Q&A for How to Grow Marigolds

Marigolds should sprout easily from seed if you are planting them at a depth of 1/4" in warm weather and keeping the soil moist.

If you are fertilizing them, stop. Fertilizer can cause a lot of leaf growth at the expense of flowering. You also want to make sure that your marigolds are in full, direct sun for most of the day. However, if the weather gets too hot, marigolds won't bloom, and you can't do much about that.

Yes, they do well in pots.

Yes! You're doing a process called broadcasting, which is how people who plant wildflowers or plants like poppies spread the seeds. However, do not to bury the seeds too deep or they won't sprout -- an 1/8 to 1/4 an inch is the maximum depth.

Pinching out is a method used by gardeners to help a plant grow more bushy and compact. When you pinch the tallest stem (leader), the plant will stop growing taller and produce side shoots which produce more flowers. What time you do this depends on the variety of the marigold and your desired height. Short ones don't need it until you remove the dead flowers. However, for the taller African ones, once the plant gets taller than desired, just pinch that top tall stem.

The damp newspaper usually isn't necessary for germinating marigold seeds. I have been planting marigold seeds at 1/4" deep without any covering. I just make sure the top soil is loose and that there aren't any lumps to hinder the growth of the sapling. I've had great results.

Marigolds survive best in full sunlight but can handle about 20% shade. They should also be spaced 2-3 feet apart.

It depends on the size or species of marigold. You can usually grow them in bunches using a large pot/container.

Yes. Marigolds need full sun to thrive.

Use fertilizer and pesticides. Give them more water and adjust the amount of sunlight they get.

If the plant has produced seeds, you can collect them and plant them next spring. In warmer climates, marigolds reseed themselves easily without much help. In places with cold winters, the marigolds have to be replanted each year.

Yes, to promote health and more blooms. Don't over-fertilize them, as this could delay flowering or kill the plant.

It could be the result of excessive heat or drought, or they might be ending their life cycle, as they are annuals.

Yes. When the flowers of the marigold dry, they produce seeds.

You can still grow marigolds if you have a plant pot through the winter.

There's no point of having them frozen before planting them. You should plant them right away if you're in the tropics or start them inside when the weather doesn't permit it outside.

No. You should transfer them when their sprouts develop two sets of true leaves and are exposed already to the outside location everyday.

Deer actually don’t like the scent of marigolds. They are sometimes used to repel deer, in fact.

You have probably watered them too much. But not to worry, try starting all process again, this time watering them when you notice that the soil on top is looking dry. Insert your finger in the soil and feel where is the moisture/how deep (but not too close to the stem); if the moisture at least 1 cm then you have to water them, but gently and not too close to the stem (about 1 cm away from the stem) to just moisten the soil.

They look like thin, black, narrow strips of wood. They also have a wood-like color "fringe" at one end.