A Detailed Guide to the Benefits of Calendula and Its Potted Care and Watering Methods

I believe that when you have a cold and a sore throat, you have also often used the flower described below, boiled in water, to relieve your symptoms - and that flower is calendula. It belongs to the genus Calendula in the aster family (Asteraceae), and its place of origin is Egypt and southern Europe; it was later cultivated in warm regions around the world, and in China it is mostly grown in Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi and other provinces.

Besides clearing heat and detoxifying, calendula can also help prevent hyperlipidemia, reduce inflammation and kill bacteria, and clear the liver and promote bile flow. In daily life, we might as well try growing one or two pots at home. In winter care it has fairly good cold tolerance, but it is rather afraid of heat; in the hot summer, be careful not to place it in a spot with blazing sun, because a temperature above 30 degrees will make it briefly enter a dormant period, and its growth will also become relatively slow. At this time we can place it in a well-ventilated spot for care and it will recover.

In terms of light, calendula likes an environment with plenty of sunlight. During care, when its leaves lose their green color, consider moving it to a place with relatively soft light, because overly strong light will cause its leaves to change color.

In terms of watering, calendula is afraid of waterlogging, and the soil should be kept slightly moist; avoid watering too much, which causes standing water. In relatively dry seasons, it is recommended to water once every ten days, and when watering, make sure the water can penetrate to the roots; otherwise, with even a slight lack of water, the leaves will droop.

In terms of soil, it likes loose, well-drained soil. At a flower shop, you can choose leaf mold, garden soil and sandy soil mixed at a ratio of 3:6:1 to make a growing medium. As for fertilizing, during the growth period (April to September) and the fruiting period (June to October), applying a light fertilizer once a month is enough; the fertilizer can be a compound fertilizer or an organic fertilizer.

There are often points to note during care. Generally speaking, calendula has relatively few diseases, but you still need to guard against the pest problem of scale insects. They usually gather at the center of the leaves and then secrete a sticky sap, which weakens the plant's growth, and afterward the leaves show signs of yellowing. At this time, the remedy is to move the potted plant outdoors and directly use insecticides such as buprofezin to deal with them.