There is a legend among the people that the sun, tired of shining, sat down on a hill for a moment to rest. At that moment, one of the gold coins rolled out of his pocket, rolled down the hill into the coming night, and silently fell to the soft earth. And in the morning, a wonderful bright orange flower, similar to the face of the sun, grew in this place.
Calendula. We pronounce the name of this flower, and a picture of a front garden near an old house with geraniums on the window and porcelain elephants on a chest of drawers or the figure of Dr. Aibolit with a medicine for treating throats pops up in our memory ... Indeed, this favorite flower of our grandmothers has a very long history.
motherland calendula or nails, as the plant is popularly called for the similarity of its seeds with the claws of animals, - the Mediterranean and Central Europe. The wild predecessor is now found only in the countries of the Middle East, and in a cultivated form, calendula is distributed throughout the globe, with the exception of permafrost, deserts and semi-deserts. Information about the cultivated plant Calendula officinalis (calendula officinalis) has come down to us since the 12th century. People recognized the unique medicinal properties of the plant in ancient Greece and ancient Rome and began to use them. Later, the fame of a unique medicinal flower spread throughout Europe, where it became overgrown with legends and legends. Once the calendula was one of the most popular flowers of France and the favorite flower of the Queen of Navarre, Marguerite of Valois. And now the statue of Queen Margaret with a marigold flower in her hands stands in Paris in the Luxembourg Gardens.
Calendula is a healer
Calendula officinalis is an unpretentious, cold-resistant annual: it can be content with modest conditions. But for a long time it will retain its decorative effect only in sunny areas, with regular watering and on drained loams. Blooms from late June until frost. To prolong the flowering period, it is recommended to pick off faded flowers - baskets weekly. It is grown both through seedlings and by sowing in open ground. Easily tolerates picking and transplanting. At a germination temperature of 15°C, seeds germinate on the seventh day, and calendula begins to bloom after 40-45 days. There is an opinion that when sowing calendula in the early stages or in the fall, the first flowers will be especially large, which is stimulated by the moderate temperature of the development of flower buds.
One of the first Russian scientists, calendula as a medicinal plant was officially recognized by the outstanding Russian doctor - pharmacologist A.P. Nelyubin: he described its properties and used it in the clinic. Modern studies of biochemists and pharmacologists have supplemented this knowledge and made it possible to formulate areas of medical and cosmetic applications. Flower baskets contain about a dozen valuable chemicals, the most significant of which for medical use are carotenoids, flavonoids and glycosides. Calendula preparations have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral effects (herpes virus and a number of types of influenza type A). In case of damage to the skin and mucous membranes due to injury or peptic ulcer, tissue repair is accelerated. Antispasmodic effect on the stomach, intestines, bile ducts was also revealed. All of the above made it possible to use the plant in dentistry, gastroenterology, dermatology, gynecology, and even in oncology.
For the treatment of tumor diseases, a unique combination of various medicinal properties of calendula is used as an enhancement of the action of specific antitumor drugs. Based on the plant, such pharmacological preparations as caleflon, kaferid, rotokan are produced.
Calendula - protector of soil and plants
But this seemingly very well-known plant has a property that few are familiar with. This is the ability to inhibit the vital activity of soil pathogenic microorganisms, harmful insects and helminths, as well as the ability to get along next to a large number of different representatives of the flora. These data were accumulated in the process of long-term spontaneous activity of a person - a farmer, and so far do not have any convincing theoretical basis. Although the explanation of this phenomenon may well lie in the field of young science - allelopathy.
Allelopathic interactions in nature are diverse and come down to the release by plants and microorganisms into the environment of a number of substances that affect the change in the range of plants in the process of competition. Everyone has heard about phytoncides - volatile substances, thanks to which we get the whole range of olfactory sensations, being next to plants. Antibiotics released by soil microorganisms are also not new. But scientific information about such substances as marasmins, secreted by microorganisms of the forest floor, and colins, secreted by plant roots into the soil, is extremely scarce. But it is precisely the latter, apparently, that provide the strongest competition between the groups of plants vying for a place under the sun.
Calendula in a garden landscape
Recently, landscape designers have forgotten about calendula. It is believed that the plant in flower mixborders and discounts is inferior in decorative effect to other, more modern cultures. And, despite the large number of new and very beautiful varieties of this plant, marigolds are rarely mentioned in landscape design books. However, the vegetable mixborder fashion that is now coming to us from Europe shows that it is the marigolds, often in combination with marigolds and nasturtium, that most harmoniously fit into the group of plants for “internal use”. After all, these plants, being next to food crops, perform three functions at once: neutralize the soil, create a compatible aura of smells, and can themselves be used for culinary dishes.
