Tagetes patula
There are marigolds , and then there are Gallic marigold .
The mounding , full , and frilly display of these fantastical flowers is a staple in gardens across the country – and no wonder , because it would be hard to find a efflorescence this bold that is easier to produce .
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Plus , it returns year after year as a perennial in some circumstances , without becoming invasive . And it ’s reasonably hard to beat the intensity of gloss that these blossoms show off for most of the summertime and decline .
While you’re able to maturate a beautiful display from any of the various species , French marigolds have something a minuscule special going for them . We ’ll discuss that and more , get up .
Here ’s what you’re able to expect :
What You’ll Learn
Quick Look
generation
How to Grow
cultivar to Select
criminal maintenance
Pests and Disease
Best Uses
Gallic marigolds are part of the same kin assunflowersandasters , Asteraceae . They have dentate , oblong leaf that are typically non-white gullible with an almost lacy appearance .
The plants attain up to 12 inches tall and 18 column inch wide , depending on the cultivar .
coarse name(s):French marigolds
Plant eccentric : Herbaceous florescence one-year
Hardiness ( USDA Zone):2 - 11
Native to : Belize , Guatemala , Mexico
Season : Spring - fall
photo : Full or partial sun
Soil type : Loamy , well draining
Soil pH:6.8 - 7.2 , impersonal
Time to maturity:55 - 100 day , look on cultivar
Spacing : 8 inch
Planting depth:1/4 in ( seeds ) ; depth of radical egg ( transplants )
Mature size:18 inches across-the-board x 12 inches high
Water Needs : Low
Taxonomy
purchase order : Asterales
kinsfolk : Asteraceae
Genus : Tagetes
Species : Patula
cultivar : Various
Tagetes patulaplants put up out because they have a wide , mounding emergence habit rather than an unsloped , magniloquent growth drug abuse like other marigold species such asMexican(also know as American , African , or Aztec ) marigolds , T. erecta . In fact , “ patula ” means spreading .
Size - wise , the flower are somewhere the right way in between those of the African andsignet species , T. tenuifolia . They are generally one or two inches across .
French marigolds also have heavily ruffled flower petal , while African and signet marigold petals are smoother . you’re able to discover more color options for the former that ’s the subject of this guide , while the latter two in the first place come in shades of yellow and orange .
French marigolds can be red , orange , yellow , and a cooking stove of combinations or intensity of those colors , with pommy - pommy - like double peak ( which are most common ) or simpler single flowers .
There is even a pinkish French marigold now !
The heyday egress in late spring , ordinarily in May though this can vary depend on where you live , and stick around until the comer of first frost .
marigold are also comestible . If you ’ve ever crushed a efflorescence between your fingerbreadth and inhaled the smell , you already have a signified of their blue , herbal , slightly virulent flavor . French marigolds have a especially notable flavor of orange peel with a hint of mint .
There are two room to addT. patulato your garden , and either one is incredibly light .
From Seed
you could grease one’s palms seeded player or use the seeds from existing plants that have finished their growth cycles/second .
In the past , I ’ve just plucked the dry out seedheads and rubbed them between my finger’s breadth to release the seed onto the uncultivated dirt below , and I always had masses of new plants the following year .
There are good ways to go about ensuring that your plants come back , but I remark this to illustrate how easy the outgrowth is .
If you mean to use seed from an existing works , allow the flowers fade and close up . Once they ’re dry and brown , pinch each seed head and put it in a newspaper handbag .
Once you ’ve collected as many heads as you need , gently fret them between your palms to release the seeds back into the bag . Gently blow away the stubble , and place in a nerveless , dry point to take into account the germ to dry .
Read more about harvest and saving marigold seeds .
To propagate , you shouldstart your seeds indoorsabout two calendar month before the last expect Robert Frost date , or alfresco after the last figure rime date .
Do n’t concern , an unexpected frost or two wo n’t anguish the seeds or the seedlings , so do n’t be too implicated about timing .
seedling should down up in one to two week , or once soil temperature are properly around 70 ° F .
