Close-up of an orange marigold.
Credit: Angela Altomare
Print
EmailBotanical name: Tagetes
Plant type: Flower
Sun exposure: Full Sun
Bloom time: Spring, Summer, Fall
No annual is more cheerful or easier to grow than marigolds. These flowers are the spendthrifts among annuals, showing a wealth of gold, copper, and brass into our summer and autumn gardens. The flower’s popularity probably derives in part from its ability to bloom brightly all summer long.
Marigolds have daisy-like or double, carnation-like flowerheads and are produced singly or in clusters. Although there are some 50 species, some marigolds we know come from just three:
- Tagetes erecta are the tallest, at three to five feet. They are sometimes known as African, or American, marigolds.
- Bushy T. patula, or French marigolds, are somewhat smaller and more compact. Elegant and eye-catching, they have relatively demure flowers and usually grow from 6 inches to 2 feet tall.
- The dainty T. tenuifolia are the signet, or rock-garden, marigolds that like hot, dry sites and make a wonderful edging. Their flowers are edible.
Marigolds have been sterotyped but they offer tremendous variety; some have fantastic aroma; all marigolds are good in containers and provide long-lasting cut flowers.
Marigold Pictures
Click the slideshow below to enjoy 7 lovely pictures sent in by our Almanac readers!
Planting
- Marigolds need lots of sunshine.
- Though they grow in almost any soil, marigolds thrive in moderately fertile, well-drained soil.
- Sow them directly into the garden once the soil is warm, or start seeds indoors about a month to 6 weeks before the last spring-frost date.
- The seeds germinate easily, but watch out for damping off if you start them inside.
- Separate seedlings when they are about 2 inches tall. Plant them in flats of loose soil, or transplant them into the garden.
- Space tall marigolds 2 to 3 feet apart; lower-growing ones about a foot apart.
- If planting in containers, use a soil-based potting mix; during growing season, water freely and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer weekly.
Care
- Germination from large, easily handled seeds is rapid, and blooms should appear within a few weeks of sowing.
- If the spent blossoms are deadheaded, the plants will continue to bloom profusely.
- Do not fertilize marigolds. Too rich a diet stimulates lush foliage at the expense of flowers. Marigolds bloom better and more profusely in poor soil.
- The densely double flowerheads of the African marigolds tend to rot in wet weather.
Pests
Farmers and gardeners have long known that marigolds make important companion plants all over the garden. Not only does the scent of the marigold (Tagetes spp.) repel animals and insects, but the underground workings of the marigold will repel nematodes (microscopic worms) and other pests for up to 3 years.
Marigolds themselves are hearty but may be prone to gray mold, bacterial leaf spot, powdery mildew, Alternaria leaf spot, damping off, and root rot.
Harvest/Storage
- In flower arrangements, strip off any leaves that might be under water in the vase; this will discourage the overly pungent odor.
- Marigolds can be dried for long-lasting floral arrangements. Strip foliage from perfect blossoms and hang them upside down.
Cooking Notes
- The bright petals of signet marigolds add color and a spicy tang to salads and other summer dishes.
- The flower petals are sometimes cooked with rice to impart the color (but unfortunately not the flavor) of saffron.
- 'Mexican Mint' (sometimes called Texas tarragon) is a study little herb that can be substituted for French tarragon in cooking. This species has been long used in Latin America for tea as well as seasoning.
Wit & Wisdom
- In the late 1960s, Burpee president David Burpee launched an energetic campaign to have marigolds named the national flower, but in the end, roses won out.
- For years, farmers have included the open-pollinated African marigold 'Crackerjack' in chicken feed to make egg yolks a darker yellow
From The Old Farmer's Almanac: Sign up to receive a FREE guide (A $4.95 value!) plus updates from Almanac.com.
Comments
By Anonymous on May 14
- reply
The nursery I buy my pre-bloomed flowers at doesn't sell flowers until they are safe to plant here in northern NJ. But the weather is getting unpredictable. I know in the Fall they won't die with just one night of frost but it's Spring and we haven't been in the 30s in over a week. I have Antigua Marigolds, Valentine Lace Begonias, Snowland Daisies, Verbatems and Agratums in pots in my garden. I left the Pansies outside but the low is for 38 and AOL weather is warning of a POSSIBLE frost. My nursery said they should still be fin but I brought them inside. The heat is on but they stabilize it around 65 at my condo. Did I do the right thing to bring them in?
