Their colorful flower heads boast a phenomenal long-distance effect. In borders, as bed or grave borders, in pots and balcony boxes, the marigold is booming from June until the first frost without requiring extensive care. The following answers to frequently asked questions reveal how you can cultivate the tireless marigolds professionally.
How do you properly care for marigolds?
Tagetes, also known as marigold, are easy-care, colorful flowers that bloom from June until the first frost. They prefer a sunny location and loose, nutrient-rich soil. Regular watering, occasional fertilization and the removal of wilted flowers promote flower splendor.
Planting marigolds correctly
Plant the marigold you have grown yourself or purchased at a garden center in a sunny location from mid-May. To do this, rake the fresh, nutrient-rich soil thoroughly to dig small pits 25-30 cm apart. Shovel the soil into a bucket or wheelbarrow to mix in compost and horn shavings. Now pot up the marigolds and place a plant in each hole. Fill the planting hole with the enriched substrate up to just below the first pair of leaves. After watering with room temperature water, mulch with leaves or grass clippings.read more
Care tips
The marigold owes its name not least to the fact that it can be cared for without many years of experience. We have put together all the important aspects for you here:
- Weeding consistently from day one
- Always water marigolds when the substrate has dried out
- No regular fertilization is required in the bed; A portion of compost every now and then is beneficial
- Fertilize student flowers in pots and balcony boxes liquidly every 3-4 weeks from June to October
- Cut off wilted flower heads as soon as possible to make room for rebloom
If you leave some flowers in the bed from August/September, the annual plant will take over the self-sowing process without any further action. It is important to note that direct skin contact with the plant sap is phototoxic and can trigger an allergic reaction. Therefore, always wear gloves when doing all work around the velvet flower.read more
Which location is suitable?
The marigold thrives in a sunny to partially shaded location in any normal garden soil. In the best case scenario, the velvet flower finds soil that is well-drained, rich in humus and not too heavy. For locations exposed to rain and wind, robust varieties are available that bravely withstand the rigors of the weather.read more
The correct planting distance
The selected variety determines the respective planting distance. The dwarf varieties Tagetes nana grow to a maximum height of 20 cm, so a distance of 15-20 cm is a good choice. The vast majority of marigolds grow to 30-40cm tall, which suggests an ideal planting distance of 25-30cm. Only the mighty Tagetes erecta, which reach a height of up to 120 cm, are planted at a distance of 80-100 cm.
What soil does the plant need?
The marigold is not picky about soil conditions. As long as it can get enough sunlight, it will thrive in any normal garden soil. Tagetes achieve their optimum in fresh, moist, humus-rich and nutrient-rich soil. For cultivation in pots and balcony boxes, we recommend a commercially available compost-based potting soil with a low peat content. A handful of sand or expanded clay improves permeability and prevents waterlogging.
What is the best time to plant?
The South American immigrant cannot cope with cold or even frosty temperatures. Therefore, plant your early marigold in the bed from mid-May at the earliest. For direct sowing, however, the time window opens from the end of April, provided there are no more delayed ground frosts announced at this time.read more
When is flowering time?
With the first warm days from mid-May, the marigold begins its flowering period, which lasts until the first frost. Clean out wilted flowers regularly to ensure a seamless, picturesque floral bloom. At the same time, you save the hard-working marigolds from the strenuous growth of seed heads.read more
Cut marigolds correctly
Continuously cut off withered flower heads to promote a lush, long-lasting bloom. At the same time, the energy-sapping seed growth is stopped in the middle of the season. Only from August/September do you leave the flowers of a marigold in the bed. You can either harvest the seeds for sowing behind glass or let the marigolds propagate on their own. After the first frost, the flowers inevitably freeze, so the plant remains can be raked under in the spring.
Watering marigolds
The marigold feels comfortable in slightly moist soil that dries out in the meantime. Always water the velvet flower when the thumb test indicates a dried substrate. On hot summer days, this may be necessary every day, especially in the pot or flower box. Do not water marigolds in direct sunlight, but rather in the morning or evening. Under sunlight, every single drop of water on flowers and leaves turns into a burning glass, causing significant damage to plant tissue.
Fertilize marigolds properly
In the bed, the marigold does not require a regular supply of nutrients. If you are already out in the garden with a wheelbarrow full of ripe compost, the plant will gratefully accept a portion. Work the organic material in superficially and pour more. If marigolds thrive in pots and balcony boxes, fertilize them every 3-4 weeks from June to October with a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants.