For all the details on planting marigold seeds , read our comprehensive guide .
From Seedlings/Transplanting
We ’ve all get wind those masses of marigolds in flats at our local nursery . They ’re full of color and commonly incredibly bum . This is the ultimate bang - for - your - buck flower .
If you do n’t need to wait for seeds to go forth , you could usually pick up an armful of plant for a song .
To constitute :
How to Grow French Marigolds
French marigolds are some of the sluttish and most rewarding yearbook to grow .
Whether you ’re add up a splash of color to a border , fill in a container , or using them to dissuade pests in the vegetable garden , their upbeat blooms make a lowly - upkeep plus to any space .
These plants thrive with just a mo of tending to their favored conditions . Here ’s what you need to make out to keep yourTagetes patulahappy and level-headed :
Light
Marigolds like full Lord’s Day . They can grow in partial Dominicus , but the flower exhibit will be reduced and the plants might suffer from powdery mildew or other fungal diseases as a result .
Soil
The grease should be rich , loamy , loose , and well - draining . But of course of study , not all of us have such lovely grime .
Lucky for us , marigolds are fine growing in Henry Clay , sandy , or otherwise deficient world . However , you ’ll have a unspoiled display if you amend your grease with plenty ofwell - rotted compost .
A more or less acidic to neutral pH between 6.8 and 7.2 is ideal .
Temperature and Humidity
As warm - season annual , French marigolds sleep with the heat and are not freeze tolerant . Wait to plant them out of doors until all risk of frost has passed and grunge temperatures are systematically above 60 ° fluorine .
They can handle high passion , but excessive humidity may encourage fungal diseases . quad plant appropriately to allow for serious airflow .
Though they blockade producing blossoms once the first frost arrives , the works will hold out several hard frosts , so you’re able to keep enjoying the existing display late into the fall .
Water
The plants are drought - tolerant , but you will have a much better show if you keep them well - watered , especially when they ’re immature . Add water when the top two inches of soil have dry out out .
Fertilizer
Marigolds do n’t ask much in the style of feeding . If your soil is particularly poor , you’re able to add a balanced , all - determination fertilizer once or double during the growing season .
obviate high - nitrogen formulas , which can reduce flowering . Compost worked into the soil at planting time may be all they necessitate .
Container Growing
Compact varieties ofT. patulaare particularly well - suited to containers . prefer a pot with right drainage and fill it with a lightweight potting mix .
You may demand to irrigate more frequently than in - ground plantings , as containers dry out faster .
feed in every four to six weeks with a balanced liquid plant food to keep efflorescence add up .
instruct more about growing marigolds in containers .
Overwintering
French marigold are tender yearly and wo n’t go a Robert Lee Frost . Once the temperature swing and plants begin to melt , you’re able to accumulate seeds for replant next yr .
ironical efflorescence guide thoroughly , express the source , and store them in a cool , dry station .
In warmer geographical zone , they may self - source , but for most gardeners , they ’ll need to be replant yearly .
There is a near endless array of French marigold uncommitted . It would be hard to heel all of the best ones , even if you had all day . Below are some super options to get you started .
Court Jester
One flavor at ‘ Court Jester ’ and you ’ll be imagining a playful buffoon thrilling the gang . The single blossoms are distinctly striped with wide patch of yellowness and maroon , with cheerful Orange River centers .
‘ Court Jester ’
Add this playful jester to your garden by picking up a packet , ounce , or quarter - pound of seedsat Eden Brothers .
Nema-Gone
Can you guess what this marigold excels at ? While it has beautiful golden yellow , single flowers on a 10 - inch - grandiloquent industrial plant , examination has show it to be peculiarly upright at disembarrass your soil of roundworm .
‘ Nema - cash in one’s chips ’
If you ’ve been battling these microscopic worm , seize yourself 2,000 seedsat Burpeeand seed them in your garden in the class ( or months ! ) before you think to imbed your primary crop .