To achieve a disinfecting effect from calendula, a certain planting technique is important. It is not enough just to sow calendula. The correct placement of crops and the number of planted plants is very important. Practitioners note the protective effect of the crop if the number of plants planted is 10-20% of those planted in the garden. Therefore, when planning joint plantings with vegetable crops, the area is increased accordingly. You can place the plant both among the main crop, and you can sow it with two or three rows of beds with vegetables. To improve areas already infected with nematodes or Fusarium, they need to grow calendula in continuous sowing for at least two to three years, avoiding the presence of other plants, both weeds and cultivated. In autumn, the plant must be crushed right in the garden and planted in the ground during autumn digging.
When compact planting, one should keep in mind the optimal combination of crops, as well as the increased need for fertilizers when forming a vegetable mixborder by about 1.5 times compared to the amount that would be spent on each crop separately, focusing on the prevailing crop. Calendula is combined with almost all garden and garden plants.
In a flower mixborder, bright shades of yellow-orange scale allow you to successfully combine marigolds with plants of blue-blue, lilac and purple tones: verbena, alyssum, delphinium, ageratum, lobelia, nemophila, nirembergia, bindweed, brachykoma.
Recently, a lot and rightly talk about mulching as a means of protecting the soil from drying out and weeds. Here, as a rule, compost, peat, bark, sawdust, grass, etc., used only during the season, are called. They also mention the more long-term use of stone chips, shells. The use of cover crops (green manure) for the same purpose is often forgotten. But calendula can be put one in a row with such green manures as oats, mustard, phacelia. And if you sow calendula in the near-trunk circles of trees, as well as in areas that are empty for various reasons between other perennial plants (of course, taking into account the compatibility of colors, height and other design nuances), then you can get the effect of both mulching and green manure at the same time. soil loosening. If, however, the green mass is mowed before flowering, and the mowed material is planted in the soil near the plants, we will get the effect of enriching the soil with “green” fertilizer.
This versatility of calendula allows the culture to be used more widely than is currently done. And I am sure that in the process of deepening our knowledge in agrobiology and agrochemistry, the plant will not only not be forgotten, but, on the contrary, will become the object of even closer attention of researchers and gardeners.
Ways to use calendula
- Pour 10 g of calendula flowers with a glass of boiling water, insist in a warm place for 4-6 hours, strain, squeeze. Apply as a rinse for sore throats and pharyngitis.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of flowers with 1 cup of boiling water, heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, stirring often. Cool at room temperature, strain, squeeze. Bring the volume of the broth with boiled water to the original. Take warm, 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Wrap the flowers steamed from the previously prepared broth in a layer of gauze, cool to body temperature and put on the skin of the face. They refresh and nourish the skin, giving it a matte finish.
- Calendula flowers, previously dried in the shade for 12 hours to reduce moisture, put in a dry and clean glass jar. Pour in olive oil so that the flowers are completely covered but have room to expand. Stir and close the jar tightly. Place the jar in a warm place and shake once a day. After 4-6 weeks, strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. Pour into a glass bottle and store in a cool, dark place. Rub the oil into the skin with seborrheic dermatitis, skin cracks, bruises.
- Cut a couple of fresh cucumbers, add green onions and 10-20 chopped flower baskets to them, add salt and sour cream. Serve for dinner.
- Rinse the calendula petals, chop, mix with butter. Add sugar to taste. Spread on bread. Red sandwiches for breakfast.
- Place 10 marigold flower baskets, 6-7 raspberry leaves and 1-2 sprigs of mint in a teapot. Brew with boiling water, let stand for 5-7 minutes. Pour tea into cups.
Tatyana Bogdanova, phytotherapist, gardener
Photo by Svetlana Moskonen
The small size of the summer cottage is not a hindrance if you plan to plant vegetables and flowers on it. You do not have to choose one thing, because the unusual and beautiful combination of these cultures is a great scope for creativity. Their close proximity is even useful if you approach the landing correctly.
Everything in nature is interconnected. Planting flowers and vegetables in the same area will establish the exchange of useful substances and properties between plants. Flowers, for example, cover the roots of vegetables and protect against drought, a pleasant aroma attracts pollinating insects, and a sharp one repels pests. The most important thing is not to plant nearby plants that are unpleasant to each other.
Advantages of joint flower and vegetable plantings:
- the area of the site is used rationally;
- different requirements of plants to the soil do not deplete it;
- the right selected cultures have a beneficial effect on each other.
Consider what are the combinations of plants in the garden.