By Anonymous on May 7
- reply
This year will be my first time planting maraigolds and other flowers in a garden. I have tried many times planting inside but have always killed them. I have read the other post and understand some of what's being said. I'm just unsure of when to transplant to outside I'm in Wyoming. I'm also unsure if the deadheading when would I do that?
By Almanac Staff on May 8
- reply
Transplant when there is no more risk of frost and the soil has warmed up a bit.
Deadhead the flowers after they have blossomed and starting to fade. You can wait a little longer and let the flower go to seed. Then pinch of the seed head and save the seeds for next season.
By Anonymous on April 30
- reply
My seedlings are coming up nicely in planters.How long before I see flowers?
By Almanac Staff on May 8
- reply
Marigolds take about 45 to 50 days to flower after you plant seeds.
By Anonymous on April 25
- reply
Under your planting tips section, you say to fertilize weekly, but under the care section you say don't fertilize. Thoroughly confused here! So if you don't mind, which is correct.
By Almanac Staff on May 8
- reply
Marigolds do not need a lot of fertilizer if they are growing in good soil. Fertilize only in the spring when you transplant the seedlings. Too much fertilizer will produce lots of foliage and just a few blossoms.
By Anonymous
- reply
What could be eating my marigolds? A few plants have no leaves left!
By Almanac Staff on April 26
- reply
You probably have slugs or snails in your garden that eat the marigolds. Put some crushed egg shells or sand around the plants to discourage them.
By Anonymous
- reply
We moved into a rental last summer, and it has a long raised marigold bed. Our landlords said they just let the marigolds die and re-seed on their own each year, and that they perform no maintenance. However, since marigolds are annuals, I should be able to pull all the old dead foliage from last year without compromising the seeds, right? The dead stuff looks ugly hanging out in the flower bed, but I don't want to screw up their marigolds!
By Almanac Staff
- reply
Marigolds are annuals but can also reseed in warmer climates. However, you can still pull the dead plants. If they reseeded, their seeds already fell. Or, you can look at the marigold seed heads and see if you can save them and direct seed.
Note: sometimes birds eat the seeds or they blow away or conditions aren't right for reseeding.
Normally, if you don't want to leave it to chance, you would gather the seeds once the pods have dried and save them; they easily grow by direct sowing next year.
At this point, we'd pull the plants and then plant new seeds. Frankly, marigolds are one of the easiest and cheapest seeds to grow. That's why they are a common flower for children to grow. Follow our planting information on this page.
By Anonymous
- reply
Planted 10 marigolds on my garden, they receive full sun, but the temperature at night is 50s. Tampa fl. should I have waited?
By Almanac Staff
- reply
In central Florida, marigolds are best planted March through August. The night time temperature shouldn't go below 60 degrees. See how it goes! Their growth may just be a bit slowed.
By Anonymous
- reply
Hi I had Marigolds in a part of my garden last year and they seemed fine grew to about a 1/2m but did not flower as I expected!!but this season most of of my Marigolds have grown to over 2m tall and have not flowered..when they were about a meter tall I cut the tops off hoping they would spread and flower..but the just grew taller,we water in the afternoon and first thing in the morning before sunup.The soil is slightly clay and they get the sun most of the day!!!This years plants are from last years seeds!!! I am totaly confused!!!!
By Anonymous
- reply
Maybe you are putting too much work into them? I choose them because they are so easy. Is your soil over fertilized? Is there good drainage? I'm in upstate ny. Mine did not bloom last year until july-ish.
By Almanac Staff
- reply
Depending on the timing of when you cut the tops off, you may have pruned off any flower buds that were developing. Flowers develop usually as the plant is close to mature height. Shearing 1/3 of the taller marigolds can be done, if needed, usually in midsummer after bloom has diminished somewhat and the plants are looking a bit scraggly. Dwarf marigolds do not need to be sheared--just deadheaded. If you are not getting any blooms, it may be possible that they are receiving too much nitrogen, which encourages leaves and stems rather than flowers. The soil should be well-drained, but marigolds like soil of average to poor quality as to fertility. Also, planting them out too early may slow flowering if the weather is cool. They like warmth--but very hot summers can also affect blooming.
