Sunshine on a Stem: Why Marigolds Are the Garden’s Cheerleaders!
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Planting
Marigolds thrive in full sunshine and can often withstand very hot summers. African and signet marigolds are drought tolerant, while French marigolds are more tolerant of wet conditions. If planted in shade and cool, moist areas, marigolds are prone to powdery mildew and won’t bloom well.
Though they grow in almost any soil, marigolds do best in moderately fertile, well-draining soil. Prepare the soil by digging down about 6 inches to loosen it, then mix in compost to add fertility and improve consistency.
When to Plant Marigolds
- Young French and signet marigolds can be planted from spring through midsummer, but the tall African marigolds are best planted right away in the spring (after the danger of frost has passed) because they are slower to mature and produce flowers. Find local frost dates here.
- Sow seeds directly into the garden once the soil is warm in the spring. You can start seeds indoors, but they germinate so easily outside that there’s really no advantage. The exception is African marigolds, best bought as young plants or started indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date.
- Marigolds sprout within a week in warm weather, and plants typically produce blooms in about 8 weeks.
How to Plant Marigolds
- French marigolds can easily be started from seed, while African marigolds are best purchased as young plants (when started from seed, they can take a long time to flower).
- Optional: If soil is nutrient-starved, add some slow-release (granular) fertilizer in the planting hole. A 5-10-5 works fine.
- Moisten the soil, then sow seeds 1 inch apart and no more than 1 inch deep.
- While still small, thin the seedlings. Space French and signet types 8 to 10 inches apart. The larger African marigolds should be at least 10 to 12 inches apart.
- If planting transplants, thoroughly water each plant after planting in the garden.
- If planting in containers, use a soil-based potting mix. Either mix in slow-acting granular fertilizer at planting time or plan to water with diluted liquid fertilizer periodically. Take care to space them properly; marigolds grown in containers can become crowded.
Growing
How to Take Care of Marigolds
Marigold care is refreshingly simple, making these cheerful blooms perfect for both beginner and seasoned gardeners. These sun-loving annuals thrive in full sun and well-draining soil. While marigolds are fairly drought-tolerant once established, they still appreciate consistent watering, especially during dry spells. Just be sure not to overwater, as soggy soil can lead to root rot.
When it comes to fertilizer, marigolds aren’t heavy feeders. In fact, too much nitrogen can lead to lush foliage with fewer flowers. A balanced, slow-release fertilizer at planting time or a light monthly feeding during the growing season is plenty. Regular deadheading (removing spent blooms) encourages continuous flowering from summer to frost. Marigolds also benefit from occasional weeding and mulching to keep the soil moist and tidy. With just a little effort, marigold care rewards you with vibrant color and pest-fighting power all season long.
How to Grow Marigolds
- Once the marigolds have established themselves, pinch off the tops of the plants to encourage them to grow bushier. This will keep the plants from becoming leggy and will encourage more blooming.
- Marigolds don’t require deadheading, but if dying blossoms are regularly removed, it will encourage the plant to continue blooming profusely.
- When you water marigolds, allow the soil to dry somewhat between waterings, then water well and repeat the process. Water more in high heat.
- Do not water marigolds from overhead. Water at the base of the plant. (Excess water on leaves can lead to powdery mildew.)
- Do not fertilize marigolds during growth. A diet that’s too nitrogen-rich stimulates lush foliage at the expense of flowers.
- The dense, double flowerheads of the African marigolds tend to rot in wet weather.
- Add a layer of mulch between plants to suppress weeds and keep the soil moist, especially when plants are young.
How to Deadhead Marigolds
Deadheading is about removing faded flowers by pinching off the flower head. For some plants, including marigolds, pinching off the dead flower heads encourages them to produce more blooms rather than wasting their energy on forming seeds, extending the flowering season. Marigolds also look so much better after deadheading!
Deadheading marigolds is very simple. When a blossom starts to go bad, pinch (cut) its stem back to the nearest set of leaves. When you’re deadheading your annuals, be sure to fertilize as well. Annuals are very heavy feeders and will respond well.
Types
Marigolds have been stereotyped, but they offer tremendous variety. Both the American and French marigolds are generally aromatic, too, although some folks find the scent to be a bit overwhelming. Keep that in mind when choosing a planting site.
Marigolds have daisy- or carnation-like flower heads produced singly or in clusters. Although there are some 50 species, most marigolds we see in the garden are one of the following:
- Tagetes erecta (aka African marigolds, American marigolds, or Mexican marigolds): This species is the tallest and most upright marigold, reaching 3 to 4 feet in height and producing large, full flowers. According to Nate Dalman of the University of Minnesota Extension, “Despite the names, African marigolds did not originate in Africa and instead are called that because they were first imported to Europe via a trade route that passed through northwest Africa.” They’re native to Mexico and Central America and will thrive even under drought-like conditions.