Marigolds and marigolds
Between the rows of potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, it is useful to plant marigolds or marigolds. These flowers repel pests, which these vegetables have quite a lot. The healing properties of flowers protect against various diseases, for example, from nematodes. Marigolds and marigolds improve the structure of the soil, enrich it, as a result of which the root crops are saturated with useful substances. Also, flowers will have a positive effect if you sprinkle the beds with their crushed leaves and stems.
Calendula
Calendula, famous for its healing properties, protects fruit bushes: currants, gooseberries, blackberries. This flower improves the quality of the soil, which increases the yield. Calendula coexists with many vegetables and repels pests.
daffodils and tulips
Green vegetables and greens such as lettuce, parsley, dill are combined with bulbous flowers. You can also plant daffodils next to carrots. It is not difficult to dig up the bulbs of faded flowers and you will not damage the root crops, and the carrot greens growing on the surface will close the vacant space.
Borage or borage
Borage not only decorates the garden, but is also able to replace a real cucumber in salads. This plant has a loosening effect on the soil, protects vegetables from excess water. The sweet aroma of borage will attract insects, so neighboring plants will not lack pollination.
Peonies and irises
These beautiful flowers will decorate the beds with beets or celery. Multi-colored peonies, roses, irises will help create a bright contrasting composition that attracts attention.
Flowers should be planted after 5-6 rows of the main vegetable crop and after the first shoots of vegetables appear. Miniature flower beds decorated with garden figures will look elegant among the beds. Do not forget that the areas for planting vegetables and flowers need to be changed every season.
Mixed plantings will help not only transform your garden, but also improve it.
Calendula as green manure in private gardening is undeservedly rarely used, gardeners prefer plants that quickly increase a large amount of green mass (for example, mustard, phacelia, rapeseed, oats, lupine, oil radish). However, it is this unpretentious flower culture, which belongs to medicinal plants, that helps in the productive improvement of the soil on the site and cleansing it of pests that are detrimental to many vegetables.
Calendula as green manure in the garden
Despite the fact that marigolds grow only 15-25 cm in a month and a half, the overgrown green mass and root residues are quite enough to destroy pathogens, in particular fungi, viruses and bacteria that cause nightshade late blight, fusarium wilt, various types of mosaics, and freeing the site from nematodes, leaf-eating caterpillars, mites and wireworms.
During the growing season, calendula roots saturate the soil mixture with esters, phytoncides, tannins and other biologically active compounds with insecticidal and fungicidal properties. The greenery of the plant spread over the beds, decomposing, enhances the sanitizing effect of these substances. That is why marigolds are among the most effective green manures that have the ability to improve the biochemical composition of the soil in the beds. 
Dates of planting calendula as green manure
The best time for sowing marigolds is the end of August. The plant is planted with beds vacated from under the main crops, with the expectation that before the onset of soil frosts, the greenery will be embedded in the ground.
Cut the greens before flowering, about 1.5-2 months after the appearance of mass shoots. Plant residues are placed in compost, used as mulch or plowed into a fertile soil layer (depth 20-25 cm). Only when plowing, plant residues are not laid tightly, otherwise the soil structure is disturbed - the tubules are cut off, where condensate accumulates.
Features of the cultivation of calendula
As a green manure crop, calendula is sown densely, the seed consumption rate is from 100 to 150 g / weaving. The organic matter left in the soil during the winter has time to decompose qualitatively and enrich the soil with humic compounds, which create favorable conditions for the activation of beneficial microorganisms and earthworms.
Planting calendula does not require special care. It is enough to water the beds several times during dry times. If it rains, then there is no need to organize irrigation, and the plants independently gain vegetative mass, and in record time.
In the spring, the areas where the marigolds grew are completely ready to receive vegetable crops, which are planted according to the recommended dates.
Calendula is one of the best green manure used before planting tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, vegetable peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins, garlic, onions, carrots and beets.
On our site, we include marigolds in the scheme of mixed plantings, they beautifully ennoble the garden and are superbly sown by self-sowing. In the spring, grown seedlings are easy to transfer to a new place or simply cut off extra shoots. And in the fall, we do not cut off the grown marigold bushes, heaping leaf litter right on top, as in this photo:
If your site urgently needs improvement, then use the green manure method with sowing calendula officinalis. From it, and the seeds are quite easy to collect by yourself. So calendula as green manure in the garden is a fairly cheap way to disinfect the soil, try it and see for yourself!
Calendula is a medicinal plant. Calendula blooms with beautiful orange-yellow flowers, and in addition to being used for medicinal purposes, it is also widespread in decorative floriculture. In domestic pharmacology, this plant is very much appreciated.