Pests
Unfortunately, the marigold has a magical attraction for snails. Clever hobby gardeners therefore use the plant as a natural protective shield for their vegetable beds by planting marigolds as a border. In this way, the advancing snail company is distracted by lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes and other crops. If you want to keep the velvet flower as an ornament, we recommend taking protective measures against the voracious pests. A snail fence keeps snails out, as do traveling barriers made of grit or thick wood chips. Sprinkle coffee grounds regularly because the caffeine has a toxic effect on the beasts. If you decide to use snail pellets if there is a high level of infestation, we recommend spreading it in gap traps so that the harmless shell snails do not fall victim to the poison.
Wintering
Native to the warm tropical regions of South America, the marigold is not frost-resistant. At temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius the flower freezes. Although a few species and varieties thrive for several years, the effort involved in overwintering them is not worth it. If you dare to experiment, carry marigolds in a pot or flower box to a bright, frost-free winter quarter in good time. At temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees Celsius, water only slightly and do not give any fertilizer.read more
Propagate marigolds
So that you don't miss the radiance of marigolds next year, we recommend uncomplicated propagation by sowing. To do this, collect completely wilted flowers on a dry day in autumn. Spread the harvest on kitchen paper for a few days in an airy, dry place. Then fill the dried flower heads with the seeds they contain into a container with a lid or a bag and shake vigorously. Now sift the seeds through a kitchen sieve onto a plate. Until next spring, store the seeds in an airtight, dark screw-top jar in a cool cellar. This is how sowing works:
- In March, fill a seed tray with seed soil or peat sand and moisten it
- Scatter the seeds, press them lightly, do not sieve over them or a maximum of 5 mm high
- Keep slightly moist in an airy, bright window seat at 15-18 degrees Celsius
- Prick the seedlings into individual pots about 14 days after emergence
- Continue cultivation in a warm, partially shaded location until mid-May
Alternatively, sow the seeds directly into the bed as soon as ground frosts are no longer expected from the end of April. Prepare a fine-crumb seedbed with shallow grooves 20-30 cm apart. A close-meshed net repels hungry garden residents and voracious pests. Keep the soil slightly moist in order to separate the strongest seedlings at a distance of 25-30 cm 2 weeks after emergence.read more
Tagetes in a pot
In the pot and flower box, you can save the marigold from stressful pricking and repotting if you sow directly onto the potting soil. A water-bearing layer of pottery shards or grit on the floor effectively prevents waterlogging. From the end of April, scatter the fine seeds on the substrate, press them lightly and moisten with a fine spray. In a bright, not full-sun location, water regularly without completely wetting the soil. Depending on the variety, separate the seedlings at a distance of 10-15 cm. If the marigolds with 4-6 leaves are pruned once, they branch out particularly bushy. Always water the velvet flowers when the substrate has dried out. From June until the end of the flowering period, apply a liquid fertilizer every 3-4 weeks. Cut off the withered flower heads every few days to attract the next flowers.
Is marigold poisonous?
The marigold contains thiophene, an organic compound that has a phototoxic effect. Skin contact with the plant sap under light can trigger dermatitis, a highly unpleasant skin disease. Therefore, wear gloves during all planting and care work. In addition, marigolds pose no he alth risk, so there is nothing wrong with growing them in the family garden.read more
Beautiful varieties
- Gold Dwarf: Popular student flower with unmistakable yellow flower heads; 15-30cm
- Cresto Orange: The variety impresses with double flowers in bright orange and extra early flowering from May; 15-30cm
- Mr. Magjestic: Noble variety that stands out with yellow-brown striped flowers; rainproof and durable; 25-30cm
- Fiesta: Beautiful mahogany-colored flower balls for borders, flower beds and flower boxes
- Gold piece: A majestic Tagetes erecta, whose lemon-yellow flowers stretch up to 120 cm high towards the sky
- Sperling’s Eskimo: The stable, vigorous marigold impresses with cream-colored flowers; 50cm
- Queen Bee: Compact Tagetes nana with full flowers in yellow and reddish brown; 15-25cm
- Honeycomb: An indestructible velvet flower whose honey-yellow flowers form dense cushions; 25cm
