Pot marigold

How to recognise it

Habit

Annual, branching plant of 30–60 cm, somewhat sticky-hairy and aromatic.

Leaf

Oblong to spoon-shaped, 5–15 cm, untoothed, pale green and softly hairy, slightly sticky.

Flower

Flower heads of 4–8 cm, orange or yellow, single or double, from June to October; they close in the evening and in dull weather.

Fruit/Seed

Curved, sickle- to ring-shaped, prickly seeds in different shapes on one flower head.

Roots

A short taproot with fine side roots.

Confusion with

French and African marigolds (Tagetes) are also called marigold, but have finely divided, strong-smelling leaves. Field marigold is smaller, with flower heads of 1–2 cm.

Flowering: June–October · Pruning: June–October

Why grow it?

• Flowers for months, from June until the first frost, especially if you remove faded flowers.
• Single-flowered marigolds are busy with bees, bumblebees and hoverflies, whose larvae eat aphids.
• Ideal in the vegetable garden: colour and pollinators among beans, cabbages and tomatoes.
• The petals are edible and add colour to salads; in the past they were used to colour butter and cheese.
• Quick and easy: the large seed germinates readily, ideal for sowing with children.

Pot marigold: where does it grow best?

• Full sun for the best flowering; partial shade is fine too.
• Any well-drained garden soil, even poor soil; on soil that is too rich you get lots of leaves and fewer flowers.
• In the vegetable garden, a border, a cutting garden or in pots and containers on the patio.
• It tolerates heat but flowers less in hot, dry summers; in late summer it flowers freely again.

Goes well with

• Cornflower: Blue beside orange: together a classic bee bed.
• Borage: Little blue stars for bumblebees, in the vegetable garden too.
• Tomato: Colour and pollinators among the vegetables.
• Nasturtium: Even more orange and red, and another edible flower.
• Lavender: A purple counterpoint in a sunny border.

Pot marigold: when and how to plant it?

1. Sow directly where it is to flower from March to May, 1 cm deep; no cold period is needed.
2. Thin the seedlings to 25–30 cm between plants.
3. You can also sow indoors in pots in March and plant out after mid-May.
4. If you sow in September, the seedlings overwinter in a mild winter and flower early in spring.
5. Water until the seedlings are growing well; after that only in dry weather.
6. A second sowing in June gives fresh flowers well into autumn.

Care

Watering

In long dry spells, at the base. In pots, regularly.

Feeding

Not needed; on rich soil it is better not to feed.

Deadheading

Remove faded flowers every week: it will keep flowering until the frost.

Pinching out

Pinch out young plants at 15 cm tall: they branch and become bushier.

Letting it seed

In September, let a few flowers set seed: new plants will come up by themselves next year.

Tip: Remove faded flowers every week: the less seed the plant sets, the longer it keeps flowering, often into November.

Pruning and mowing

Pruning months: June–October.

When: From June to October, remove faded flowers; in summer, cut back by a third if needed.

How:

• Cut each faded flower back to the next leaf or bud.
• If the plant becomes tall and floppy in July–August, cut it back by a third: it will regrow and flower again in autumn.
• Pull up the plants after the first frost and put them on the compost heap; let a few seed heads ripen for next year.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

In late summer, collect the dry, curved seeds from faded flower heads, store them cool and dry and sow in spring. They stay viable for a few years.

Self-sown seedlings

Leave seedlings where they are or move them while young to another spot.

Pot marigold: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −5 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• An annual: most plants die at the first hard frost.
• It survives light frost, to about −5 °C; in mild winters it sometimes flowers into December.
• Seed in the soil and autumn-sown seedlings overwinter and flower early.

Diseases and pests

• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves from late summer. Sow thinly, do not water over the leaves, remove badly affected plants.
• Aphids: Black aphids on shoot tips and buds. Spray off with water; ladybirds and hoverfly larvae will do the rest.
• Slugs: They eat young seedlings. Pick them off in the evening or sow a little extra.
• Few flowers in heat: In hot, dry summers it takes a break. Water, cut back, and it will flower again in autumn.

Through the year

• March: Sow indoors, or outdoors in a sheltered spot.
• April: Sow outdoors. Thin to 25–30 cm.
• May: Plant out after mid-May. Pinch out young plants.
• June: Flowering starts. Second sowing for autumn.
• July: Remove faded flowers. Watch for aphids.
• August: Cut floppy plants back by a third. Water in dry weather.
• September: Harvest seed. Sow for early flowers next year.
• October: Last flowers. Keep deadheading.
• November: Pull up plants after the frost and compost them.

Did you know?

• Calendula comes from the Latin calendae, the first day of the month: the plant was said to flower in almost every month.
• The French name souci comes from the Latin solsequia, ‘sun follower’: the flowers open with the sun and close in the evening.
• On a single flower head the plant forms seeds of different shapes, curved, hooked or ring-shaped, which each spread in their own way.