The flowers of the plant are yellow or orange in color, collected in inflorescences-baskets. The fruit of calendula is an achene, slightly bent, without a tuft. Fruit on the outside of an uneven surface with spines. The flowering of the plant begins in June and ends in September. The fruits ripen in October. The plant is very fond of light, but demanding on moisture and soil. It can be seen in Southern Europe, the Middle East and Western Asia.
This plant blooms for quite a long time, from June to late autumn, almost until October. Calendula bears fruit in July, propagated by seeds, does not require special conditions for growing, and at the same time is considered a good honey plant.
Calendula is considered a cultivated plant, it is grown for both medicinal and decorative purposes, it very rarely runs wild. For treatment, only inflorescences are used, that is, baskets that are harvested during the flowering period, when the basket has fully blossomed. Leaves and flower stalks are not used.
For medicinal purposes, freshly blossomed inflorescences of the plant are harvested. Baskets should be cut at the base of the peduncle and dried for about 4 hours in an air dryer, inside which the temperature is 45 degrees Celsius. Dried raw materials can be stored for no more than two years. Most often, the plant is found in Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus.
Useful properties of calendula
The flowers of this medicinal plant contain a lot of carotenoids (thanks to this, the flower has an orange color). The calendula flower contains carotene, rubixanthin, lycopene, cigroxanthin, violaxanthin, flavochrome, flavoxanthin and other substances.By color, one can judge the amount of carotenoids contained in the flower. The brighter the flower, the more carotene it contains. In addition, calendula flowers contain paraffinic hydrocarbons (gentriacontan and sitosterol), saponin, bitterness, mucus, resins, phytoncides, proteins, flavonoids, calendiloside glycoside, traces of alkaloids, triterpendiols (arnidiol and faraziol), organic acids (malic, pentadecyl, salicylic), ascorbic acid and essential oil, which gives these flowers a wonderful aroma and phytoncidity.
The green parts of the flower contain bitterness, tannins, triterpene saponins. As recent studies have shown, preparations with calendula are widely used in pharmacology due to the content of biologically active compounds in the flowers of the plant - for example, carotenoids, flavonoids and vitamins.
As studies of the general effect have shown, this plant has low toxicity and has an inhibitory effect on motor activity, as well as reflex excitability of animals. As a result, a noticeable sedative effect of galenic forms of the plant was revealed, which was expressed by a long period of sleep and antagonism in relation to CNS stimulants.
Calendula is used for medicinal purposes as an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, wound healing agent. It is used for both internal and external use. Preparations from this plant have astringent, antispasmodic, choleretic and sedative effects, improve heart function, and lower blood pressure. Quite often, calendula is used to treat diseases of internal organs, the nervous system, as a sedative, as an anticoagulant, immunomodulatory drug. It is also used as a diuretic, diaphoretic, expectorant, analgesic, desensitizing and tonic. Calendula has also found application as a means of increasing male potency.
Calendula flowers are also used as an antispasmodic. It is able to relax the smooth muscle structures of such organs as the stomach, intestines and liver, which leads to increased bile formation and bile secretion and increased secretory activity of the stomach.
Calendula exhibits its anti-inflammatory properties under conditions of experimental models of septic and aseptic inflammation. Among other things, calendula preparations can improve regeneration processes. Despite the fact that the bactericidal qualities of calendula are insignificant in relation to streptococci and staphylococci, inflammation processes complicated by bacterial flora, under the influence of preparations from this plant, proceed much easier due to increased growth of granulations, improved epithelialization and strengthening of local defense mechanisms.
Recipes based on calendula
Infusion of calendula. Take 1 tablespoon of calendula and pour it with a glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour to brew. Strain the finished infusion and take 1 tablespoon three times a day. The remedy is used for stomach ulcers, gastritis and liver diseases. The same infusion is suitable for gargling with sore throat and inflammation of the oral mucosa.Fresh inflorescences of the plant that need to be crushed will help get rid of warts. The finished mass is applied to the wart, a patch is glued on top and they go to bed with it. This process is carried out until the day when the wart falls off.
Decoction with the threat of miscarriage. Take half a tablespoon of calendula inflorescences and the same amount of St. John's wort. Pour this mixture with 200 ml of boiling water and leave for 1 hour. After straining the finished broth, it is taken 500 ml per day, dividing this amount of liquid into 2 doses. This medicine is used 1 month before childbirth.
