When planting or transplanting African marigold plants, be sure to plant them slightly deeper than they were originally growing. Easy to establish from seed, this dwarf variety wont grow more than 14 inches tall, but these large blooms are far from puny! Pat and smooth the soil gently, and water lightly with a watering can, or using the gentle shower setting on your watering wand. Everything you need to know when planting your seeds from Eden Brothers. Here are a few tips for you to get started: About a week before you wish to transplant your seedlings, start hardening them off outdoors to acclimate them to their new growing conditions. Bursting with buds. African marigolds are heat and drought-resistant flowers that bloom throughout the summer and early fall. Seems like a good deal to me! Choose from a range of brilliant colors in each of these … As an added bonus, critters steer clear of other plants I have around these. 10-12 in. Level out the soil and pat it gently to firm it up. Crested marigolds on uniform, 9-12 in. Marigolds attract butterflies and are fairly drought tolerant. Plants reach 10-12 inches in height and have a 9-inch spread. Great companion plant for vegetable gardens! However, if your growing season only has an average of 104 days (my growing season is closer to this number), you might not get to enjoy the blooms at all if you sow seeds outdoors. Happy holidays from all of us at Gardening Know How. However, as we are a company engaged in what Mother Nature provides, we do sometimes experience shortages and crop failures beyond our control. Gently pull your hands in opposite directions. plants. You’ll find ‘Strawberry Blonde’ in packs of 50 seeds for purchase exclusively at Burpee. Will an African Daisy Bloom the First Year? customer.service@botanicalinterests.com. It sounds like growing conditions could be more ideal. I planted 2 pots of these. Water regularly to keep the soil moist but not wet. They are sitting right next to each other. African marigolds (Tagetes erecta), which are actually native to Mexico and Central America, were sacred to the Aztecs, who used them as a medicine and as a ceremonial offering to the sun gods. Will you be sowing outdoors or starting indoors? You’ll enjoy gorgeous blooms early in the season, whether you sow indoors in flats or outdoors in the garden. Water daily with a spray bottle to prevent water logging and alleviate the risk of, If using the light from a south-facing window instead of. Kilimanjaro White African Marigold Seeds. How do you know if you have a long growing season? Owner Response: Hi Brett,
Easy to establish … We describe these as vanilla white. Thanks for sharing your additional tips! In general, you can plant smaller cultivars 6-8 inches apart, and larger ones 10-12 inches apart. Consider adding compost or other organic materials to the soil for nutrients. While they will tolerate clay or dry soil, they prefer soil that is moist and well-drained. Bloom Period: Blooms summer to frost, although may take a break in extreme heat. They are dark on one end and light on the other. They grow best in full sun and actually seem to prefer poor soil. Using as a pest guard but wanted a variety with more height and drama. ‘Queen Sophia’ will reach maturity in 60 days. Copyright © 1998-2020 Swallowtail Garden Seeds - All Rights Reserved. You’ll find the ‘Durango’ mix, and an assortment of other ‘Durango’ colors, in packs of 1000 seeds at True Leaf Market. Be the first person to review this product! That way, once your marigolds germinate, the risk of late frosts will likely already have passed. plants. Tall varieties may need to be staked for support. Variety Information: 2"–3" creamy white blooms. I’ll go over each of these different factors, so you can decide which method will work best for you. Gorgeous creams and light golden blooms. This information is usually located on the seed packet. But once you cross the line from fan to fanatic like I have, you may want to start growing these annuals from seed. Tall varieties may need to be stak… By growing 'Kilimanjaro White', you become a part of the horticultural history and determination that led this seed to your very garden. Be careful when handling marigolds because some people can get skin irritations from the plant’s oils. The greenery springs up beautifully (with a nice scent) by late spring and then at the end of summer, boom! One pot did wonderfully, the other is home to 3 stunted plants. Here is more about what we do. These annual flowers can tolerate some shade, particularly if your summers are really hot. Alternatively you can buy ready-grown trays of African marigolds from garden centres. If you don’t know how many frost-free days you have, you can quickly calculate them with this tool from the National Gardening Association. This helps them stabilize to support their heavy flower tops. African marigold plants can also be purchased at most garden centers in the spring. Although bedding plants are the quickest way to grow African marigolds, you can start seeds indoors four to six weeks before the average last frost date in spring. Varieties include 'Antigua Orange,' 'Inca Primrose,' 'Double Eagle,' 'Indian Yellow,' 'Mesa Gold,' 'Safari Tangerine,' 'Sweet Cream' and 'Double Eagle.'. Here are some reasons why you might want to start your marigolds indoors instead: If you decide to start your seeds indoors, plan to sow them 6-8 weeks before your average last frost date. When you’re ready to sow, first choose a full sun location in your garden. Attention-grabbing French marigold. Maybe. wide, richly-colored flowers. Pour some seeds into the palm of your dry hand so that you don’t accidentally end up dumping the entire contents of your packet onto the soil all in one spot. Bushy, 10-12 in. These are your seeds. If your marigold takes 100 days or more to bloom, and your growing season has 190 days total, that means you’ll potentially get to enjoy the flowers for about three months. Sow African marigold seeds in trays indoors. Over the course of a week, gradually increase their exposure to direct sun and wind by about an hour a day, until they outdoors for the entire day, placed in the location where you intend to plant. tall. Transplant seedlings into the garden 8-18 in. I like to do my transplanting on a cloudy day or in the evening, so the transplants don’t have so much heat stress to deal with while they acclimate themselves. I honestly haven’t met a marigold I didn’t like, but there are some cultivars I’m particularly excited about, and I’d like to share these with you. Then, discard the … Marigold seeds are long, slender, and pointed. ‘Strawberry Blonde’ will reach maturity in 55-70 days. Easy to establish from seed, this dwarf variety won’t grow more than 14 inches tall, but these large blooms are far from puny! Drowning plants are also susceptible to infection by fungi. Would repurchase. We try our utmost to maintain reliable inventory of all products, and are very proud of our record in doing so. Sow marigold seed in cell packs or flats, press into soil and lightly cover. These flowers also do well when they are planted in containers. Make sure you check out our complete guide to growing marigolds. What Flowers Can Be Planted With a Lavender Plant? Kristina Hicks-Hamblin lives on a dryland permaculture homestead in the high desert of Utah. If you can’t find this information on your seed packet, French marigolds (Tagetes patula) will generally bloom in 50-60 days, while Mexican marigolds (T. erecta) need 70-100 days. Signet marigold (also known as gem marigold) is both bite-sized for use as edible flowers and an attractant to beneficial insects. Owner Response: Hi Janet,
I like to use these marigolds as a tall screen to grow in my porch/deck planters as a natural jungle-like divider between neighbors. Prepare the soil a few weeks before you plan to plant by removing the weeds and grass and till the soil approximately 6 inches deep, advises University of Florida IFAS Gardening Solutions. Print and email options available. Marigold Seeds. This is my twentieth sowing with botanical interest seeds. All of these recommendations are the faster-maturing French type marigolds, T. patula. Also called American marigolds or Aztec marigolds, African marigolds are annuals that bloom from early summer until frost. Scrape back a little bit of soil to use for covering the seeds. Deadheading, or removing a spent flower, will prevent damage to the stems and prolong blooming throughout the summer and early fall.