I'll move on to something else tomorrow. % of people told us that this article helped them. You can plant marigold seeds directly in the garden, but gardeners who want to get a jump on the season will start them indoors before the last frost in the spring. Try to avoid using a garden hose to water your plants. Tagetes tenuifolia (Signet marigold): Upright annuals that grow up to 12 inches tall and wide. ‘Little Hero’ series marigolds grow 8 inches tall with 2-inch double flowers. Marigolds For Vegetable Gardens. What time you do this depends on the variety of the marigold and your desired height. Tall, strong stems for great cut flowers. pictures to go along with the instructions is really helpful. Last Updated: March 29, 2019 And don't overlook marigolds in container gardens, as the smaller varieties do well in containers. Is this right? For advice from our Horticultural reviewer on how to deadhead your marigolds so they produce more flowers, read on! wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Growing Marigolds. I didn't. African marigolds may also … Don’t let that fool you; tagetes patula’s elegant, dainty, demure flowers and plants growing anywhere from 6 inches to about 2 feet tall. Can I Grow Marigolds? Tagetes are a genus of the sunflower family, native to North and South America, and vary in size from low edging plants … As a group, marigolds grow 8 to 42 inches tall as low mounds or erect bushes. They can be easily recognized, thanks to their double flower heads, and they usually have red, … Marigolds survive best in full sunlight but can handle about 20% shade. Pinching out is a method used by gardeners to help a plant grow more bushy and compact. Monitor your garden for slugs, and if you see them use an organic slug control method. 4 Shear or pinch back leggy, poorly producing marigolds at midseason to force a new flush of healthy growth and blooms. The flowers are borne on top of the plants, above the foliage in gold, flame or orange. Most thrive in full sun, taking hot, sunny exposures in stride. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. They are globe-shaped and can be either red, orange, or yellow. Marigolds don’t tend to get particularly tall, but there is a good amount of variety among the different types. This article has been viewed 231,391 times. Working in sunny Florida, Anne Baley has been writing professionally since 2009. "Insects have been eating my marigolds to the ground. Marigolds grown in plenty of bright sunlight tend to be thicker and bushier, while those grown with too much shade can be thin and spindly. French marigolds seem to tolerate a wider range of conditions than African marigolds and hold up well to heavy rains. I need to know what to do to protect them. Just note that marigolds in partial shade won’t flower as prolifically as those planted in full sun. Growing to be only 12-14” tall, this mixture is great for the border of meadows, a small space garden or containers. For zones 8 or higher, you can grow them all year long. Fill the chosen pots with quality potting mix, such as Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. These will hinder root growth. African marigolds Tagetes erecta come in two basic varieties: “large-flowered” and “tall.” Large-flowered African marigolds are fairly short, at between 12-14” tall, but as the name suggests have very large blossoms (up to 3.5” inches in diameter). Approved. I have over a 1000 marigold seeds. Certain species of marigold can grow up to 2 m tall. Plants that grow in the same direction tend to bend toward the window, but plants that get turned grow straighter. Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. The three numbers on packaged fertilizer reflect the concentrations of each nutrient. ", http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/, http://www.burpee.com/flowers/marigolds/all-about-marigolds-article10240.html, http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene415d.html, http://www.thegardenhelper.com/marigold.html, http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1125/index2.tmpl, http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/yard-and-garden-marigolds, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You can find short bedding marigolds that only grow 4-6 inches tall and taller varieties that can reach 18 inches tall and make nice cutting flowers. Hybrid varieties will not usually start from seed. Turn each plant around every day to make sure that all sides of the plant get the same amount of sunlight. ", "Very helpful site. To grow marigolds, start by filling a divided seed planter with potting mix and planting one seed in each section. Moonsong Deep Orange Seeds, available from True Leaf Market. Keep growing marigold seedlings in a moderate temperature, as excess heat can cause too fast of a growth spurt, creating a thin and leggy plant. Loved learning about all the different varieties of marigolds! Large flower heads, avg. Make sure your beds or containers have adequate drainage; you can add a layer of gravel to the bottom and cover it with soil before planting to enhance draining. The simple marigold (Tagetes) is