Tincture of calendula on alcohol. It is necessary to take 100 ml of 70% alcohol and mix with 10 grams of calendula flowers, then leave to brew for several hours. This tincture is used externally, diluting 1 teaspoon of tincture in 200 ml of boiling water. Diluted tincture is washed with cuts, purulent wounds, burns.
Calendula tincture on water. Take 1 tablespoon of the flowers of the plant and fill them with 100 ml of boiling water, pour into a thermos. Leave the composition in a thermos for 1-2 hours. After straining the finished tincture, it is taken 1 tablespoon three times a day for gastritis. Also, this tincture is used as a means for inhalation, washing and lotions.
How to make an oil infusion? Video recipe:
Application of calendula
Angina: you need to take one tablespoon of dried calendula flowers, pour a glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, wrap it tightly, then strain. It is recommended to gargle with this infusion 2-3 times a day. An alcohol tincture of calendula is also suitable for rinsing. To do this, a 70% alcohol tincture is stirred in a glass of water at the rate of 1 tablespoon of tincture per glass of water.You can also prepare such a rinse: mix calendula inflorescences, large plantain leaves, wormwood herb, take one tablespoon of this collection, pour a glass of water, boil over low heat or in a water bath for 10-15 minutes, leave to infuse, then strain . Warm decoction should be gargled every 2 hours. This decoction can be taken orally 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
An allergy is a reaction of the body due to its high sensitivity to the effects of any substances (allergens). In order to get rid of allergies, you can take an infusion of calendula flowers. To prepare it, 10 grams of inflorescences need to be poured with 1/2 cup of boiling water, let it brew for 1-2 hours and consume 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
Heart arythmy: preparing an infusion of calendula flowers. Two teaspoons of inflorescences must be poured with two glasses of boiling water, insisted for one hour, strained. Use the remedy for half a glass three times a day. Such a collection is effective for violations of the heart rhythm, palpitations.
Arthritis: we are preparing a collection that will require inflorescences of calendula officinalis - 5 g, fruits of common juniper - 5 g, brittle buckthorn bark - 5 g, black elder flowers - 10 g, nettle leaves - 10 g, horsetail grass - 20 g, willow bark purple - 20 g, warty birch leaves - 20 g. You should take three tablespoons of the finished collection, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, cook for 5-10 minutes, strain and consume 1 glass every two hours.
Asthma: To prepare the collection, we take calendula inflorescences, peppermint leaves, tricolor violet grass, wild rosemary grass, elecampane roots, coltsfoot leaves, licorice roots, chamomile inflorescences, common anise fruits - all herbs equally. Two tablespoons of the finished collection should be poured into 200 ml of water, heated in a boiling bath for 15 minutes, cooled for 45 minutes, strained, brought to the original volume with boiled water and consumed 1/3 - 1/4 cup 3-4 times a day.
Aphthae: decoction of calendula flowers. Pour one tablespoon of calendula inflorescences with one glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath or boil for 10 minutes. We prepare the infusion: pour 20 grams of inflorescences with one glass of boiling water. The finished infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3. It is recommended to use the product for rinsing.
Blennorea: Pour one tablespoon of calendula inflorescences with one glass of boiling water, insist in heat (or wrapped) for 30–40 minutes, after which we carefully filter. We use for washing the eyes, for lotions, compresses on the eyes.
Hepatitis: preparing an infusion of calendula. Pour two cups of boiling water over two teaspoons of calendula inflorescences, leave for 1 hour, filter. Take the infusion should be half a cup 4 times a day. The tool has choleretic properties.
We prepare tea from a mixture of herbs: calendula inflorescences - 2 parts, St. We take four tablespoons of the finished collection, pour 0.5 liters of cold water, leave it overnight, boil for 5 minutes in the morning, insist 20 minutes. It is necessary to drink tea 1/2 cup three times a day 30 minutes before meals.
Properties of calendula
Nephritis: we are preparing a collection, which will require calendula inflorescences - 40 g, St. 20 g of the finished collection and pour two glasses of boiled water, leave for 10 hours, boil for 5-7 minutes, cool, filter. We use throughout the day. The decoction is used as an astringent and anti-inflammatory agent.
Gastritis: to prepare the collection, we take inflorescences of calendula officinalis - 1 part, rose hips (crushed) - 3 parts, cudweed grass - 1 part, chamomile inflorescences - 1 part, white rose petals - 1 part, horsetail shoots - 1 part, grass common agrimony - 2 parts, wormwood grass - 2 parts, garden dill seeds - 3 parts, St. John's wort grass - 4 parts, large plantain leaves - 4 parts, flowering tops of common yarrow - 7 parts. Pour a tablespoon of the collection with 0.65 liters of boiling water, set to languish for 30 minutes, and then filter. It is recommended to use the remedy half a glass 4 times a day 15-20 minutes before meals.
