Marigolds are a surprisingly far-flung flower that has traveled across the Atlantic on multiple occasions. One variety of this bulbous plant even feeds its petals to chickens so they can lay more perfect yolks with their signature golden yellow hue!
Today, we’ll be taking a trip to marigold town with all of its familiar sights and secrets. Grab your coffee or tea because these plants are about to show off some tricks up their sleeves!
Growing Tips
Marigolds are a garden essential. They tolerate heat, drought and pests making them one of the more reliable flowers to grow in your backyard or flower bed!
The beauty about planting your own seeds is that you decide when they should sprout, and in what soil or lights. You can also grow them indoors during winter months if needed!
How would you like to have a bouquet of fresh flowers in your backyard? They are one of the best choices for free-spirited gardeners, as they don’t require much maintenance.
Marigolds look great with just about any planting style and sun exposure – so it isn’t hard to find an area to plant them!
These marigolds are perfect for your garden and offer a variety of benefits! From deterring pests, attracting pollinators & insects-to improving soil quality – they’re sure not going anywhere anytime soon.
Water Requirements
When cultivating these guys, it’s best to soak the soil thoroughly. Not only does this give your new plant a nice drink and settle any disturbed earth for you, but also ensures that nutrients are more easily accessible which will help them grow strong!
Established plants don’t need much in the way of watering. In fact, unless it’s unusually dry and hot out, these tough flowers only require a good soaking once per week. Or if a rain is on the forecast, this will usually be enough for them!
A container plant is just like any other houseplant – it needs to be watered when the top few inches of soil become dry. If you notice that the leaves are drooping, this means they need a drink sooner than later!
Be mindful of not watering marigolds from the top. If their blooms get too wet, they will often turn into a mushy brown mess with no fragrance whatsoever – in addition to being an aesthetic disaster!
Root rot can also occur if you over-water these pretty flowers; so check twice before filling up on hydration.
Sun Requirements
Tagetes are a type of flower native to the sunny and warm climates, like California. They prefer rich soil with moderate sunlight exposure but can withstand full sun when grown in areas that receive less illumination (less than 6 hours per day). However, they will show signs of stress if the weather is increasingly hot, humid, or dry.
This makes the marigold plant a perfect companion to many herbs and plants.
Despite being able to grow well in part-sun conditions, marigolds will never shine as brightly when grown under such lighting.
They develop weaker and less prolific blooms because of it; not only that, but if you grow them shaded they become susceptible to powdery mildew and a host of other rots which affect buds or stems on the plants.
If growing marigolds in pots, give your marigolds some shade this summer by moving the pots to a more shaded area during the hottest part of the day. They will thank you for it later!
Keep an eye out for the little webs that indicate spider mites when it’s hot and dry. You can also identify them by noticing weblike buildups on plants.
Marigolds, like many plants in the family Asteraceae are susceptible to yellow aster. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do if your garden is infested with this nasty ailment other than dispose of infected marigold flowers and seeds immediately!
Planting Tips
Planting marigold bulbs is as easy as it gets. You can get them in just about any size, but the process will be similar for all of those options too!
Most flowers sold in retail stores have been produced and grown under perfect conditions, so they probably have extensive root systems.
So, whether it be six-pack marigolds in four inch containers or one big bowl full of half dozen flowers; all these projects have basically the same general idea for planting.
With the roots growing horizontally in a circle, this is not good news for plants. Root growth becomes stunted and they will never be able to hold on firmly enough with their feet planted firmly enough into soil – instead these issues only get worse as time goes by, and eventually they will probably die. Girdling roots can be a major problem for trees and plants years down the line.
So, what is the solution?
When you plant marigolds, it’s important to break up their root balls so they have room to grow. By ripping up the old one and giving your garden some new love with its fresh dirt under them, plants are more likely to be happy in their new homes!
This applies to marigolds, because they’re usually grown in plastic containers and their roots cannot really break through.
Almost any type of herbaceous plant can be planted by simply ripping out the root ball. Annuals and perennials are also easy to grow this way, so you’ll have no problem with roots getting in your way! Once you break up the root ball, it’s time for planting.
Does this put stress on the plant? Yes, but it will thank you later!
