Tagetes: sowing, location & care

Tagetes can be found in many gardens as a free-flowering ornamental plant. Here you can find out what other benefits the marigold has and how to cultivate it successfully.

Not only are marigolds attractive flowering plants, they are also edible and repel pests. We will introduce you to the marigold and give tips on choosing the species and variety as well as on cultivation and use.

Tagetes: heyday, origin and characteristics

Marigolds (tagetes) belong to the daisy family (Asteraceae) and originally come from northern Central America, mainly from Guatemala and Mexico. The genus is estimated at about 50 to 60 species, some of which are cultivated as annual ornamental plants. Tagetes are also known as velvet flowers or Turkish carnations. On the Day of the Dead, the well-known Mexican festival of the dead, the orange marigold is used to decorate flower garlands and graves. This is where another name comes from: flower of the dead.

Tagetes are annuals or perennials that can grow erect or bushy. Depending on the type and variety, they can grow between 20 cm and 3 m high. Tagetes usually have pinnate, dark green leaves, which often have a tart, aromatic scent. The flowering period for marigolds usually begins in June and lasts until October, but some species do not flower until autumn. The simple to double flowers sit in groups in umbrella panicles or individually on long flower stalks. They can be yellow, orange, red or white in colour, but very often they are multicolored. After pollination, the elongated seeds of the marigold, the so-called achenes, form. And as is typical of daisies, like the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), is, these also form a kind of long, white parachute: the pappus.

Are marigolds bee friendly? In particular, the single flowers of marigolds attract bees and other pollinating insects. In midsummer, the marigolds that are just beginning to bloom are a welcome source of food.

The most beautiful marigold varieties and species

Among the marigolds there are many ornamental and edible species. In our gardens are mostly Tagetes erecta-Hybrids and Tagetes patula, increasingly too Tagetes tenuifolia planted. We introduce you to the most important types and their most beautiful varieties.

• Upright Marigold (Tagetes erecta): Annual marigolds with a growth height of 30 to 80 cm. The flower heads are often very large and have many petals. However, there are also varieties with single flowers. This also includes the dyer's tagetes, whose orange flowers used to dye wool and foodstuffs yellow. Many varieties are hybrids and as tagetes x erecta marked. Popular varieties include the white marigolds 'Arctic' or the dwarf forms 'Strawberry Blonde' and marigolds 'Bolero' with a height of only 20 cm.
• liquorice tagetes (Tagetes filifolia): The bushy liquorice tagetes, which grows to a height of about 20 cm, forms numerous, narrowly pinnate, sweet and licorice-like tasting leaves. It forms tiny, white and inconspicuous flowers in autumn.

• Lemon tagetes (Tagetes lemmonii): Perennial tagetes species with a growth height of about 40 cm. It flowers very late from autumn and in winter quarters until spring. Leaves and flowers are edible and offer a tangy, lemony-sweet aroma.
• Yauthli or winter tarragon (Tagetes lucida): Perennial marigold with an intense aroma of tarragon, anise and fennel. The yellow one Tagetes lucida grows to a height of around 80 to 100 cm and is winter hardy down to around -6 °C. The Aztecs used the herb to flavor food and for religious rituals.

• giant spice tagetes (Days minute): Marigold up to 300 cm tall with very large, pinnate leaves that smell of citrus fruits. It is also known as Huacatay and is used as a spice in various Mexican dishes.
• Low Marigold (Tagetes patula): Small marigold species with a growth height of 20 to 25 cm. Here, too, hybrids are often used in the form of tagetes x patula offered. The marigold 'Carmen' shows deep orange-red, double flowers, while other varieties such as 'Mr. Majestic', single, yellow-red striped petals. 'Bambino' produces bi-colored flowers of yellow and orange, while 'Durango Red' features cherry red, double flowers. Tagetes patula is particularly effective against harmful nematodes.
• Narrow-leaved marigold or spice marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia): About 40 cm high marigold species with small, pinnate leaves and numerous simple flowers. Both are edible and offer a refreshing citrus aroma that varies between lemon, tangerine and blood orange depending on the variety. Snails are not attracted to this species and often spurn them. Varieties such as 'Starfire', 'Lemon Gem' and 'Luna Orange' impress with a large number of small flowers in light yellow, orange or red.

Planting marigolds: location, sowing and transplanting

Marigolds are ideal for planting in balcony boxes, as a mixed crop in vegetable beds or as a flowering, low border for beds. A planting distance of 20 to 30 cm to other plants should be maintained. If you plant marigolds in groups, the distance between the plants is about 15 to 20 cm. What you should consider when planting marigolds is explained below.