The infusion has a slightly bitter taste.
Hypertonic disease: recommended tincture of calendula inflorescences. In order to normalize blood pressure, it is necessary to use a tincture (2:100 in 40-degree alcohol) 20-40 drops 3 times a day for a long time. As a result of taking the remedy, working capacity increases, headaches do not bother, sleep normalizes.
Dizziness: a decoction of calendula inflorescences is used. 10 grams of inflorescences are poured into 200 ml of boiling water and consumed 1-3 tablespoons 3 times a day.
Dermatomycosis: make baths. Gauze, folded 3-4 times, is impregnated with calendula infusion and applied to the affected area of the skin.
Jaundice: preparing an infusion of inflorescences. Two cups of boiling water, brew two teaspoons of calendula flowers, leave for 1 hour, filter. It is necessary to use the infusion for half a glass 4 times a day.
It is very good to use calendula in the form of tincture. It is better to start from 30 drops and bring to one teaspoon 2-4 times a day.
We are preparing the collection. We take the above-ground mass of calendula -1 part, rose hips (crushed) - 3 parts, dandelion root - 3 parts, corn columns with stigmas - 3 parts, horsetail shoots - 3 parts, sandy immortelle inflorescences - 4 parts, white rose petals - 2 parts, wild strawberry fruits -2 parts, chamomile inflorescences -2 parts, ordinary juniper fruits (crushed) - 1 part, forest cudweed herb - 1 part, white birch leaf - 1 part, dill seeds - 1 part. Pour one tablespoon of the finished collection with 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave to languish for 30 minutes, filter. Take the drug should be 150 ml three times a day for 10-15 minutes before meals. The infusion has a bitter taste.
Scrofula: pour one teaspoon of calendula flowers with a glass of boiling water, leave to infuse for one hour, then strain and consume 1/2 cup 3-4 times a day.
Colitis: 2 parts of calendula flowers and 2 parts of blackberry leaves are taken. 4 teaspoons of the finished collection should be brewed in a glass of boiling water. Drink a decoction should be 1/2 cup 3 times a day before meals.
Malaria: to prepare a medicinal infusion, you will need 2 parts of calendula flowers, 3 parts of wormwood grass, 5 parts of sunflower flowers and 10 parts of centaury grass. It is necessary to take one tablespoon of the collection, brew in a glass of boiling water and leave to infuse, then strain. Use the resulting medicine 1/2 cup 4 times a day before meals.
Thrush (candidiasis): a glass of boiling water you need to brew a tablespoon of dried calendula flowers, leave to infuse for one hour and strain. Ready infusion should rinse your mouth 2-3 times a day. The infusion can be replaced with a diluted tincture (1 teaspoon of alcohol tincture of calendula for one glass of boiled water).
A tumor is an excessive growth of tissue, which consists of qualitatively changed and transformed cells of the body. Tumors are divided into benign (as a rule, they do not grow into adjacent tissues, do not metastasize) and malignant (cancer, sarcoma, etc.).
Since ancient times, calendula has been considered an excellent remedy for getting rid of tumors and malignant tumors. However, one calendula to overcome the disease, unfortunately, is impossible. It is recommended to reduce intoxication of the body. In some patients with certain forms of malignant tumors, improvement is observed. Namely, in patients with stomach cancer, dyspeptic symptoms disappear, belching, nausea and vomiting decrease.
We prepare an infusion of calendula flowers. Pour two cups of boiling water over 2 teaspoons of calendula flowers, insist for 15 minutes, divide into 4 parts and drink in equal portions throughout the day.
Periodontitis: pour 10 grams of inflorescences with a glass of boiling water, insist 2 hours, filter, rinse your mouth.
Rush of blood to the head: We prepare the collection, for which we take 2 parts of calendula, 2 parts of mallow flowers, 3 parts of common anise seeds, 3 parts of tricolor violet herb, 3 parts of black elderberry flowers, 3 parts of the root of the field harrow, 3 parts of brittle buckthorn bark, 3 parts licorice root. In a thermos, brew two tablespoons of the finished collection of 0.5 liters of boiling water and leave overnight, filter. We use 2 glasses of infusion per day.
Rickets: pour one tablespoon of calendula inflorescences with a glass of boiling water, insist in a warm place for 1 hour, filter. We use 1/2 cup of the product 3-4 times a day.