Strawberry Blonde
Do you remember that we mention a pinkish marigold earlier ? ‘ Strawberry Blonde ’ has to a great extent ruffled double blossoms in pale pink , Salmon River , and yellow .
‘ Strawberry Blonde ’
Burpee carriesbundles of 12 live plants and packets of 50 germ if you ’re hoping to make this knockout a part of your garden .
Tiger Eyes
You never thought you ’d be asterisk into the eye of the tiger the next time you stroll through your garden – right ?
When you found ‘ Tiger Eyes , ’ you ’ll be greeted by showy double blossoms with a shiny reddened outline of large petals and smaller , cheery orange petals clustered in a pommy at the center .
‘ Tiger Eyes ’
The plant reaches a substructure tall and has long stem , which give it perfect for cut bloom displays .
Pick up a little packet , an oz. , a quarter - punt , or a one - pound container of seedsat Eden Brothers .
Triple Threat
‘ Triple Threat ’ is a treat that gives you three different blossom colors on one 10 - in plant .
‘ Triple Threat ’
you may expect yellow-bellied , orange , red threefold blossoms all summer long , even without deadheading .
crack up 50 seed at Burpee .
Deadhead the heck out of your marigolds . I love doing this job by purloin the point off with my fingernails because my men have an intense marigold scent afterward that I love . you may also use a pair of scissors or clippers if you prefer .
The more often you slay the spent flowers , the more new blossoms you ’ll have on an on-going fundament .
If you miss a flush or two , do n’t panic . Your works will continue to flower .
Just plunk the spent ejaculate heads when you notice them , and dot the seeds into the garden if you ’d like new plants to grow in the same bit . I ’ve had “ volunteers ” bulge out up and grow into mature plants with full blossoms as late as September .
The only elision to regular deadheading is toward the closing of the season if you want to allow the plant to go to seed and self - seed into the garden , or if you ’d like to save seed to salt away or share .
you could go out the flush on the plant , or wait until they ’re brown and juiceless and then pluck the head and scratch them between your fingers to sprinkle the seeds into your garden manually .
you’re able to also lay in the dry seed heads in a paper bag in a cool , teetotal spot over the wintertime and embed them in the spring .
Do n’t ask the seeds to produce plants that are genetically monovular to what you plant . You ’ll in all likelihood see something dissimilar the next season , especially if you ’re grow a loanblend .
Once the end of the growing time of year arrives , chop up the plants with a jigaboo and dig them into the soil . That will help oneself to kill any nematodes in the land in addition to act as a bit of compost the next year .
If you live somewhere that you forever have to combat deer and mice in the garden , plant marigolds around and throughout your place . herbivore do n’t care the olfactory modality of the flowers .
And neither , apparently , do aphids – this is one of the few works that is n’t plagued by the small suckers .
Still , they do have some pests and diseases that will strike now and then . Let ’s take a look .
Insects
I can aboveboard say that I ’ve never had to deal with pestilence on my marigolds – one of few plant that can shoot a line this title to fame .
That does n’t think they ’re entirely pest - free 100 percentage of the meter , but if you keep them generally intelligent , it ’s rare to lose a plant to invertebrate visitors .
Slugs and Snails
Slugs and snails will inspect marigold , certain . But they do n’t seem to usually devour these plant like they might withhostasor creep Jenny .
rather , they ’ll stop and nibble on the leaf and then head off to greener pastures . You might only know they ’ve been by because of the showy track they entrust behind .
Hand - picking is commonly effective for controlling them , but we havelots of other peak in our comprehensive guide .
Spider Mites
Cursed spider hint ! These little arachnids from the house Tetranychidae ca n’t get enough of marigold , especially ace that are plant in full sunlight in a dry area .
They can cover the intact plant in net and the leaves in lily-livered spots . And they take in the sap out of flora , weakening them substantially .
Keeping your plants moist go a tenacious way toward deterring spider mites . But if they start chomping on your plants , take our guide to study how to contain them .
Disease
Marigold disease are most likely to occur in plants that are receiving too much wet , growing in poorly run out ground , located in too much shade , or a combination of these .
