Ornamental · Asteraceae
Marigold
Tagetes
Give it full sun and well-drained soil and the marigold rewards you with bloom from early summer until frost.
Full sun
Every 5–7 days
59–86°F · 15–30°C
45–90 days
Overview
If you have ever worried you lack a green thumb, the marigold is the flower that proves otherwise. This cheerful member of the daisy family traveled north from Mexico and Central America, and today it settles happily almost anywhere as a fast, easygoing annual. Its bright single and double blooms in gold, orange, and red keep coming from early summer all the way to the first frost.
You will meet a few friendly types within the genus, and telling them apart is simpler than it sounds. French marigolds stay low and bushy, African types stretch up to knee height with plump pompon heads, and the sweet little Signet marigolds form soft mounds under lacy, citrus-scented leaves. Once you know which one is in your hands, you will know just how much room it wants and how tall it will grow.
Best of all, marigolds forgive nearly every beginner slip. Offer them sun and soil that drains, pinch off the old flowers now and then, and they will bloom hard for months on end. The only real pitfalls are overwatering or crowding them into damp shade, which can trade those flowers for mites, rot, and mildew, and even those are easy to head off.
Care
The short version: give marigolds full sun and well-drained soil, water only when the top of the soil dries, feed lightly at planting, and deadhead the spent flowers to keep the blooms coming.
Light
Give marigolds full sun, at least six hours of direct light each day, and they will bloom their very best. They will put up with a little partial sun, but true shade leaves you with leggy, floppy plants and far fewer flowers, so brighter is always kinder.
Water
Let the top half of the soil dry out between waterings, which usually works out to every 5 to 7 days once the plants are settled in. Marigolds are drought tolerant and much happier a touch dry than soggy, since overwatering is what opens the door to rot and disease.
Soil
Plant them in well-drained loam with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0, which sits close to neutral. Marigolds are not picky about fertility, but they will never forgive ground that stays wet, so good drainage matters far more than rich soil.
Temperature
They love the warmth between 59°F and 86°F (15°C to 30°C). Frost is the one thing they cannot survive, so wait for settled weather before you set the plants outside.
Humidity
Marigolds are happiest on the dry side, somewhere around 30% to 50% humidity. Damp, muggy air is what encourages gray mold, so good airflow matters more than any number on a humidity gauge.
Feeding
Work a balanced general-purpose fertilizer into the bed at planting time and then leave well enough alone. Marigolds rarely ask for more, and too much feed grows leaves at the cost of flowers.
Pruning
Deadhead the spent flowers as they fade, and the plant will keep pushing out fresh ones for months. Pinching off the old blooms also clears away the soft, rotting tissue that gray mold reaches for in humid weather.
Repotting
Marigolds rarely need repotting, since most live out their single season right where you plant them. Just keep an eye out for roots circling the cell or slipping through the drainage holes on a seedling that has waited a bit too long to go in the ground.
Size & spacing
Depending on the type, plants stand anywhere from 6 to 47 inches (15 to 120 cm) tall, from the low French marigolds to the towering African ones. Give each a spread of 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) so air moves freely and the leaves dry between waterings.
When to plant
Marigolds simply ask for warm soil and no frost, and there is no rush. Start the seeds indoors in spring or tuck them straight into the ground once the cold has passed, and the plants will flower for you from early summer until the first fall frost draws the season to a close.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 6 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost
- Plant: After the last spring frost when the soil has warmed
- Harvest: Early summer until the first fall frost
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 2–11
Temperature: down to -46°C
Troubleshooting
Most marigold hiccups turn up first on the leaves or the fading flowers, usually after a spell of weather the plant did not much enjoy. Once you learn to read those early signs, you can step in gently before a small worry grows into a bigger one. Match what you are seeing to the notes below, then act while a little effort still goes a long way.
Pale speckled leaves wrapped in the faintest webbing
If the leaves look dusted with yellow specks and thin webbing, you are almost certainly seeing spider mites, which move in during hot, dry weather. Hold a sheet of white paper under a leaf and give it a tap, and the little dots will start to move. Rinse the plants with a firm spray of water, dab the worst leaves with insecticidal soap, and keep the roots from going bone dry, and your marigolds will bounce back just fine.
Fix:
- Spray plants with a strong jet of water to dislodge mites
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to affected foliage
- Remove heavily infested leaves
Torn holes in the leaves and petals, with shiny trails nearby
Ragged bites in the leaves and flowers, along with silvery streaks the next morning, point to slugs and snails feeding through the damp night hours. The kindest fix is simply to gather them by hand in the evening, or lay down a little iron phosphate bait where they gather. Sweep away loose mulch and old plant debris as well, and you take away the cool, moist corners they hide in by day.