Rheumatism: we prepare a collection of 10 g of calendula inflorescences, 10 g of licorice root, 5 g of rhizomes with roots of valerian officinalis, 5 g of dill fruits, 10 g of panzeria grass and 10 g of tripartite grass. We brew one tablespoon of the collection with one glass of boiling water in a thermos for 1 hour. It is necessary to take an infusion for rheumatic pains, angina pectoris, neuroses.
Stomatitis: for treatment, a pharmacy tincture of calendula (preparation) is recommended: one teaspoon of the tincture should be mixed with a glass or 0.5 cups of boiled water. You can also use the infusion, for this, 20 g of inflorescences are poured with one glass of boiling water, after which the infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 and used to rinse with inflammation of the gums or oral mucosa.
Toxicosis: There are two recipes for getting rid of early toxicosis.
1. Mix 2 parts of calendula flowers with 1 part of lemon balm, pour 500 ml of boiling water over one tablespoon of this mixture, leave for 20 minutes and take 75 ml 3 times a day for 7-8 weeks (consult your doctor first).
2. Mix 4 parts of calendula inflorescences, 3 parts of crushed rose hips, 4 parts of motherwort grass, 3 parts of valerian root, 2 parts of peppermint, 2 parts of calamus rhizomes and 2 parts of St. John's wort. One spoonful of the finished collection is poured into 500 ml of hot water, boiled for 1 minute, left to infuse for 20 minutes, filtered. Take 50-100 ml 3 times a day for 30 minutes or 1 hour before meals for two months, after which you need to take a break for 10 days and the treatment can be repeated.
Enlargement of the spleen: you will need 1 part of calendula inflorescences and 1 part of yarrow inflorescence grass. 20 grams of the finished collection is poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water, insisted in a warm place for 40 minutes, filtered and taken 1/3 cup 2 times a day.
Acne (pimples): insist 50 grams of calendula flowers in 0.5 liters of vodka for 8-10 days. Further, one teaspoon of tincture is diluted in 150-200 g of boiled water, used for lotions.
Bruises: places of bruises, abrasions, bruises or tumors are smeared with ointment or alcohol tincture of calendula inflorescences.
Cholecystitis: we prepare a herbal collection, for which we take the herb of calendula officinalis - 1 part, rose hips - 3 parts, dandelion roots - 3 parts, corn columns with stigmas - 3 parts, horsetail shoots - 3 parts, sandy cumin inflorescences - 4 parts, petals white roses - 2 parts, wild strawberry fruits - 2 parts, chamomile inflorescences - 2 parts, fluffy birch leaves - 1 part, common juniper fruits - 1 part, forest cudweed grass - 1 part, dill fruits - 1 part. Pour one tablespoon of the crushed mixture with 0.5 liters of boiling water, then the composition should be simmered for 30 minutes, strain and take 150 ml 3 times a day 10-15 minutes before meals.
Enteritis: take an infusion of calendula inflorescences. One teaspoon of inflorescences is taken per glass of water. You need to take the drug in 0.5 cups in between meals. To improve the effect, it is good to mix calendula with chamomile and yarrow.
Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum: use an infusion of calendula officinalis inflorescences, for which 20 grams of inflorescences are poured with one glass of boiling water. Take the drug 0.5 cup 3 times a day between meals.
Decoction of calendula: 10 grams of inflorescences are poured into 200 ml of boiling water and consumed 1-3 tablespoons 3 times a day.
We prepare a collection of herbs: 1 part of calendula inflorescences, rose hips - 3 parts, cudweed grass - 1 part, chamomile inflorescences - 1 part, white rose petals - 1 part, horsetail shoots - 1 part, agrimony grass - 2 parts, wormwood grass - 2 parts, garden dill seeds - 3 parts, St. John's wort herb - 4 parts, large plantain leaves - 4 parts, flowering tops of common yarrow - 7 parts. We take one tablespoon of the collection and brew 0.5 liters of boiling water, the composition should be simmered for 30 minutes, strain. Take an infusion of half a glass 4 times a day 15-20 minutes before meals.
Barley: we prepare an infusion of calendula flowers, for which we pour 10-15 dry inflorescences with a glass of cold boiled water, insist in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, filter. We use the tool as lotions and compresses.
Tincture of calendula
Calendula tincture helps to get rid of headaches, improves sleep and increases efficiency. With hypertension, the tincture is taken in a course of 3 weeks, it can be longer. Also, calendula tincture is recommended for gastrointestinal diseases, ulcers, rickets, cancer, insomnia, cardiac arrhythmias, shortness of breath, as a choleretic agent, to improve overall well-being.Preparation of tincture of calendula: For 100 ml of 70% alcohol we take 20 grams of calendula, insist 2 weeks. The agent should be filtered. Use the medicine 20-30 drops 3 times a day.