When it comes to minimizing stress, you can try planting on an overcast day. But I’ve found that with just one quick potting up of marigolds their roots should be fine for most plants (although they might need some adjusting). They are resilient and will bounce back quickly in time!
Starting From Seed?
It’s no problem! I recommend you get your marigold seeds from a retailer, online or in-person. For the best results and prettiest cultivars it’s important to buy hybrid varieties rather than trying to grow them yourself.
I have found that many seeds do not grow well. Sometimes the plants are stunted or weak, and sometimes they even die after germination!
However it is possible to buy open-pollinated heirloom varieties if you want a more adventurous planting experience with less risk involved – just be sure there’s plenty of space for these tough little guys who often need extra care in order to thrive.
Start your marigolds indoors about fifty days before the last frost date. Sow the seeds in biodegradable seed starting trays and cover with a thin layer of vermiculite, perlite or potting mix for best results.
A clear plastic lid will help them germinate quicker without light exposure!
The seedlings should germinate about a few days, at which point they will be receiving six hours of bright light per day. Keep an eye on them and thin the sprouting plants once their leaves start producing another set!
Lastly, you can transplant each soon-to be flower into its own pot and keep them waiting inside until your last frost date!
If you’re sowing directly outdoors, bear in mind that the marigolds may be overtaken by other weeds and your flowers won’t reach their peak before summer.
Lay Out Your Plants
Plop individual plants where you want them to go, preferably while they’re still in their nursery pots. Space the new arrivals according to the information on their tags and step back for a better perspective of your beautiful garden!
Well-designed gardens are made up of small elements. When planning your design, consider the height each plant will reach at maturity and how it spreads out or if there are bedlines in proximity that may pose dangers to them like stray mower wheels from passing vehicles for instance!
Dig the Holes
Digging a planting hole is easy! For lighter soils, like sandy loam or silt-loam (think coast beaches), make your excavation about 10% larger than the root ball.
However if you have dense clay soil that’s hard to break through then it will take up more room in proportion; 50% wider and deeper is what’s required – so give yourself plenty of space when digging this type too.
Plop Them In
Make sure you dig up and backfill around the marigold, being careful not to damage too many leaves with your roots.
I like planting right in this soil, in order to prevent wet feet (even though it really shouldn’t matter). But one thing is for certain – eventually there’ll be more settling of the soil.
Cover and Conceal
I love planting because it is one of the few times where I get to enjoy myself without any work responsibilities. When everything has been planted and finished, there’s nothing left but sitting back with an ice cold beer!
Cultivar Selection
Whether you need an all-yellow garden or just one of these bright, cheerful flowers to spruce up any space in your home and garden – we have the perfect selection.
Take a look at some favorites:
African (or American)
Tagetes erecta is a tough plant, reaching heights of up to 4 or 5 feet and topped with massive pom-poms. It likes space so it can grow wildly!
If you don’t give this hardy flower enough room in containers though be prepared for wild growth – as well as other plants getting knocked over by its roots.
French
What’s the deal with this shorter variety?
The Tagetes patula plant has a daintier and more compact flower, as well as multicolored heads that its taller cousin cannot produce.
The French variety tends to be quite tame but comes at an even shorter stature!
Signet (Tagetes tenuifolia)
Tenuifolia is not commonly planted because it tends to grow obnoxiously, but the sheer force of its presence makes up for this downside in my opinion.
It will reach places you never intended and fight like a scrappy junkyard dog to hold onto its territory with an unyielding grip!
Ready, Set, Grow!
Marigolds are just about as popular in the garden as they can get, but this is thanks to their ability not only grow easily and quickly with little care needed for them. Their bright color makes a statement all summer long while also deterring pests from damaging your crops.
Marigolds are also easily grown from seed! You can direct sow them into the ground, or start them indoors a few weeks before the end of winter.
Planting these seeds may seem like an intimidating task for those who have never done it before but with some patience and guidance, young and new gardeners will find that this is one project they’re eager to take on – especially if it is their first planting ever.
For the experienced gardener, a marigold offers an easy win and reliable performance that can be counted on year after year. Start seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before the last freeze and transplant them right into your ground for fast satisfaction!