Marigolds are something that every gardener should grow. They're easy, great for pollinators, look good, and are useful! Along with telling you everything you need to know about planting & growing these, we're doing a GIVEAWAY.
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0:41 Intro
1:24 Planting
11:00 Care
16:10 Harvesting
One thing that I love about marigolds is those of us in zones 9 and 10 can plant seeds really late into the season, and it LOVES heat. Sometimes called the Day of the Dead flower, it also has a lot of cultural significance for those of us who live in areas with a lot of Mexican heritage. Whether you celebrate or not, it's a really pretty flower with a lot of great uses. Let's start off at the beginning.
Marigold seeds are really easy to get started. The long and skinny seeds should be near the surface of the soil. You can direct sow them, but I recommend doing it in starter cells with a tray so you can bottom water. It's easier to monitor, and you can be more intentional when you plant which is important for spacing.
Fill up your cell with seed starting mix and moisten the soil. You can then set the seeds right on top of the soil and sift some soil on top of that. That ensures you won't have a stick or small stone right on top of your seed and keep it down.
Frost will kill marigolds. That's usually not a problem for us in zones 9 and 10, but you don't want to start them too soon. They love the heat, so we start them all through June and July.
When you are ready to transplant your starter into the ground, keep an eye on its roots. If it is root bound, carefully break up the ball a bit so the plant will stretch out. I prefer to plant at night and avoid planting on hot days. Pre-soak your soil, and you can water 1-2 more times to give your plant the best chance to acclimate successfully. For raised bed gardeners, pre-soak the entire raised bed. If needed, use some shade cloth!
As you plant, spacing is critical. Appropriate spacing encourages blooms and discourages disease. I recommend having at least 4-6 inches between plants to allow your plants to grow and put out lots of blooms.
Marigolds are all about the flowers, and you need to fertilize accordingly. Look for high levels of phosphorous and potassium since that helps the plant focus on blooms instead of the foliage.
When you are ready to harvest, it's best to cut them on a cool morning. They will continue to open after you cut them, so you can trim them as the petals are still unfurling. Follow the stem down (usually not very far) to the split and cut there which helps the next set of blooms come in. If you are growing for the blooms on the plant, dead head them (cut after they bloom) to encourage more growth down the road.
If you're saving the seeds, the petals will dry out, and you'll have a pod full of seeds ready to save. They're super easy to save so I really recommend it.
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