Photo Credit
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Tagetes spp.
Plant Type
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Multicolor
Orange
Red
White
Yellow
Special Features
Attracts Butterflies
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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Marigolds
Catherine Boeckmann
Marigolds are the ultimate companion flower. This cheery annual attracts all manner of pollinating insects into the garden. They’ll bloom for months, too. Learn all about sowing and growingmarigolds.
An annual flower, marigolds (Tagetes) are the spendthrifts among annuals, bringing awealth of gold, copper, and brass into our summer and autumngardens.
Marigolds are a great companion flower to tomatoes, especially greenhouse-grown tomatoes, as their scent helps to deter whiteflies. Dwarf types make good edging plants that may deter rabbits, so include marigolds when you plan yourgarden.
Some varieties are known for their ability to starve out root-knot nematodes when planted the year before, macerated, and then plowed into the soil, where the chemicals that affect the nematodes are thenreleased.
AboutMarigolds
Marigoldshave daisy- or carnation-like flowerheads produced singly or in clusters.Although there are some 50 species, most marigolds we see in the garden are one of thefollowing:
- Tagetes erecta(akaAfrican marigolds, American marigolds, or Mexican marigolds): This species isthe tallest and most upright marigold, reaching3 to 4 feet in height and producing large, full flowers. They’re native to Mexico and Central America and will thrive even underdrought-likeconditions.
- Tagetespatula(aka French marigolds): French marigoldstend 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.
- Tagetestenuifolia(aka signetmarigolds): These petite marigolds do well in hot, dry sites and make for a beautiful edging plant. They rarely reachmore than a foot inheight.
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 plantingsite.
Calendula: Not a TrueMarigold!
Calendula officinalis (aka pot marigolds or English marigolds) are native to southern Europe. Although often called a “marigold,” this plant is not a true marigold. However, it is still an attractive companion plant! Additionally, its bright flowers are edible—with a tangy, peppery taste—so it is often grown alongside herbs in kitchen gardens. Learn more about growing Calendula!
Read Next
October Birth Flowers: Marigolds and Cosmos
Growing Alliums: The Ornamental Onions
Companion Planting Chart and Guide for Vegetable Gardens
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 bloomwell.
Though they grow in almost any soil, marigolds do best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil.Prepare the soil by digging down about 6 inches to loosen it, then mix in compost to add fertility and improveconsistency.
When to PlantMarigolds
- Young French and signet marigolds can be planted from springthrough 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 germinateso 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 frostdate.
- Marigoldssprout within a week in warm weather and plants typically produce blooms in about 8weeks.
How to PlantMarigolds
- 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 toflower).
- Optional:If soil is nutrient-starved, addsome slow-release (granular) fertilizer in the planting hole.A 5-10-5 worksfine.
- Moisten the soil, then sow seeds 1 inch apart and no more than 1 inchdeep.
- While still small, thin the seedlings. SpaceFrench and signet types 8 to 10 inches apart. The larger African marigoldsshould be at least 10 to 12 inchesapart.
- If planting transplants, thoroughly water each plant after planting in thegarden.
- 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 becomecrowded.
Growing
How to GrowMarigolds
- Once the marigolds have established themselves, pinch off the tops of the plants to encourage themto grow bushier. This will keep the plants from becoming leggy and will encourage moreblooming.
- Marigolds don’t require deadheading, but if dying blossoms are regularly removed, it will encourage the plant to continuebloomingprofusely.
- When you water marigolds, allow the soil to dry somewhat between waterings, then water well andrepeat the process. Water more in highheat.
- 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 offlowers.
- The dense,double flowerheads of the African marigolds tend to rot in wetweather.
- Add a layer of mulch between plants to suppress weeds and keep the soil moist, especially when plants areyoung.
How to DeadheadMarigolds
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 afterdeadheading.
Deadheading marigolds is very simple. When a blossom starts to go bad, pinch (cut) its stem back to the nearest set ofleaves.
Whether you’re deadheading your annuals, be sure to fertilize as well. Annuals are very heavy feeders and will respondwell.
Recommended Varieties
Marigolds come in a range of colors—from creamy white to golden orange—and sizes. French marigold varieties tend to besmaller than American/Africanvarieties.
French Marigolds(T.patula)
- ‘Little Hero’ Series: 7” tall plants with large, double carnation flowers in 7 color combinations of maroon, orange, andyellow.
