We may bring in revenue from the products uncommitted on this Thomas Nelson Page and take part in affiliate platform . get word More ›
Marigold care is easy , since the plants thrive almost anywhere they have Dominicus and well - draining soil . They are oftengrown as companionsfor vegetables because of their regard as power to repel insect pests and parasitic nematodes . According to the University of Florida , however , “ simply planting them alongside another crop has not been shown to reduce nematode populations . ”
The best marigold for veg gardens are low - farm French types not likely to shade your crop . You may also need to raise the gem variety there , since its marigold sprout can be consumed as microgreens . Marigoldcompanion plantsinclude eggplant , potato , and squash .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Of course , plenty of gardeners of all skill layer grow these bright , easy - care flower in containers , windowpane boxes , or flower bed just for the joy they land .
Growing Marigolds at a Glance
vulgar Name : MarigoldScientific Name : Tagetes spp . Hardiness Zone : Annual or perennial in USDA zone 8 through 11Soil : Well - drainingLight : Full sunWater : MediumFood : peak booster fertilizer or plant foodPropagation : SeedsSafety : Skin irritant , non-poisonous to pets
Marigold Characteristics
Marigold flowers can really light up a garden . African cultivars quantify up to 5 in in diam , while Gallic potpourri ’ peak loosely do n’t grow more than 2 inch all-inclusive . Those unmarried or two-fold blooms resemble a blanket variety of other flowers , include anemones , Dianthus caryophyllus , andmums . Marigold colors by nature run to yellows and orange , though whites have been added for the African cultivar and maroon and browns for the French varieties .
Marigolds can grow from 6 inch to 6 foot tall , and ferny marigold leafage have apest - repellent scentthat some gardeners consider cheerily spicy , and othersjust witness crappy . That olfactory perception is n’t obvious unless the foliage is crushed , and it does some good by potentially deter insects , deer , and rabbits from entering your garden .
Most marigolds are raise as annuals , though some may be perennial inUSDA Zones 8 or 9 through 11 . Their common public figure can be misleading since most originated in Mexico and Central America rather than overseas in France or Africa .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Recommended Marigold Varieties
Planting Marigolds
If you start marigolds indoors , be sure to accustom them to outdoor condition step by step before you set them out in your garden .
When is the best time to plant marigolds?
After the last frost date in bound , you’re able to either transfer orplant marigold . Because grandiloquent African cultivars take longer to mature—70 to 90 days compared with the French diverseness ’ 60 days — you may want to embark on the former indoors and the latter outdoors .
Where can marigolds grow?
One cause marigold care is easy is that you could direct marigold plants in nearly any pip with full sun and well - drain soil and they’llsurvive with or without you . marigold can even stomach tone for about a one-fifth of the day . They prefersoil with a pHthat fall down between 6 and 7.5 . forfend shady or swampy garden bottom , and be careful not to overcrowd the plants ; cold , wet condition and lack of air movement all can add to fungus diseases and rotting blooms .
How do you plant marigolds?
Whether you are easing marigold seedlings from containers or transplanting those that came up too thickly in your garden , water them first . Then , follow these tips for planting marigold .
Can you grow marigolds in containers?
Yes , smaller marigold plants such as the French or signet typethrive in potsand window corner , where they may bloom for most of the summertime and early fall . The taller 1 will be more challenging , but one African cultivar could serve as the thriller at the center of a large pot surrounded by smaller filler and dog spiller plants . Marigold containers should have drain trap and fast - run out potting land , since the plants wo n’t tolerate soggy soil .
Watering Marigolds
Marigolds need an mediocre amount of water , the same 1 inch per week often advocate for vegetable . If your climate is ironical , you may necessitate to water the industrial plant more , but avoid soaking their leave of absence when you do so . For larger African cultivars , saturated foliage can become big enough to bust off . Overwateringand too weaken shape — specially when come with by cool weather condition — also may fetch on fungal disease in marigolds .
Marigolds in containers will usually dry out faster and require more irrigation than those planted in the earth , need watering as often as once per day .
Fertilizing Marigolds
When feeding marigold flowers , keep in judgement that high nitrogen levels might produce too much leaf at the expense of flower . Therefore , it ’s best to fertilize in - ground marigold only once , play the fertilizer into the ground before you embed them .
Because nutrient percolate quickly from container , you ’ll need to feast the plants in them more often with a water - soluble plant fertilizer , following the counseling on its recording label . In either case , use a efflorescence - booster type of plant food or plant food , which is highest in itsmiddle number(phosphorus)—rather than nitrogen — to encourage labored flowering .
Pruning Marigolds
emergency marigolds back when they are unseasoned to draw them to branch out . you could do this by transfer the point and the first two leave beneath it from each shoot .
Also twinge ordeadhead shrink flowersat least once per week to keep your marigolds blossom all summertime . You need to keep them from hold seeds for as long as possible , since — as with other annuals — they often deteriorate and leave office blooming after they have gone to ejaculate .
Propagating Marigolds
Either sow marigold seed indoors in seed start up admixture about 4 to 6 week before your last frost engagement or directly into the solid ground outdoors after that particular date has pass and your grunge has warm to at least 65 academic degree Fahrenheit . Cover them with ¼ inch ofseed starting mixor soil and keep them at 70 to 75 degrees until they sprout — usually in 4 to 7 days . When constitute marigold seeded player , quash any that have been saved from hybrid since those wo n’t amount true ( have in mind they wo n’t be identical to the parent plants ) .
Safety Considerations
TheASPCAlists marigolds as nontoxic to dogs and cats . Since some marigold types can be used as comestible herbs or greens , they are apparently nontoxic to homo as well . However , theNorth Carolina State Extensionwarns that marigolds can be harmful if eaten in large amounts . Also , the plant ’s sap reportedly irritates tender skin . nurseryman with sensitive skin should wear down gloves when pinching or crop the flora and avoid the using up of thisedible flower , as well .
marigold reportedly have some allelopathic properties , which signify they might poison the earth around them enough to suppress the increment of other plants , such as beans .
Potential Pests and Diseases
Although they may repel some pests , marigolds remainattractive to slugs , which will masticate holes in their foliage at nighttime . To free yourself of those , purchase a slug sweetener made from Fe phosphate , and scatter its pellet around your plants at the charge per unit of about 1 teaspoon per square chiliad .
Long trance of cool , wet weather condition might give your marigold a casing of botrytis , which causes grey-headed mold on the plant ’ rotting efflorescence . transfer the unnatural flowers and spray the plants with afungicide , practice it in the dawn so that the marigolds dry out off before nightfall .
Preparing Marigolds for Winter
Although marigold seedling can tolerate indoor conditions for a while , matured plants rarely do well as houseplant , so you ’ll want to let them go at the end of the growing time of year when frosty weather hardening in . If you commend to save seeds from the best of your heart-to-heart - pollinated case , you may try inseminate their offspring the following spring . The hardy species , Tagetes lemmonii , blossom best during the brusque days of wintertime and reportedly rebounds well from any icing it receives in the warm zones in which it grow , so it should n’t require protection in those climate .
attend for more sun - loving industrial plant ? Check out our pathfinder on growingdahlias , geraniums , andhibiscus .
This Is the twelvemonth for a Kitchen Renovation
Photo: istockphoto.com
Whether you ’re sell or staying , everyone can get something out of a kitchen update . Learn why we consider this renovation the Most Valuable Project of 2025 and how to stay on budget .
1409332675
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
