How to grow African Marigold

Tagetes erecta

Full Sun
OR
Partial Sun
Medium

Likes moderately fertile, well-drained soil and lots of sunshine ¹. If the spent blossoms are deadheaded, the plants will continue to bloom profusely. Do not fertilize marigolds. Too rich a diet stimulates lush foliage at the expense of flowers. Marigolds bloom better and more profusely in poor soil ¹.

Growing African Marigold from seed

Sow them directly into the garden once the soil is warm, or start seeds indoors about a month to 6 weeks before the last spring-frost date ¹.

Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 1.95 inches (5.0 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.23 inches (0.6 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 15°C / 59°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing African Marigold about 49 days before your last frost date .

Seed Saving African Marigold

Seed viability is five years.

How long does African Marigold take to grow?

These estimates for how long African Marigold takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take African Marigold to germinate?: 5 days
Average 5 days | Min 1 days | Max 16 days (107)
Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out African Marigold?: + 13 days
Average 13 days | Min 13 days | Max 13 days (1)
Days to Maturity How long until African Marigold is ready for harvest / bloom?: + 10 days
Average 10 days | Min 8 days | Max 16 days (2)
Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow African Marigold?: = 28 days

When should I plant African Marigold?

Our when to plant African Marigold estimates are relative to your last frost date.

When to sow The number of days to sow African Marigold before or after your last frost date.: 49 days before Last Frost Date

African Marigold Folklore & Trivia

The bright petals of signet marigolds add color and a spicy tang to salads and other summer dishes ¹. The flower petals are sometimes cooked with rice to impart the color (but unfortunately not the flavor) of saffron ¹.

For years, farmers have included the open-pollinated African marigold ‘Crackerjack’ in chicken feed to make egg yolks a darker yellow ¹.

In the late 1960s, Burpee president David Burpee launched an energetic campaign to have marigolds named the national flower, but in the end, roses won out ¹.

Other names for African Marigold

Marigold

Tagetes erecta L.

Footnotes

¹ Marigolds on the Almanac