Marigold Flower: How To Plant And Care For It  

Marigold Flower

Marigold Flower

Updated on 12/3/2023
Emma DowneyBy Emma Downey
Gardening Expert
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How to plant Marigold flower is an eye-catching plant that should include in every garden. The space has a cozier and more inviting vibe due to the vivid, golden-orange color that emanates from them. These blossoms are also an excellent choice for including in arrangements such as bouquets and vases.

Join us as we explore everything there is to know about cultivating and caring for these beautiful flowers. It is the perfect opportunity if you have ever wanted to develop your marigolds.

The Definition Of Marigolds

Marigolds are a typical sort of brilliant flower, and they also happen to be the birth flower for October!

The following are the four most frequent varieties of marigolds:

  1. Marigolds from France
  2. Signet (single) Marigolds
  3. Marigolds native to Africa (also known as American or Aztec Marigolds)
  4. Triploid Hybrids

The combination of French Marigolds with African Marigolds results in the creation of triploid hybrids.

Marigold Flower

Marigold Flower

Marigolds may produce blooms in various colors, including yellow, golden, orange, white, and red, although the yellow and orange varieties are the most frequently seen.

Marigolds: How To Start Growing Them

A happy-looking woman clutches a marigold in the middle of a field of marigolds.

Marigolds are not particularly difficult to cultivate after they have been planted. Consider the following, however, to be of assistance in ensuring their success:

How Does Marigold Grow?

Make confident that you plant the seeds in the ground immediately in the garden. It is possible to sow seeds inside, but because seeds germinate so fast, doing so offers little to no practical benefit.

What Is The Best Time To Plant Marigolds?

Marigold Flower

Marigold Flower

Marigolds, both French and signet varieties, can be planted at any point between the beginning of spring and the middle of summer. Because they tend to mature and produce blooms at a slower rate, they should plant taller African marigolds right at the beginning of spring once the threat of frost has gone. It is the optimal time to maximize flower production.

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Marigold Care: What You Need To Know

Marigolds are easy to care for, but you should be sure to adhere to these guidelines to reach their full potential as plants.

After the marigold plants have become established, it is vital to trim the flower heads off them. The practice of deadheading will cause them to develop more foliage and prevent them from becoming spindly. Additionally, it will stimulate the blossoming of other flowers.

Marigold Flower

Marigold Flower

Between your marigold plants' waterings, ensure you give the soil a chance to dry out completely. After that, please share a good drink of water, and start the process again. Spending additional time watering your marigolds would be best when the weather is sweltering. It is vital to just water the plant at its base and to steer clear of watering it from above.

Fertilizing marigold plants while they are still growing may encourage the growth of foliage rather than blooms, so you should try to avoid doing so. You can prevent weeds from growing and keep the soil wet if you cover the ground in between the young plants with a layer of mulch when they are still small.

How To Remove The Marigold's Dead Heads

How To Remove The Marigold's Dead Heads

How To Remove The Marigold's Dead Heads

An illustration of a hand holding several marigold blooms. Marigold plants often do not need their deadheads removed, but doing so will increase the likelihood that the plants will produce abundant colors.

To deadhead marigolds, you don't need specialized equipment or prior experience; all you need are your fingertips to accomplish this task.

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To remove the withering flower heads, you can use either pruners or your fingers to pinch them off. When you do this, you should also be sure to cut out the flower pods that have begun to form behind the bloom. Continue to pull off any marigolds that have withered or died as they show up to stimulate the growth of fresh colors.

Do Marigolds Reappear Each Year After Being Cut Down?

Marigold Flower

Marigold Flower

Annual varieties of marigolds are by far the most frequent in garden plantings. It indicates that they germinate, mature, and then pass away during the same calendar year. However, due mainly to the fact that the blooms can self-seed, they have a good chance of returning the following year.

What Do Marigolds Prevent from Happening?

There is evidence that marigolds can prevent root-knot nematodes, microscopic worms, from infesting other plants such as strawberries, roses, potatoes, and tomatoes. Marigolds, native to the area, are said to deter the worms in the ground.

Marigolds, according to experienced gardeners, may control various pests, including cabbage worms, thrips, tomato hornworms, squash bugs, and whiteflies, to mention a few of them. This claim has not been verified, but it is widely held.

How Long Will Marigolds Remain Beautiful?

How Long Will Marigolds Remain Beautiful?

How Long Will Marigolds Remain Beautiful?

Marigolds are one of the few flowers whose blooms are known to be able to last from the beginning of spring through the first frost of winter. The flowering of any marigold plant may be prompted by doing only a few straightforward care tasks.

For instance, by removing the spent blossoms, known as "deadheading," you can have abundant flowers throughout the season. In addition, the plant's leaves might benefit from some care to enhance business and ensure that it lives for a more extended time.

Pinch off parts of the plant at the intersections of the leaf to produce more business in the stems and leaves of the plants.

Is It True That Dogs Can Get Sick From Marigolds?

Is It True That Dogs Can Get Sick From Marigolds?

Is It True That Dogs Can Get Sick From Marigolds?

Marigolds come in various colors and shapes, and some of them can cause dogs to develop a skin condition called contact dermatitis if handled inappropriately.

In most cases involving ingestion, dogs may have a slight stomachache or diarrhea. Because dogs do not possess the enzymes necessary to break down the greens, leaves, and flowers of a marigold plant, this might cause your dog significant suffering. Marigold plants are toxic to dogs, and Marigold plants usually cause just a temporary itching or irritation of the skin in dogs that come into contact with them. The possibility of a dog contracting a severe illness or life-threatening condition due to its encounter with a marigold plant is exceptionally remote.

For further information, read Growing Calla Lilies: A Guide to Planting and Caring for Calla Lily Bulbs.

Are Marigolds Attractive To Bees?

Are Marigolds Attractive To Bees?

Are Marigolds Attractive To Bees?

Even though there are several ways in which bees are helpful to the natural world, some people view them as a nuisance, and they also provide a significant risk of harm to some individuals. There is no evidence in the scientific literature to support the claim that marigolds can discourage bees. There is, however, a widespread perception among gardening groups worldwide that their strong odor drives bees away from the gardens they are grown in because of their presence.

It's not only bees, which is an interesting fact. It is believed that the presence of marigolds in gardens may discourage a wide variety of additional insects and unwanted animals, such as rabbits.

Are Marigolds Capable of Proliferating?

Are Marigolds Capable of Proliferating?

Are Marigolds Capable of Proliferating?

Marigolds are among the plants that are the easiest to cultivate, which is why you may see them utilized so frequently in flower beds, gardens, and other types of landscaping. They bloom within forty-five days of planting, are exceedingly tolerant of harsh conditions, and are overgrown.

Marigolds, like many other types of flowers, can spread and increase because most of the plant types are self-seeding, which means they propagate themselves and expand over the flower bed or garden they are planted each year.

The African Marigold flower is significantly larger than other varieties of the marigold. However, the French Marigold is the type of marigold that grows the quickest and spreads the most quickly. Marigolds are a beautiful addition to any garden, regardless of size, because they multiply, bring happiness, and are simple to care for.