds until they are fully brown and dry.
Calendula seeds will fall off on their own, and sometimes they stay on until they are completely brown and dried, and sometimes they fall while still green. The trick is to collect the seeds when the plant is ready to release them before strong wind, rain, or they fall off alone. Collecting calendula seeds is an easy activity for gardeners of all ages. It’s also extremely rewarding to collect seeds from plants you’ve grown! To collect the seeds, gently use your thumb to knock the dried seeds off of the flower head and put them onto a small plate. Calendula seeds vary quite a bit in shape and color. Some seeds are more tightly curved, while others are shaped more on the order of a crescent moon.
Always leave the green seeds for another couple of days until has been completely turned brown and dry.
Collect the rest of the seeds and bring them inside for storage process.
How to Store Calendula Seeds The Correct Way
Best quality calendula seed is the result of careful selection of the mother plants, combined with good care in the collecting, cleaning and storage of the seeds.
- Clean the seeds by removing any debris from the seeds as possible.
- Even if calendula seeds appear dry when you collect them, spread them out on paper to dry for about a week before storing. Make sure the seeds are completely dry before storing, otherwise you might end up with mold in your jar, which will ruin your entire seed collection.
- Once the seeds are completely dried. Store in a mason jar, small container, or in a paper envelope.
- Label your plant name, variety, color, and date.
- Store in a cool, dry, dark location and avoid exposure to sunlight.
- Seeds are best stored at a temperature of 30–40 degrees
- The freezer is a great place for seed storage because the colder the seeds are kept, the longer they will remain viable for future germination.
- Shelf life of dried calendula seeds is at least one year!
If you find you have extra seeds to share, share them with your friends!
🛒 Shop for Calendula seeds 🛒
Watch How to Collect Calendula Seeds Video
Save some calendula seeds from your plants to grow again in your garden next year or to share with gardening friends!
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Happy Organic Gardening!
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