Note that while Mexican marigold are prone to Alternaria leaf speckle , French species are resistant to this ailment – another mark in the plus pillar !
Powdery mould is triggered by the fungal pathogenGolovinomyces cichoracearum , and it ’s the only real disease threat your French marigolds may face up .
The first signboard is usually powdery white spots on the lower leaf . These spots will gradually spread upwards until the integral plant is covered , and the leaves and petals may also curl up .
you may treat it as you would powdery mold on any other flora . Our guide has plenty of tipsto help you on your way .
Best Uses for French Marigolds
French marigoldswork well in container , raise beds , or the ground . They can be used in decorative beds , borders , or in veggie gardens to aid deter pests .
Landscaping
It ’s arduous to go wrong with these plants in the garden . I ’ve seen evenly - spaced , well - dictate line of credit of marigold that look just as fantastic as random , raw mounds of them interspersed throughout the garden .
The one constant quantity here is that they expect best in groups – a single industrial plant seldom looks as fabulous as a large quondam cluster of them .
In addition to lend vivacious color , they also attract bees and butterfly stroke .
plainly , they ’re utilitarian in the garden , but what aboutoutsideof it ? The petals can be used as a dye , and they ’re also comestible .
you may read marigolds for edible utilization in our templet .
Dye
Of all diverseness , French marigolds in particular are fabulous for creating dye .
depend on how you work on the flowers , you could obtain European olive tree putting surface , avocado green , yellow - gold , yellowish - orange , bright Orange River , gold , ochre , rusting , gray , bronze , or burn orange dye .
The colour holds fast , so you do n’t have to grapple with pass as you might with many other coinage .
The peak can also be used as a dye in food , and the petals are often used for colour in seat of Crocus sativus .
you may freeze the blossoms for long - term storage if you want . If you do so with the purport of using them for dye , split them by color .
Do n’t wash them , just place the freshly - picked flowers in plastic bags and iron the airwave out of them . varnish and place in the freezer .
Potpourri and Cut Flowers
The efflorescence also work well in dried arrangements or motley . Hang them upside down by the stems or place single flowers in a stratum on a screen and allow them to dry in a quick place with good air circulation .
While they do n’t work as well as cut flowers as their cousin the Mexican marigold , they can still make a dainty display in a short vase .
If you ’re a fan of flowered art , you’re able to also entreat the petals .
Deterring Pests
And on top of that , these flora can reduce populations of wound androot - knot nematodesby do as atrap cropor by poisoning roundworm with the terthiophene that they grow in their roots .
These flowers are also terrible for kill mosquito larvae .
In the journalBioresource Technology , investigator found that the all-important oil fromT. patulawas very effective at foreclose mosquito larvae from maturing into blood - nurse adult .
Methanol selection from French marigold can also be used to treat works diseases caused byBotrytis cinerea , Fusarium moniliforme , andPythium ultimum .
As if that were n’t impressive enough , French marigolds show potential in suppressing Mary Jane . These industrial plant have an allelopathic outcome that can reduce the germination of nearby plant .
This could be a disconfirming if they ’re affect a nearby plant that you need to grow big and unassailable , or a positive for weed control .
witness more baksheesh on using marigolds for pesterer control here .
Fall in Love with French Marigolds
I make out that Gallic marigolds are sometimes dismissed as common fiddling flush that have nothing particular to tender . After all , they ’re easy to encounter much everywhere , and they ’re cheap as heck .
But I imagine they ’re fantastic . It ’s hard not to screw a flower that not only deters evil gadfly , but attracts good bugs , needs hardly any care , and gives you color galore .
I hope this template helped you become more familiar with French marigolds and empowered you to put them to use in your garden .
And if you are concerned in learning marigolds , check out these templet next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Originally publish March 24th , 2022 . Last updated May 2nd , 2025 . Product pic via Burpee and Eden Brothers . Uncredited picture : Shutterstock .
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Kristine Lofgren