By Anonymous
- reply
I have a question i just bought some marigolds at home depot about 12 or so and i was wondering when is the time to plant them as i live in Pflugerville tx just north of austin tx and if i do plant them now can they with stand temps in the mid 30's thanks ryan
By Almanac Staff
- reply
Wait a couple of weeks to plant outdoors. The soil needs to warm up a bit and you don't want to risk frost damage.
By Anonymous
- reply
I have planted 4 African marigold plants with orange blooms in a row in a planter box after buying the plants from a nursery. The plants thrived very well for slightly more than a week. The plants are receiving lots of sun and are shielded largely from the rain but I have been watering them once a day. Temperatures can go up to 32 celcius (as I live in a tropical country). Over the last 2 days, 2 of the plants' leaves are drying up from the bottom part of the plant. Are the plants burnt by the sun and should I water more? Strangely, another planter box of yellow marigolds which are placed in the same area of my garden under the same conditions are thriving well and show no similar signs. Please help - need advice to save my orange marigolds. Many thanks.
By Almanac Staff
- reply
Our sources indicate that that this plant thrives under hot, dry conditions...so it could be that by watering once per day, you're drowning them. (Few plants require water everyday.) If the soil is saturated now, you might be able to save them if you remove them and replant them in dry soil. Presumably the plants will be loaded with moisture, so you wouldn't need to water again for a couple or a few days. Make sure that the new (or old) soil is well-draining; one way of doing that is to include some sand or other material that does not absorb water (not peat, for example). These plants thrive in drought areas and xeriscape gardens; that means that they require very little water. Think drops . . . like a rare rain shower.
If it's too late to save these, you could think about replacing them with new plants. It's an additional expense, but with their fragrance and attraction to butterflies, they are a wonderful plant. Good luck!
By Anonymous
- reply
planted a few punnets of marigold in a sunny position and after 3 weeks no growth is to be seen, location is Melbourne (Aust) a temperate climate its springtime here and everything else is going hell for leather
By Anonymous
- reply
I bought some merigold plants from local nurseries last week which I immediately transplanted them into my larger pot.
A week later, the golden flower of my merigold started to show sign of withering away. The flowers got some dark spots and loses strength, turned floppy and drooping down.
What went wrong?
By Almanac Staff
- reply
Marigolds are hearty plants. The dark spots and wilting suggest, however, that they may have a bacterial disease. If so, infected plants need to be removed. To get a diagnosis, we suggest that you bring a sample back to the local nurseries. To avoid bacterial disease, soil must be sterile and disease-free; overhead watering should be avoided.
By Anonymous
- reply
To avoid diseases, water the Marigolds in the morning.
By Anonymous
- reply
This summer, I discovered this robust substitute for French tarragon! I bought a large pot of it, and planted it in the garden. I love it, and have dried a lot of it.
With winter approaching, I hate to say goodbye to this beautiful plant. I've considered potting it up and bringing it indoors to over-winter under fluorescent lights. I've read that Mexican marigold will die back during cold outdoor weather, then send up new growth in the spring. If I bring it indoors, will it continue to thrive, or will this just kill it?
Beth, in Atlanta
By Almanac Staff
- reply
In southern regions the marigold plant is perennial and grows year round. If you bring the plant indoors and give it plenty of light it should do well. If you leave it outdoors it will die back and sprout again in the spring.
By Anonymous
- reply
I just purchased a beautiful large rust colored marigold potted plant. It is so thick I can't tell if it's getting enough water. The blooms were gorgeous when I got it. Now they seem to be fading and somewhat dry. I need a happy medium schedule for watering. I was afraid I was over-watering, now I'm afraid I have under-watered. How often should I water, and should I soak it and then let it dry out completely? I live in Phoenix, AZ and it is still quite hot here.
By Anonymous
- reply
Deadheading is a must with marigolds. When the blooms start to wither, turn brown and become spent, immediatly pluck that bloom off. it will encourage new growth.
By Anonymous
- reply
Try completely saturating the root-ball every day if there isn’t rain.
By Sarah Perreault
- reply
Water thoroughly once a week if it has not rained at least an inch that week. Water deeply when dry (vs. shallow and often).
Post new comment