Why grow marigold flowers in your garden?
Name a plant that is easy to grow, blooms nonstop from summer through fall, is practically maintenance free and is grown worldwide. If you said “marigold,” you would be right. And if you think this plant is boring, let me tell you all the reasons this foolproof flower deserves a spot in every garden.
Marigolds are truly global flowers
Because marigolds grow in almost any kind of soil and it’s so simple to collect seeds, this Mexican and Central American native has found its way to popularity around the world.
Marigold flowers come in shades of yellow, orange, cream and red; the edible flowers’ flavors range from citrusy to spicy to bitter, and the dried or fresh petals make delightful additions to a salad or soup. Harvest these long-lasting flowers when the petals have opened fully, but the center is still tight. The blooms make great cut flowers and are easy to dry for everlasting bouquets. The petals are also used in fabric dyes, food coloring and even chicken feed to make egg yolks more yellow.
Do marigold flowers actually deter pests?
The pungent smell of marigolds is thought to deter many insect pests and animals. Deer do tend to ignore them, while some rabbits find them tasty. But they rarely repel insects. In fact, spider mites and Japanese beetles are so attracted to marigolds that you can actually use the flowers as a trap crop to lure these insects away from vulnerable plants. They also draw in beneficial insects, such as lady beetles and parasitic wasps, and other pollinators that you want in your garden.
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Meet the different types of marigolds
The biggest differences between the three main types of marigolds you’ll find at the garden center are the sizes of the plants and flowers. Let’s take a look at just a few of the many marigold cultivars and how to choose the right one for your garden.
Marigold (Tagetes spp. and hybrids)
Type Annual
Blooms Yellow, orange, cream, red or bicolors from early summer to frost
Light Full sun
Soil Average, well drained
Pests Spider mites, Japanese beetles, powdery mildew
Size 6 in. to 48 in. tall, 10 in. to 48 in. wide
French marigolds (Tagetes patula)
These marigolds are tidy, mounded plants with fine-cut ferny foliage and often have multiple colors on the same bloom. Flowers are usually 1 to 2 inches across, but Bonanza Bolero Improved, pictured above top right, sports double orange and red-orange flowers that can be up to 3 inches wide on 10- to 12-inch-tall and 6- to 8-inch-wide plants.
Double flowers might be more common in French marigolds, but single varieties are quite charming, too: Petite, 10-inch-tall ‘Bambino’, above bottom right, is covered in single lemon-and-orange-striped blossoms all summer. Heirloom ‘Harlequin’ is much taller, at 2 to 3 feet, with flowers in carnival-striped colors of maroon and yellow.
Crested ‘Strawberry Blonde’, above left, has muted red-orange petals with pink undertones, and peachy-yellow center tufts that age to pale yellow or salmon, giving this 10-inch-tall plant a unique look.
Signet marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia)
Derived from a wild Central American native, signet marigolds have finer, lacier foliage than French and American types on mounded 12-inch-tall plants. Flowers are petite — less than 1 inch in diameter — with a single row of five petals around a center ray.
Their sweet, citrusy, tarragonlike flavor is considered the tastiest of the marigolds. Even the foliage is more pleasantly aromatic than other types, with a slightly lemony scent.
The Gem series is widely available in different colors, such as ‘Red Gem’ and ‘Tangerine Gem’ pictured above, as well as yellow, gold and a mix. These delicate plants are loaded with flowers all season, so it’s easy to pluck a few petals to add to a salad or festive beverage without losing color in the garden.
American marigolds (Tagetes erectra)
Also called African or Aztec marigolds, American marigolds are some of the largest plants and flowers in the family. They can easily reach 48 inches tall and 24 inches wide, with huge, double blooms up to 5 inches across. You may need to stake taller varieties like ‘Garuda Deep Gold’, which grows 3 to 4 feet tall with golden globe-shaped flowers that can get heavy and flop after a rain.
The Big Duck® series has self-supporting 12- to 15-inch-tall stems with 4-inch blooms in shades of yellow and orange. American marigolds’ bold, solid-colored flowers are yellow, gold, orange or creamy white.
‘French Vanilla’, pictured above right, has gorgeous white poms on 18-inch tall plants with a lighter marigold fragrance than other varieties. While most American marigolds have tight, pompon-shaped flowers, ‘Mission Giant Yellow’, above left, has 3-inch blooms with a looser, shaggier look that lends a more casual feel. Plant this 24- to 34-inch-tall marigold at the back of the border.
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Designing with marigold flowers in the garden
With flowers the color of sunshine, cheery marigolds are the quintessential summer bedding plant. Their wide range of sizes and flower shapes makes it easy to find one that will be perfect in your border.
Plant marigold flowers in masses
Marigolds are an excellent filler for the garden, branching out and meshing together to create a sea of flowers. It makes economic sense to use them for large blocks of color in a mass planting — you can grow a lot of marigold seeds inexpensively. Just sprinkle seeds in the perennial border for easy, quick color, like that of ‘Disco Red’ in the photo above, when other plants are not at their peak in bloom.
Many communities use marigolds in streetscapes, public spaces and parks for good reason. Plants will tolerate hot, dry weather and neglect, and still put on a colorful show for the whole growing season.
Marigolds grow great in container gardens!
That ability to thrive in harsh conditions makes marigolds ideal for containers, where being hot and dry might take a toll on less hardy plants. Their vivacious colors show up brilliantly in pots mixed with other annuals for eye-catching curb appeal. The smaller size and broad range of flower shapes and colors make French marigolds, such as Bonanza Flame in the photo above, best for containers—you can find one to suit all your designs.