- T. patula (aka French marigolds): French marigolds tend to be smaller, bushier, and more compact than T. erecta. They are often wider than they are tall. Elegant and eye-catching, they have relatively demure flowers and usually grow from 6 inches to 2 feet tall. They are better suited to rainier conditions than the other Tagetes species.
- T. tenuifolia (aka signet marigolds): These petite marigolds do well in hot, dry sites and make for a beautiful edging plant. They rarely reach more than a foot in height.
French Marigolds (T. patula)
- ‘Little Hero’ Series: 7-inch-tall plants with large, double carnation flowers in 7 color combinations of maroon, orange, and yellow.
- ‘Hero’ Series: 10-inch-tall plants with double carnations, large (2-inch-wide) flowers in 7 different combinations of yellow, orange, and maroon.
- ‘Bonanza’ Series: 2-inch-wide, double carnation flowers in 5 different combinations of yellow, orange, and maroon on bushy, compact 8-inch-tall plants.
- ‘Aurora’ Series: 1-foot-tall plants with wide-petaled, anemone-like flowers in shades of maroon, yellow, and orange.
- ‘Janie’ Series: Early blooming. 8-inch-tall plants are perfect for container growing. Double carnation type flowers in 6 different combinations of yellow, orange, and maroon.
- ‘Boy O’ Boy’ Series: 6-inch-tall prolifically flowering plants with flowers in shades of maroon, yellow, and orange
American/African Marigolds (T. erecta)
- ‘Jubilee’ Series: 2-foot-tall plants with dense, double flowers in shades of yellow and orange.
- ‘Gold Coin’ Series: 1½- to 2-foot-tall plants with large (5-inch-wide) double blooms in gold, yellow, and orange.
- ‘Safari’ Series: 1-foot-tall plants with flat-topped, large flowers in shades of maroon, yellow, and orange.
- ‘French Vanilla’: 3-inch-wide flowers are pure creamy white. Minimal scent. Plants are 1½ to 2 feet tall.
Where to Buy Marigolds
Cooking Notes
You may see “marigolds” listed as edible flowers. The flowers of Tagetes marigolds are NOT edible, but those of Calendula are. The bright petals of Calendula add color and a spicy tang to salads and other summer dishes. Flowers from Tagetes marigolds may be irritating to the skin, so we do not recommend ingesting them.
Catherine Boeckmann
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Hi I'm semi retired field crop agronomist in west central Saskatchewan, so I am attempting to learn about horticulture. The building has some cultivated areas along the walls were past residents propagated some marigolds and cherry tomatoes. I saw them coming up as volunteers and started watering them. With the marigolds should I prune them back to the ground now since we have had a hard frost or wait until spring
Hi Mike,
It’s great that you were able to give those emerging marigolds the boost they needed to make it through the season.
Outside of a few shrub varieties, marigolds are an annual flower that die back completely at the end of each season once the frost sets in. So you would not prune them, but rather remove the entire plant because it will not come back the following year.
What you likely cared for were the plants that came from the seeds from last year’s plants. If marigolds are not deadheaded, they will readily self-seed the area and plants can/will grow the following year. If you did not deadhead this year as blooms began to fade, there is a chance that seeds fell to the soil once the pods dried and opened, meaning there will hopefully be marigold plants in that same area next season. If not, you can always plant new transplants in the spring once the threat of frost has passed.
Hope this helps!
My marigolds are beautiful and huge this year. I recently read that buried plants will benefit garden soil and I was wondering about that. I’ve always pulled the plants, let them dry and added to my compost. Any suggestions on how to utilize the plants at the end of the season? I don’t have any interest in drying the flowers.
Hi, Linda. After your marigolds have had their “day in the sun,” you can cut them up into pieces and work them back into the soil. The thinking is that it helps to control pests that may lurk in the soil for the next growing season. But adding them to your compost pile is also a good place for them.
How about pictures of the various marigolds?
Is “deadheading” and “pinching back” the same
On a flower? Pictures?? Maybe silly but new to this.
Deadheading refers to removing spent flowers from their stems. pinching back means removing the tip of growth, flowers,buds, leaves, stem and all, from the central and largest stem(s).
can you plant marigolds and mums around each other?
Hi Judy,
You can certainly plant marigolds and mums in the same garden area. Both require full sun and well-draining soil.
Just be aware that both can spread quite a bit so you will want to give some space between plantings.
I have marigolds that have been reseeding themselves for a couple years now. How would I save the seeds to plant in other areas the following spring?
Hi Karen,
Instead of deadheading your marigolds, let spent flowers remain on the plant to dry. As the seed head matures, it will turn brown. To catch seeds you can place a paper bag underneath the spent blooms, but it is not always necessary. Once the seed pod is dry, remove them from the plant and allow to air dry for a few days. Then you can harvest the seeds from the pod and put in an envelope until you are ready to plant in the spring.