Fix:
- Handpick slugs and snails in the evening
- Set out traps or iron phosphate slug bait
- Remove debris and mulch that provide hiding places
Soft gray fuzz spreading over the fading blooms
A soft gray fuzz on tired or bruised flowers is Botrytis gray mold, which settles in when the air stays humid and wet. Gently pick off the spoiled blooms and toss them out, then keep up with deadheading before the old flowers have a chance to rot. Water down at the soil so the leaves stay dry, and leave a little space between plants so fresh air can drift through, and the mold will have far less to work with.
Fix:
- Remove and discard affected flowers and debris
- Deadhead spent blooms promptly
- Improve air circulation around plants
Soft little bugs gathered on the tender shoots
Those small green or black clusters on the fresh shoots are aphids, and the shiny, sticky coating they leave behind is honeydew. Do not worry, a strong stream of water washes most of them away, and a little insecticidal soap takes care of any stubborn stragglers. Ease off on nitrogen feed too, because the lush, soft growth it pushes is just the sort of thing aphids love to find.
Fix:
- Spray aphids off with a strong stream of water
- Apply insecticidal soap if populations are high
- Encourage beneficial insects such as ladybugs
Toxicity
Marigold is one of the more reassuring flowers to keep near pets, livestock, and children. Garden marigold is essentially non-toxic, and the petals are even edible, pretty scattered into a salad or used as a garnish. The one small thing to keep in mind is the sap, which can mildly irritate sensitive skin, so gloves are a kindness to your hands when you are handling a large batch.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Safe
You can relax about cats, since garden marigold is essentially harmless and a curious nibble will not hurt them. A sensitive cat might get a slight tingle of mouth or skin irritation from the sap, and that is truly all.
Dogs Safe
A dog that chews on marigold has nothing to fear. The most you might see is a little drooling or a mild skin irritation from the sap, and it settles down on its own.
Horses Safe
Marigold sits comfortably among horses and has no history of poisoning them. A sensitive horse brushing past the leaves may pick up a faint skin irritation, nothing worth losing sleep over.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can nibble marigold safely, and the flowers make a perfectly gentle treat. In rare cases the sap alone might leave a touch of irritation, and even that is uncommon.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep take marigold in stride with no ill effect. The only thing to keep in mind is the mild sap, and that seldom comes to anything at all.
Birds Safe
Birds are in no danger from marigold, and many happily peck at the bright petals. There is simply nothing here to worry about.
People Safe
You are safe around marigold too, and the petals are edible, cheerful in salads and as a garnish. Just remember the sap can leave sensitive skin a little irritated, so slipping on gloves helps when you are handling a big armful.
Wear gloves when handling, as the sap may irritate skin.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
Marigolds come in a lovely spread of sizes and forms, though most gardens lean on just a few well-loved types. These are the ones worth getting to know by name.
French marigold (Tagetes patula)
You will find these staying compact at 6 to 12 inches tall, offering smaller single or double blooms that often blend red, orange, and yellow in one flower.
African/American marigold (Tagetes erecta)
These are the tall ones, rising 3 to 4 feet and crowned with generous pompon double flowers as wide as 5 inches across.
Signet marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia)
Charming and low at 6 inches or less, these mound up under lacy foliage and carry small edible flowers with a citrus scent.
Triploid hybrids
Born from sterile crosses of French and African types, these keep blooming all season long because they put so little energy into setting seed.
Companions
Marigolds earn their keep beside vegetables, but only when grown as a full-season cover crop in the soil you plan to plant later.
Plant near
Vegetable crops: French and African marigolds grown as a season-long pre-plant cover crop produce alpha-terthienyl that suppresses root-knot nematode populations, benefiting susceptible vegetables grown in the same soil afterward.
How to propagate
Marigolds are about as easy to multiply as a flower gets, sprouting quickly from seed and often sowing themselves for the year to come.
SeedEasy
Spring
Starting marigolds from seed in spring is wonderfully forgiving, and the seedlings sprout and grow fast with hardly any coaxing. Sow them right where you want the flowers or get a head start indoors, and once a planting settles in it tends to self-sow, dropping seed that comes up on its own the following year.
Myths
Pot marigold and true marigold are the same plant.
Take heart, they are actually two different genera. Pot marigold is Calendula officinalis, which is non-toxic to pets, while the true marigolds are Tagetes species. Their names sound alike, but the two plants are not interchangeable.
A few marigolds among the vegetables instantly protect them from root-knot nematodes.
It is a lovely idea, but the protection only appears when marigolds grow as a dense pre-plant cover crop across a whole season in the same soil. A handful tucked among your vegetables will not reliably keep nematodes in check.