The right location for marigolds

Tagetes prefer a sunny to semi-shady, warm location. They thrive very well in well-drained, humus-rich garden soil. For planting in pots and balcony boxes, you should use loose, nutrient-rich potting soil such as ours Plantura organic potting soil, be used. With its high compost content, this stores moisture and releases it to the plant roots when required. In addition, the nutrients it contains provide the young marigolds with everything they need in the first few weeks after planting.

Planting time of the marigold

Tagetes are frost-sensitive, annual or rarely perennial plants. They are therefore first grown on a warm window sill and only put outdoors from mid-May after the ice saints.

sow marigolds

Marigolds are grown from seed so that they can be planted outside as young plants in May. With the help of a pre-cultivation on the warm, bright window sill, they will flower as early as June. Alternatively, you can sow the seeds directly outside in May. However, these plants will only start flowering much later. The sowing of the marigold seeds for the preculture takes place between January and March. Fill a suitable seed tray with nutrient-poor seed soil and sow the seeds on the surface. Now moisten the soil well. Marigolds germinate in the light, so their seeds are hardly covered with soil and only pressed down well. At 18 to 20 °C and sufficient moisture, the seeds need about two to three weeks to germinate.

Sow marigolds as green manure: In a species-rich flowering mixture, the annual marigold can also be sown as green manure to improve the soil or as bee pasture. The robust spice marigold is best suited for this Tagetes tenuifolia, which provides food for pollinating insects with its numerous, simple flowers. In order for the marigold to flower, it should be sown directly outdoors from April.

pricking out marigolds

As soon as the seedlings develop the first real leaves, i.e. pinnate leaves, they can be pricked out and transplanted into individual pots. With the exception of the dwarf forms, the plantlets are about 5 to 8 cm tall. To promote growth, the marigolds are now placed in nutrient-rich potting soil. With a pricking stick, transplanting is easy and without serious injury to the root or seedling.

Care of the marigolds

Marigolds are generally low-maintenance plants. Immediately after planting, however, it is advisable to attach a snail protection, because the voracious mollusks love marigolds. In summer they need to be watered regularly, especially in planters on patios and balconies. However, never water the plants overhead, because the moisture promotes fungal diseases. Especially opposite gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) Marigolds are often delicate. Diseased plant parts and plants should therefore be removed. You can achieve a good supply of nutrients and long-lasting flowers with the help of an organic liquid fertilizer like ours Plantura organic flower & balcony fertilizer. This is applied together with the irrigation water and in this way flushes the nutrients directly to the roots. In order to encourage the plant to constantly form new flowers, you can cut out the faded flower heads again and again during the summer. In this way, the flowering period of the marigold can be extended by a few weeks.

tip: The leaves of the marigold and especially the plant sap can cause skin contact with sensitive people and sun exposure blistering rashes – a so-called phototoxic contact dermatitis – trigger. It is therefore best to always wear gloves when planting and cutting marigolds.

increase marigolds

Tagetes are propagated by seed. Marigold seeds can be obtained in autumn. These are not true to type, but can be collected and stored very easily. Annual marigolds begin to die and dry up in late fall. Cut off the brown seeds from these plants between September and October. They are allowed to dry indoors at room temperature for a few weeks. Then free the seeds from the flower capsules and store them in a dark, dry and cool place. Stored in this way, marigold seeds can germinate for several years.

Is the marigold hardy?

In general, marigolds are not hardy. Annual species die off in autumn anyway. Perennial marigolds, such as about tageteslemmonii and Tagetes lucida, are only conditionally hardy, because they only tolerate low temperatures below zero. These species must be overwintered in a frost-free, cool and bright place in the conservatory, greenhouse or garden shed. During the winter, marigolds should be watered very sparingly to prevent mold growth.

Tagetes against pests

In addition to the citrusy scents, marigolds produce other compounds that they release into the soil via their roots. These root exudates repel soil borne pests such as noxious species of nematodes, very effective. Together with the one that also drives away nematodes marigold (Calendula officinalis) they should therefore not be missing in any vegetable patch. In the greenhouse, marigolds drive out the underplanting white bow tie (Aleyrodidae). In a mixed tomato culture they therefore fit in perfectly and at the same time attract pollinators to the tomato blossom with their attractive flowers.

Use in the kitchen: is the marigold edible?

The marigold is edible and the flowers and leaves of the marigold are also important in herbal medicine. flowers of Tagetes patula are used against night blindness, hiccups and diarrhea. Seasoning mixtures or teas are prepared from the plant parts, which smell of citrus plants. In addition to being an edible decoration on the plate, the flowers are also good coloring agents for rice or baked goods.

A close relative of the marigold is the zinnia (zinnia). We introduce you to the most beautiful varieties of the popular annual summer flower and give tips on sowing, care and propagation.