USA plant library · annual

Marigold

Tagetes spp. (T. erecta, T. patula) · Asteraceae

Easy, cheerful bedding annual and a traditional companion plant

Photo: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sun: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained, average soil
Soil pH: Prefers 6.0-7.0; accepts 5.5-7.0 and tolerates a wide range. Below 5.5, leaves may bronze from manganese or iron toxicity
Water: Moderate, about 1 in per week. Let the soil dry slightly between waterings. Tolerates drought better than wet soil
Hardiness: Frost-tender annual, grown in all zones (USDA zones 2a-11b)
Height and spread: 6 in-4 ft x 0.5-1 ft, by type (French marigolds 6-18 in; African marigolds to 3-4 ft)

Guv's tipMarigolds tolerate drought better than wet soil, so let it dry slightly between waterings. Deadhead spent flowers to keep them going.

Through the year

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

In flower

Months are a rough guide. Time it by your own frost dates: after last frost (warm season).

When to plant

Transplant or sow direct after the last spring frost, once the soil is about 65°F (start seed indoors 8-10 weeks earlier). The exact month depends on your local frost date

Flowering

Early summer to a hard frost (about May-Oct)

Pruning

Deadhead spent flowers. Pinch young plants to make them bushy

Making more plants

Seed, sown direct or started indoors

Watch out for

Pest

Spider mites

Look for: Stippled, bronzed leaves, fine webbing, in hot dry weather

What to do: Forceful water spray to leaf undersides; insecticidal soap or oil

Pest

Slugs

Look for: Irregular smooth-edged holes, chewed seedlings, slime trails

What to do: Hand-pick, remove shelter, iron phosphate bait

Disease

Gray mold (Botrytis blight)

Botrytis cinerea

Look for: Browning flowers covered with gray fuzzy spores in wet weather

What to do: Deadhead and remove infected tissue, avoid overhead watering, space plants

Disease

Stem and root rot

Soil-borne fungi or water molds

Look for: Plant collapse in wet, poorly drained soil

What to do: Well-drained soil; avoid overwatering

Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.

Safety and spread

Pets and people: Low toxicity. Phototoxic thiophenes in the sap can cause skin irritation or dermatitis when skin is exposed to sunlight. Tagetes is not listed by the ASPCA (its "marigold" entries are Calendula)

Weed risk: Not on the federal noxious weed list

Checked against two or more reputable gardening sources. How we check our facts

Keep it by the back door

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