one of the most popular flowers in the home garden for a number of reasons. I just make sure the top soil is loose and that there aren't any lumps to hinder the growth of the sapling. I've had great results. Some of the African Marigolds are day length sensitive and won't start blooming until days grow shorter in late summer. ", "This article told me everything I needed to know, even things I didn't know I needed to know! Read the package on your plant fertilizer carefully, and use a weak solution to fertilize growing marigold seedlings. However, if the weather gets too hot, marigolds won't bloom, and you can't do much about that. Marigolds are very hardy plants that can grow in nearly any location. "I just wanted to know what I had to do for marigolds to grow successfully. Although some gardeners swear that marigolds repel animals, including rabbits, deer, and snakes, there is no evidence to suggest that this is true. Fertilizer can cause a lot of leaf growth at the expense of flowering. French marigolds stand 6 to 12 inches tall and spread about 6 to 9 inches wide. Thanks for the help! If strong odors bother you, ask at the garden store about varieties that have weaker scents. However, for the taller African ones, once the plant gets taller than desired, just pinch that top tall stem. Love it! These plants have pinnate leaves. If you live in Zone 8 or higher, your marigolds may not die off during the winter and will probably return with fuller vigour the following spring. This type of marigold is concise, as they only grow up to 18 inches tall. To keep marigolds compact, pinch off new, unwanted growth. Some marigold species are edible. The slugs drink the beer and drown. Marigold Plant Varieties. French marigolds require full sun and a well-drained soil. For advice from our Horticultural reviewer on how to deadhead your marigolds so they produce more flowers, read on! Flowerheads are single and are usually 1 inch in size. It is easy to grow marigolds, but there are some mistakes you should avoid when growing these lovely flowers. Tall African marigolds have small flowers but can grow up to 3’ tall. They grow fairly tall and produce large (up to 2”) flowers. Marigold Sparky Mix is so easy to grow that it is the perfect choice for a child’s first garden. Finally, fertilize the plants with a 20-10-20 fertilizer once every 2 weeks to keep them healthy and thriving. The flowers are edible and often used as a bright topper for salads, pasta and vegetables. Both almost always produce orange or yellow flowers. If you use seedlings or plants, you can plant them as soon as the last frost is gone. Plant them after the first frost in your area. Use fertilizer and pesticides. Short varieties such as the French Marigolds germinate quickly and flower very fast within few weeks after planting. Sow marigolds in late spring, or set them out as bedding plants. This marigold is dwarf, compact and does well in hot, humid summer weather. The force of the water may wash away the top layer of soil. In fact, they will grow with ease in zones two through 11 with blooms that brighten your garden in the spring, summer, and fall of the year. This article has been viewed 231,391 times. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 231,391 times. Choose a pot at least 200 mm wide and deep. Also, try planting Marigolds in your veggie garden to help attract beneficial insects. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. ", "Very valuable information for a new gardener like me. African Marigolds – The African marigold is also known as the Aztec or American marigold. Marigolds have a very strong herbal scent. Putting stale beer in a shallow lid and setting it in the soil at ground level is a classic strategy. Seal them in an air-tight container such as a mason jar in a cool, dry place. ", "Step by step and pictures are very helpful.". Give them more water and adjust the amount of sunlight they get. The French Marigolds (Tagetes patula) characterized by a bushy, compact size. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008. In this case, 84% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. The size of the plants vary from a demure 6-inch (Signet Marigolds) to a sizable 2 or 3 feet tall (African Marigolds). 3. Do I plant marigolds in bunches or separately? Move the sprouted marigold seed pots into a bright, sunny window as soon as you see the green sprout emerging from the soil. What is the ideal pot size for Inca marigolds? Right now, I'm just doing the marigolds. These flowers are useful in decorating and can also be effectively used for borders around vegetable gardens to prevent damage by insects. Why did my marigolds’s leaves change to red color? Broadcast seed into cultivated soil so that the seeds are about 2 inches (5 cm) apart and one-half inch (1 cm) deep. Unlike tarragon which doesn't grow well in weather that's too hot and humid, marigolds are versatile and highly adaptable. It was really helpful for my all the plants. However marigolds in a vegetable garden do repel a wormy pest that is called a nematode that eats roots of vegetables such as tomatoes and other insect pest like