Calendula (marigolds) is a herbaceous annual plant that grows in many suburban areas. True, the people call these flowers - marigolds. Calendula is valued not for its appearance, but rather for those useful medicinal properties that are used in traditional medicine.
Calendula belongs to the
family of aster (Asteraceae). Unpretentious, grows a bush, the height of which is from 30 to 75 centimeters, depending on the
composition of the soil and care. It has a highly recognizable smell that occurs when touched. The color of the inflorescences is from yellow to saturated orange with a red tint. There are ordinary and terry forms of inflorescences (photo of flowers of marigolds).
Fancy seeds, quite large and similar to small sickles, have very good germination. They can reproduce by self-sowing, often growing far from designated places.
Marigold flowers are very fond of sunlit flowers, flower beds. It is better to use them in group plantings along with cornflowers, poppies, daisies and other field annuals.
To obtain a strong and healthy plant, marigold flowers are sown in spring (early May) immediately to a permanent place, slightly sprinkled with loose soil. Be sure to water the plantings and make sure that the soil does not dry out. Young plants appear about a week later. They usually dive right there, in the garden, but with a large number of shoots, you can simply thin out. You should leave a distance between them of about 25 centimeters.
Calendula is growing very fast. The first buds may appear in about a month. In order for the flowering to be continuous until the first autumn frosts, it is not recommended that marigold flowers tie the seeds. You need to constantly break them off.
Plant care consists in weeding from weeds, loosening the soil and watering. You can fertilize them with complex fertilizers several times a season.
In the seedling method, as a rule, more valuable terry varieties are grown.
They collect marigold flowers, the use of which in folk medicine is widely known, by hand. Choose the most saturated in color - in them the content of nutrients is higher. Dried in dryers (air) at a temperature of 45 degrees for 4 hours. If the inflorescence breaks up when pressed, the drying is finished.
Use calendula in the form of decoctions,
infusions, tinctures or oils.
The spectrum of action of these drugs is so wide that they can be used to heal virtually all organs of the human body, namely:
- remove inflammatory processes;
- quickly heal wounds;
- achieve a diuretic and diaphoretic effect;
- disinfect;
- relieve pain;
- lower blood pressure;
- calm the central nervous system, etc.
The
flowers of calendula contain a lot of carotene, phytoncides, organic acids and vitamin C. There are also trace elements in them (copper, zinc, selenium and molybdenum). Due to the presence of the above substances, immunity is increased, a positive effect is exerted on the teeth, cardiovascular and reproductive systems, and oncological diseases are also prevented.