im wondering why you cant sow them directly outdoors ... and skip playing in the house with them ???

unless of course.. your goal is to have something to play with in the house ... lol

just out of curiosity.. why are you growing them in pots????

ken

Because I Live in a Flat and Have a Tree Outside That I've Cut and is Now Perfect For 2 Pots....
I'll Try and get a Photo of 1 the the Pots Tomorrow.....

Self sows on my allotment so sowing now outdoors should work fine. Curiously I never associated the name Pot Marigold with containers but rather with its use as a potherb. I don't know where the truth lies. As to growing it in the house it will need as much light as you can possibly give it to avoid etiolation. It likes full sun outdoors.

One dictionary says "pot marigold" is an American term for this ancient medicinal plant so the name may quite likely reference the herbal application rather than cultivation practices. Dictionaries variously date "pot marigold'' back to 1760 or 1805-1815.

Calendula is a plant that dates back to ancient times. Pot Marigold is a more recent name for it-- if you can call the 1800's recent. It is often used in herbal medicine. A salve made from it's flowers is used to treat burns and cuts and scrapes. It is quite hardy. I live in a Zone 3 climate and seeds dropped the fall before will germinate in spring. Once you have it you'll always have it.

However if you grow a hybrid variety don't expect it to come true from seed. I once grew (a touch of red) which was a pretty yellow tinged with red but it eventually reverted back to orange which is it's dominant color.

I'd plant it outside as late as you can before the ground is frozen solid so it doesn't sprout before freeze up. If you do plant it inside keep the temperature cool around 65 degrees. Like lettuce, snapdragons and pansies it germinates in cool temperatures. Too hot and you'll kill the seed

The ground doesn't freeze here so you could sow it any time. Except ninecrow says he has no outdoor space. The issues with outdoor autumn sowing of hardy plants here are rotting and being eaten by pests, not freezing.