Marigold Gardening Tips

Marigolds are a perennial favorite in most gardeners’ gardens, and with a little care they’re easy to grow. These flowering annuals don’t need much upkeep, and are also drought-tolerant.

Plant them in a spot that receives full sun, particularly afternoon sunlight. South-facing areas are generally good spots, but be sure to observe your own space before deciding where to plant them.

Planting

Growing marigolds is an easy and rewarding project. They are quick to bloom and deter pests, and they help improve the soil around them too.

The best time to plant marigolds is in the spring, when soil temperatures have warmed and the danger of frost has passed. Start your seeds indoors a few weeks before the last frost date to ensure you get the most out of them.

They thrive in full sun and well-drained, moist, but not wet, soil. Avoid heavy clay soils that don’t drain properly as they can cause gray mould and root rot.

If you want to grow these plants in a garden, choose a spot that gets at least six hours of sunlight daily and is free of other blooming plants that will shade the flowers. They are a great addition to any flower bed or vegetable garden. They also make excellent dried arrangements and floral crafts.

Pruning

Marigolds are a colourful addition to any garden, but they can also be an irritant to sensitive skin. That’s why it’s important to know when to prune and how to do it correctly.

The best time to prune marigolds is in the early spring when they are just beginning to produce new growth. This will encourage more robust growth and blooms.

Depending on the type and cultivar, you may also want to prune in mid-season as well. This will promote branching, resulting in more flowers and foliage.

It’s also good practice to deadhead spent blooms to encourage new growth and keep the plant looking its best.

Keeping your marigolds trimmed will help ensure that they are happy and healthy throughout the season. Pruning and deadheading can also improve air circulation, preventing overcrowding.

Harvesting

Marigolds produce a lot of seeds per flower so it’s important to harvest them as they mature. This can be done by picking the last blooms of a marigold plant, or by pinching one of the flowers open and exposing its seed pod.

The best time to collect seeds is when the petals are completely dried off and the base of the achene has turned brown. When the achene is dark, that’s when you’ll find the slivers of black seeds bundled together inside it.

To ensure that your marigold seeds will germinate and grow next season, keep them stored properly! Ideally, your seeds should be stored in a dry, cool place like a glass canning jar or a paper envelope tucked away from the heat and direct sunlight.

Another important step is to isolate the marigold variety you want to save seeds from so that it doesn’t cross-pollinate with other varieties. This is a common stumbling block for would-be seed-savers and can make it difficult to save true-to-type propagation stock.

Diseases

Marigolds are fairly resistant to pest insects, but there are some diseases that can cause problems. Most can be treated by a variety of methods, including fungicides, pesticides, and biological controls.

Southern bacterial wilt is a common disease that affects marigolds grown in warm climates. Plants affected by this disease turn a yellow or gray color and die within a week.

Botrytis blight is another fungal disease that can be harmful to marigolds. The fungus causes spots of rotting and brown tissue on the flowers, stems, and leaves of infected plants.

It’s important to control this disease by ensuring that your marigolds receive plenty of sun and don’t get overwatered. You can also decrease the risk of this disease by using organic copper fungicides.