Growing Marigolds

GROW YOUR OWN MARIGOLDS

An easily grown half-hardy annual, marigolds are very popular to grow in gardens all over the world. They are not fussy about where they grow provided they have plenty of sunshine. Marigolds are hardy little annuals that can be planted once from seeds, then will almost always re-seed themselves and return year after year.

Sow And Plant

• To get the flowers started, sow seeds directly into prepared soil after all danger of frost has past in the early spring. 
• Light cover seeds with soil and keep soil moist until they sprout. 
• Thin sprouts to 6-18 inches, depending on mature size of plant type. 
• If you don't want to wait on seeds to germinate, marigolds are sold in cup and flats as bedding plants, often already in bloom. Plant 6-18 inches apart.

Sun and Soil

• Marigolds prefer a sunny location, but a little shade from the hot afternoon sun will help prevent them from wilting.
• Moist, well-draining soil will keep the plants happy and producing their compact pompom-like blooms all summer. 
• Add a layer of mulch to the soil once the plants have become established to keep soil cool and weed at bay.

Mature Size

• Marigolds come in dwarf varieties which will only reach a mature height of 6 inches and produce an abundance of mini pompom blooms all summer. 
• The tallest marigold variety can reach a mature height of 3 feet and put on a summer-long display of large ruffled blooms. 
• The annual flower also comes in every size in-between.

Bloom Color and Time

• Everyone is familiar with marigold's orange bloom color, but the flower also blooms in white, bronze, gold, yellow and bi-color. 
• Dwarf varieties will have blooms about ¾ of an inch across, while the tallest African variety will produce blooms that span 6 inches across.
• Marigolds of all varieties bloom from mid-summer through to the first killing frost of fall. Deadhead spent blooms to keep the plant looking tidy and encourage more growth, or allow spent flowers to remain on the plant, dry out and re-seed itself for next growing season.