aphids. You can select the color and size that is perfect for your flower garden. Marigolds perform best in full sunlight, although they can handle up to 20% shade. They look nothing like a seed, they look like a helicopter rotor. Marigolds do best in bright sunlight. Check the potting mix each day to make sure the marigolds have the right amount of moisture. You can always spot my home by the wall of marigolds I’ve got growing in the front yard. I'm using individual indoor planters right now. Along with these origins, marigolds are often seen in gardens due to their remarkable properties. Recycled materials are fine, as long as each plant has enough room to grow. They will germinate in three to five days in temperatures above 65°F. Introduction to growing Marigolds in pots. They can either be started indoors from seed (4-6 weeks before the last frost) or directed seeded outdoors after danger of frost has passed. Don’t over-fertilize the soil or it will actually damage your marigolds. Marigolds also come in a wide range of sizes, from miniatures smaller than a foot to giant varieties that can grow up to four feet tall! Problems and Solutions to Growing Marigolds. Most of them are annual plants. There’s quite a number of different Marigold plant species, but the most popular varieties include: The delicate Tagetes tenuifolia, also known as the signet marigold thrive in signets and rock gardens. Short ones don't need it until you remove the dead flowers. My favorite ones are the short squatty ones because they do not get too tall and take over my garden. They are easy to grow, their bright blooms fill in among other plants for a long period during the summer and new marigold flowers will bloom right over the old ones, so you don't have to spend time deadheading. When you pinch the tallest stem (leader), the plant will stop growing taller and produce side shoots which produce more flowers. Plant French marigolds in well-drained soil in full sun. They might require staking if they get too tall, but that’s alright. However, there are a few perennial marigolds that you can plant. Do not plant them in a fully shaded area, as they will not thrive. How long does it take marigold seeds to germinate? They are oval and not big. In place of fertilizer, you can use compost instead. Here are some facts about … Push your finger below the surface of the soil. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008. Remove the tray and pour out the water after the pots have drained to prevent extra water from seeping into the soil and making it too moist. I have been planting marigold seeds at 1/4" deep without any covering. Do marigolds need a lot of outdoor sunlight? I had never seen marigold seeds until today. Newer varieties and other species are less prone to this. You can usually grow them in bunches using a large pot/container. They represent passion, creativity, and have been associated with the legendary courageous lion. Marigolds should sprout easily from seed if you are planting them at a depth of 1/4" in warm weather and keeping the soil moist. Marigold seeds are easy to germinate and grow. Make a habit of turning the plant pots daily when you check them for moisture. "I've never tried to grow anything and I'm using seeds, so right now I'm on the "sowing" part. Moonsong Deep Orange has a deeply saturated color to its bloom that borders on the profuse. Spanish tarragon marigold or Tagetes lucida is an anise-flavored marigold that blooms in fall. Marigolds thrive on a 20-10-20 (20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus, and 20% potassium) fertilizer. Do not rely on marigolds to protect an area from pests. I have scattered my seeds in my flower bed and put a damp newspaper on top of it to germinate. They are easy to grow, top out at 6 – 12 inches tall and have a long growing season with blooms that last frost to frost. Marigolds have few disease and pest problems if they are properly grown. Propagating & Growing Marigolds. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Fertilizing once every two weeks is plenty. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If you are fertilizing them, stop. Her home and lifestyle articles have been seen on Coldwell Banker and Gardening Know How. Corn marigolds, which until recently were considered to … The vibrant colors characteristic of marigolds brighten up any garden, making the landscape a joy to behold. If possible, plant your marigolds on a cloudy day or in the morning; this will help prevent further transplant shock to the plants from the heat. Marigolds attract butterflies! Peel open the bottom shell just beneath the petals to expose the small, rod-like seeds. Golden marigolds grow to reach 10-20 inches in height, and can spread almost invasively if they’re not well maintained. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/ff\/Grow-Marigolds-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Grow-Marigolds-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/ff\/Grow-Marigolds-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid857628-v4-728px-Grow-Marigolds-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"