For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

Planting and Growing Marigolds

orange and red french marigold flowers with green foliage
Image Credit:
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Tagetes spp.
Grown as
Annual
Toxicity
Toxic to Dogs and Cats
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Multicolor
Orange
Red
White
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Cut Flower
Fall Color
Fragrant
Long Blooming
Low Maintenance
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Clay Soil Tolerant
Drought-Tolerant
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Flowers
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Native throughout the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America, marigolds are low-maintenance flowers that thrive in hot weather, can handle drought and many pests—and may just become your garden’s new golden MVP! 

Whether you grow them in flower beds, borders, containers, or as bug-busting companion plants in vegetable gardens, this guide will teach you how to keep marigolds and enjoy their cheerful blooms from summer to fall!

Planting

When to Plant Marigolds

Young French and Signet marigolds can be planted from spring through midsummer, but tall African marigolds are slower to mature and should be planted as soon as the risk of spring frost has passed. Some growers plant marigold seeds directly in the garden, but I like to get a head start by sowing the seeds indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before my last frost date. Then, I harden the seedlings off when the weather warms and plant them outside when there’s no risk of frost.

Where to Plant Marigolds

Marigolds thrive in full sun and can withstand very hot summers. African and Signet marigolds are drought-tolerant, while French varieties can adapt to damper conditions. It’s best to keep these plants out of shady areas though, as low light can reduce flowering and increase the risk of powdery mildew.

While marigolds grow in almost any soil, they do best in moderately fertile, well-draining gardens. You can keep these plants in in-ground gardens, raised beds, or pots that are at least 8 to 12 inches in size. They make exceptional border plants too. 

How to Plant Marigolds

French marigolds can easily be started from seed, while African marigolds are trickier to germinate and are best purchased as young plants. If you want marigolds to thrive, blend compost or a balanced or low nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer into the soil before planting and then use these planting tips!

  • Starting marigolds from seeds: Fill pots, if you’re using them, with a quality seed-starting mix, then sow marigold seeds—indoors or out—by planting the seeds about 1/4 inch deep and spacing multiple seeds 1 inch apart. Keep the seeds well-watered and in bright light and thin them out to 8- to 10-inch spacing once they’re a few inches tall, or 10- to 12-inch spacing if you’re growing larger African marigolds.
  • Transplanting started plants: Nursery-started marigolds don’t need hardening off, but seeds that you started indoors will. After transitioning your plants to outdoor living, dig planting holes that are as deep as your seedlings’ root ball, plant the seedlings using the spacing guidelines above, and water them deeply to help their roots settle.

Yellow marigolds in a garden

Growing

Watering 

Marigolds are fairly drought-tolerant once established, but they appreciate consistent watering—especially during dry spells. I provide my plants with about 1 inch of water per week and water container-grown marigolds more frequently than the marigolds I’ve planted in my garden. Just be sure to let the soil dry out a bit in between waterings, and don’t water too much, as excess moisture can lead to root rot! 

Fertilizing 

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 organic fertilizer at planting time or a light monthly feeding with liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season should do the trick.

Pruning and Maintenance 

Marigolds don’t need major pruning, but regularly deadheading spent flowers will encourage these plants to flower more profusely. It’s also wise to add mulch around your plants and stay on top of weeding. Too many weeds can compete with marigolds for soil nutrients and sun and lead to stunted growth.

If you want bushier plants, you can take things a little further and pinch off the tops of young marigolds once they’re established in your garden. This keeps the plants from becoming leggy and encourages more frequent flowering.

Seasonal Care

Since marigolds are typically grown as annuals, you don’t need to worry much about overwintering them. Just pull spent marigolds out of your garden when they die back with frost and chuck them into your compost pile. If desired, you can also collect marigold seeds in autumn for future plantings.

Field of orange marigold flowers

Harvesting

When to Harvest 

Once they’re mature, marigolds are bountiful bloomers, which can be left as is in the garden or harvested for cut flowers. If you’d like to make a marigold bouquet, the best time to pick flowers is in the afternoon when the blooms are half open or less. Marigold flowers that are fully open tend to shed petals fast and don’t last long in vases.

How to Harvest 

To harvest, simply snip marigold stems off at a leaf node using sharp, sterilized pruners or scissors. This will encourage your plants to branch out and flower more. To avoid plant stress, don’t harvest more than 1/3 of the plant’s blooms at once.

Storage and Preservation

After harvesting, place marigold flowers in a vase ASAP and remove any leaves that sit below the waterline. Cut marigold flowers typically last about 7 to 10 days in a vase, but you can also hang them upside down to dry and keep the preserved flowers even longer.

Pests and Problems

Marigolds are tough plants that are often interplanted among veggies and flowers as natural pest deterrents. But while marigolds aren’t troubled by many pests and other issues, they can still be vulnerable to a few potential problems.

Common Problems 

  • Reduced flowering can occur if marigolds are grown in low light or if they’re overfertilized with high nitrogen fertilizers.
  • Pests can also target marigolds, which is why they’re sometimes used as “trap crops” to draw aphids and other critters away from neighboring veggies.
  • Mildew can leave a powdery coating on marigold leaves and weaken plants over time.
  • Yellowing leaves may occur naturally as the leaves age, but it can also indicate that plants are struggling with low light or watering issues.

Common Pests 

Marigolds have few pests overall, but spider mites and aphids sometimes infest them. Usually, a spray of water or a weekly application of organic insecticidal soap is all it takes to get rid of these pests.

Plant Diseases

Marigolds may be affected by fungal diseases such as powdery mildew if conditions are too wet or air flow is poor. To prevent these problems, avoid getting water on marigold leaves, keep weeds down, and plant in well-draining soil. 

Types

 

orange and red French Marigolds
French Marigolds

When most people think of marigolds, they envision small plants with orange or yellow flowers. But marigolds come in a tremendous variety that can vary in fragrance level, flower shape and number, bloom time, and more. Here are the main types of marigolds that you may find at local plant nurseries and what sets each apart!

  • African marigolds, American marigolds, or Mexican marigolds (Tagetes erecta): These marigolds grow the tallest with big, full flowers on upright stems that stretch 3 to 4 feet in height. Despite the name, these plants are native to Mexico and Central America and thrive even under drought-like conditions. Try out plants like ‘Jubilee’ and ‘Safari’.
  • French marigolds (T. patula): This species of marigolds is smaller, bushier, and more compact and typically stays under 2 feet in height. Better suited to rainy conditions than other marigolds, French marigolds have more subtle flowers, but they still catch the eye. Try out plants like ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Aurora’.
  • Signet marigolds (T. tenuifolia): These petite marigolds do well in hot, dry sites and make beautiful edging plants as they rarely reach over a foot in height. Try out plants like ‘Starfire’ and ‘Lemon Gem’.

Wit and Wisdom

Flowers

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

More Like This

Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 03/18/2013 - 16:07
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.
<span>Anonymous</span> Mon, 03/11/2013 - 02:28
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!!!!
<span>Anonymous</span> Mon, 03/25/2013 - 22:20
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.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 03/11/2013 - 17:34
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.
<span>Anonymous</span> Wed, 02/27/2013 - 11:37
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
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 02/28/2013 - 12:59
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.
<span>Anonymous</span> Wed, 01/30/2013 - 22:02
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.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 02/04/2013 - 09:46
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!
<span>Anonymous</span> Sun, 11/04/2012 - 20:01
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
<span>Anonymous</span> Thu, 11/01/2012 - 20:40
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?