Don’t limit yourself to marigolds only in the summer. These workhorses can take a light frost and will bloom well into fall, making them a great addition to seasonal autumn displays. Swap out overgrown or failing annuals for a fresh pot of marigolds from the garden center (or some you started yourself from seed) to finish the year with bright color and lush, ferny foliage.
Marigold flowers are complementary companions
It’s easy to find companions for this tough annual: Start with color. The contrast of cool purples and blues in the photo above really makes the yellow marigolds pop. Bronze- or burgundy-foliaged plants, such as sedum or purple fountain grass, set off orange and red cultivars. Plant lemon-yellow or cream marigolds in a pastel garden.
Marigold’s mounded shape is unassuming, but it highlights companions with linear flowers, big and bold leaves or fine-textured blossoms. Pair them with spiky salvia, large-leafed cannas or tiny-flowered sweet alyssum for a nice contrast.
Pairing marigolds with veggies
Marigold roots contain a chemical that can inhibit the growth of legumes, such as peas, so don’t grow them close together. While many gardeners plant them in vegetable gardens to repel pests, they are not very effective in that role. But they do add color, are edible and if they deter a deer or two, that’s a plus!
How to grow great marigolds
There is a reason preschoolers learn about gardening by planting marigolds. The seeds are easy to handle and they germinate reliably in just a few days. You won’t be disappointed as an experienced gardener, either. Marigolds are truly a no-fail plant.
Where to plant marigolds
To match their bright flowers, plant marigolds in full sun. They will tolerate some morning or late-day shade, but you’ll get more flowers on sturdier, fuller plants with sun for most of the day.
How to grow marigolds from seed
You can start marigolds indoors, direct sow seeds outside in the garden or buy seedlings at the garden center. As with many annual plants, seeds offer the most variety and economy. To start indoors, plant seeds 4 to 6 weeks before the average last frost in your area.
Marigold seed sources
- Annie’s Annuals, 888-266-4370
- Burpee, 800-888-1447
- Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 877-564-6697
- Kitchen Garden Seeds, 860-567-6086
- Select Seeds, 800-684-0395
Start marigold seeds indoors
Place the long, narrow seeds about ¼ inch deep in premoistened seed-starting mix, then water in. Cover with a dome or plastic wrap to keep the mix moist. Check them daily and mist if needed. Seeds will germinate fastest if the medium is around 70 degrees F. When seedlings have several sets of leaves and daytime temperatures are regularly above 70 degrees F, transplant marigolds outdoors.
Hardening off seedlings before moving outside
To prevent transplant shock, harden them off by setting them out in the shade for a few hours the first day, then moving them indoors at night, and gradually adding time outdoors and sunnier locations until they can spend all day and night outside. Cutting flowers off of young plants when you transplant will encourage branching (and more flowers later), but it’s OK to leave them on if you can’t bear to snip them.
Direct sow marigold seeds outdoors
Alternatively, you can direct sow outdoors after all danger of frost is past. Seeds will languish in cool, wet soil, though, so wait until daytime temperatures are regularly around 70 degrees F before sowing. Expect flowers in about 8 weeks.
Crowded plants are more likely to develop fungal problems like powdery mildew, especially in rainy weather. Space smaller varieties 8 to 12 inches apart and larger ones up to 18 inches apart.
How to care for marigolds
Once they’re established, marigolds are drought tolerant (especially American marigolds), but give them a little extra water or a layer of mulch when it is hot in the middle of summer. If your marigolds struggle in summer’s heat, a shot of half-strength general purpose water-soluble fertilizer can provide an extra boost. Nighttime temps below 50 degrees F may cause some leaves to turn purple. This won’t hurt the plant but will give some extra fall color until a hard frost kills the plants in late autumn.
Deadheading marigolds
Deadhead spent flowers to keep plants tidy by snapping the hollow stems just below the plump green calyx that holds the petals together. Do this in early morning when foliage is fresh and crisp. It may be easier to clip larger flowers with snips or scissors, as shown in the photo above. Deadheading will also encourage more blooms. Signet marigolds often benefit from being sheared back by a third to half in summer if stems grow long and gangly.
Save marigold seeds for next year
Marigolds reseed in the garden easily, so leave a few dried flowers to drop seed. Keep in mind that plants won’t always look exactly like the parent plant, but sometimes that can be a fun surprise. It’s also easy to collect and save seeds for next year. When ready to harvest, spent blooms will be shriveled and brown. Break open the dried calyx, pluck the seeds out and brush off the withered petals. Air dry the seeds for a couple weeks, then store them in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place until you are ready to plant. You’ll have enough to share with friends so everyone can grow a few marvelous marigolds!
Troubleshooting marigolds
Even though marigolds are easy to grow, you might encounter a few problems from time to time. Take a look at the images above and read more about these four common issues and pests that can affect marigold plants and flowers.
Identifying common marigold problems
Spider mites
Marigolds are magnets for spider mites, especially during hot, dry
weather. Watch for webbing, stippled foliage and peppery-looking insects on the undersides of leaves. A strong stream of water every few days will usually wash these pests away.
Marigold with purple leaves
In addition to cool temps, a phosphorus deficiency can cause purple or brown leaf spotting on marigolds. Get a soil test to see if a fertilizer amendment is recommended.
Gray mold
Wet, humid weather may cause gray mold on marigold flowers. Deadhead fading blooms to prevent this fungus from spreading.
Powdery mildew
Warm, humid weather causes this fungus to take hold. Prevent powdery mildew by spacing plants so there is some air movement between them. A general-purpose fungicide can help if the problem is severe. Dispose of any infested plants so spores don’t persist the next year.
