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Tending the crop…
🌸 Flower
How to Grow Marigolds
The companion-planting workhorse — tough, cheerful, always blooming. Plant French marigolds throughout the vegetable garden; pollinators adore them and they're the classic companion to tomatoes and beans.
Harvest
60 Days
Sunlight
full
Watering
low
Medium
in-ground or container
Spacing
1 sq ft
-100%
Return on Investment
One marigolds plant produces roughly 0 lbs. Worth $0.00 vs a $2.99 seed cost.
Practical Maintenance
- Light: Full Sun (6+ hrs/day)
- Water: Low — drought tolerant once established
- Spacing: 1 sq ft per plant.
Champion Varieties
Lineages for your homestead goals
French Dwarf (Tagetes patula)
The classic compact garden marigold — 8-12 inches, flowers all summer.
African/American (Tagetes erecta)
The tall marigold — 2-3 feet, huge pom-pom blooms, the Día de los Muertos flower.
Signet (Tagetes tenuifolia)
A delicate edible marigold with citrus-scented foliage — the gourmet choice.
Antigua
A modern hybrid series — uniform, early, and weatherproof for bedding.
Guilds & Companions
Permaculture Allies
Complete Care Guide
Soil · Water · First 30 days · Monthly care · Troubleshooting · Harvest
Soil
Well-draining, average garden soil. pH 6.0–7.5. Marigolds are the workhorse of companion planting and they ask for almost nothing — too-rich soil actually gives you floppy plants and fewer flowers. Full sun, ordinary dirt, done.
Watering
1 inch per week; established marigolds shrug off dry spells. The classic mistake is pampering them. Water at the base to keep foliage dry — powdery mildew is their one real complaint in humid gardens.
🗓️ The First 30 Days
- Days 1–7Start seeds indoors 1/4 inch deep, 6–8 weeks before last frost, or direct sow after frost. Germination is fast — 5–8 days at 70°F. Marigold seed is big enough to place one per cell.
- Days 8–14Give seedlings full light the moment they emerge — leggy marigolds flop in the garden. Harden off for a full week; they're warm-season plants and stall badly in cold snaps.
- Days 15–21Plant out after all frost risk, 8–12 inches apart (French types) or 18–24 inches (African types). Dig in a little compost but skip heavy feeding.
- Days 22–28Pinch the first flower buds to push branching — you'll get double the blooms for the sacrifice. Keep the soil lightly moist until plants establish.
- Days 29–30