- ‘Hero’ Series: 10” tall plants with double carnations, large (2” wide) flowers in 7 different combinations of yellow, orange, andmaroon.
- ‘Bonanza’ Series: 2” wide, double carnation flowers in 5 different combinations of yellow, orange, and maroon on bushy, compact 8” tallplants.
- ‘Aurora’ Series: 1’ tall plants with wide-petaled, anemone-like flowers in shades of maroon, yellow, andorange.
- ‘Janie’ Series: Early blooming. 8” tall plants are perfect for container growing. Double carnation type flowers in 6 different combinations of yellow, orange, andmaroon.
- ‘Boy O’ Boy’ Series: 6” tall prolifically flowering plants with flowers in shades of maroon, yellow, andorange
American/African Marigolds(T.erecta)
- ‘Jubilee’ Series: 2’ tall plants with dense, double flowers in shades of yellow andorange.
- ‘Gold Coin’ Series: 1½ to 2’ tall plants with large (5” wide) double blooms in gold, yellow, andorange.
- ‘Safari’ Series: 1’ tall plants with flat-topped, large flowers in shades of maroon, yellow, andorange.
- ‘French Vanilla’: 3” wide flowers are pure creamy white. Minimal scent. Plants are 1½ to 2’tall.
Harvesting
- In flower arrangements, strip off any leaves underwater in the vase, discouraging the overly pungentodor.
- Marigolds can be dried for long-lasting floral arrangements. Strip foliage from perfect blossoms and hang them upsidedown.
- You may see “marigolds” listed as edible flowers. In fact, it’s the flowers of Calendula—not Tagetes—that make great additions to a summer dish. Flowers from Tagetes marigolds may be irritating to the skin, so we do not recommend ingestingthem.
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Wit and 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.
- For years, farmers have included the open-pollinated African marigold ‘Crackerjack’ in chicken feed to make egg yolks a darkeryellow.
- Marigolds are one of the October birth flowers.
Pests/Diseases
Marigolds have few pests or problems overall, but spider mites and aphids sometimes infest the plants. Usually, a spray of water or the application of insecticidal soap, repeated every other day for a week or two, will solve the problem. Occasionally, marigolds will be affected byfungal diseasessuch as powdery mildew if conditions are toowet. To prevent fungal issues, avoid getting water on the marigolds’ leaves, keep weeds down, and plant in well-drainedsoil.
Marigolds as CompanionPlants
Farmers and gardeners have long known that marigolds make important companion plants everywhere.
- The underground workings of the French marigold, in particular, are known to repel harmful nematodes (microscopic worms) that attack the roots of garden vegetables—especially root-knot and lesion nematodes. Crops most impacted include tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, snap beans, squash, onions, andgarlic.
- To take advantage of this effect, don’t plant marigolds directly alongside vegetables. Instead, plant a mass of marigolds in the spring in the areawhere you intend to grow a fall crop. In mid-to late summer, remove the marigolds and plant vegetables and greens for a fallharvest.
Cooking Notes
The flowers of Tagetes marigolds are NOT edible, but those of Calendula are. The bright petals of Calendulaadd color and a spicy tang to salads and other summerdishes.
- The flower petals are sometimes cooked with rice to impart saffron’s color (but, unfortunately, notflavor).
Flowers
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann
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
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Comments
Add a Comment
How about pictures of the various marigolds?
Is “deadheading” and “pinching back” the same
On a flower? Pictures?? Maybe silly but new to this.
- Reply
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).
- Reply
can you plant marigolds and mums around each other?
- Reply
HiJudy,
You can certainly plant marigolds and mums in the same garden area. Both require full sun and well-drainingsoil.
Just be aware that both can spread quite a bit so you will want to give some space betweenplantings.
- Reply
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?
- Reply
HiKaren,
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 thespring.
- Reply
I have a 3' tall marigold plant that my daughter gave me. It's under the hummingbird feeder, so the little birds drop down to visit the flowers. I let the first 2 blooms whither so I could collect the seeds and put them in a large pot for next spring.
- Reply
Good to know about watering,I always had problems with these beautiful flowers!! Love,love them! 🙏❤️🌼
- Reply
I have some marigolds from a fried's father's funeral and all i can say is that they grow so well in all sorts of conditions and every time i go out to my front yard i am amazed by how they are flourishing!!! They look so pretty alongside all our yard plants. I love marigolds!!!
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Plant marigolds in with your tomatoes plants, they keep the bugs away!
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