With the help of such a tincture, you can quickly get rid of inflammatory processes and purulent inflammation, from discharge after injuries and ulcerative processes, tissue regeneration is accelerated and wounds heal, including those with sarcoma.
For external use, make lotions or lubricate sore spots, ulcers, burns, acne, scratches, cuts. This medicine is effective in the treatment of diseases of the oral cavity, throat (gargle), be sure to dilute the tincture with water.
For the treatment of barley, blepharitis, conjunctivitis, lotions and washings are made, the tincture is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.
Good results are obtained by tincture in the treatment of gynecological diseases, with ulcers, erosion of the cervix and whites. For treatment, the agent is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. Apply both compresses and douching.
Ointment from calendula
To prepare the ointment, you need to take 50 grams of calendula flowers and grind them into powder, then mix the calendula flowers with 200 grams of melted lard. Put everything in a water bath until the mass becomes homogeneous, and stir constantly. The finished ointment is stored in the refrigerator.Calendula ointment is used for wounds that do not heal well and do not heal for a long time. This ointment has an improving effect on blood circulation in the skin. Making the skin more elastic, the ointment protects it from mechanical and chemical irritation. The tool is excellent for burns, cracks, torn skin and abrasions.
The ointment is also used for allergic rashes, as it alleviates itching and tension. The medicine will help make the skin of the hands smooth, get rid of wrinkles on the face, and protect the lips from frost and heat.
For children suffering from diaper rash, calendula ointment helps better than any remedy. Reactions to new diapers, newborn rashes and diaper dermatitis can be alleviated with this ointment.
Contraindications to the use of calendula
In order to avoid Quincke's edema, people with allergic diseases, bronchial asthma, and urticaria should be careful with calendula preparations.You can not take the drug inside people with low blood pressure with bradycardia and hypotension.
Almost on every personal plot you can find sunny flowers of calendula. The plant has another more popular name "marigolds". There are different types of calendula: undersized (up to 30 cm), medium-sized (up to 45 cm) and tall (up to 85 cm). Inflorescences simple or double.
Growing calendula is not difficult and does not take much time; even a novice gardener-florist can handle such a plant. Thanks to their bright sunny color, the flowers will accentuate the flower bed, decorate the garden paths, or become a great addition to the garden. Its cultivation next to, onions, and other berry bushes is very useful. The aroma of flowers attracts beneficial insects and caterpillars.
Calendula is grown either by sowing seeds in open ground or through seedlings. The plant is planted in open ground in April or before winter (October), not being afraid of night frosts, as it is hardy to changes in weather conditions and cold-resistant, withstands frosts down to -5 ° C.
The timing of planting calendula is determined in the spring according to the condition of the soil. In April, an experiment is carried out: take a lump of earth and throw it, if it falls apart, then you can start sowing.
Planting calendula in open ground
The soil is prepared, dug up and 3-4 kg of humus per 1 sq.m. is added, adding 1 tbsp. superphosphate. The plot is leveled with a rake and grooves are made 1-2 cm deep. With deeper sowing, seed germination is lost. The distance between the seeds is 10 cm, and between the rows is 30-40 cm. The first shoots appear after 7-10 days.
Planting calendula through seedlings
What is good about this method of growing flowers is the earlier flowering.
For seedlings, seeds are sown at the end of March in seedling boxes or pots and left for germination at a temperature of 15 ° C. Seedlings appear after 7 days. They are transplanted to a permanent place in the garden when there are 5-6 true leaves on young plants. Seedlings are planted according to the scheme 30x30 cm. So the plants have enough space for full growth and so as not to interfere with each other.
Place and soil for calendula
Flowers love light, but do not tolerate sweltering heat and drought. In the wrong place, the flowers become smaller and the flowering period is reduced. Therefore, a sunny area with light partial shade is best suited for marigolds.
The soil should be fertile, loose and light.
Care after landing
Calendula loves moisture, during the period of drought, watering is carried out 3-4 times a week.
Faded inflorescences are removed and new flowers are tied in their place. Inflorescences are not thrown away, but dried and used already for medicinal purposes.
Calendula, as an annual, is not dug up or cut in autumn, but left to winter in its place. Acting as, it will fill the soil with useful properties.
Calendula can propagate by self-sowing, so pay attention to this during the seed ripening period so that the plant does not appear where you do not expect it. In late August - early September, remove ripe seedlings from plants (they will be brown), dry them in a warm, ventilated place and put them in a paper envelope or canvas bag until spring.
