Growing Marigolds From Seed To Protect the Garden From Pests

Marigolds are the multitool of the garden! Not only are they a natural pest deterrent, but they also help keep animals out of the garden, attract pollinators, improve plant health, and are edible!

I absolutely love growing marigolds from seed! Let’s take a look at the differences between African marigolds, French marigolds, and pot marigolds, and how to plant and use these beneficial flowers! 

Why I Love Growing Flowers

More and more, I appreciate the aesthetic and functional benefits that flowers add to my garden! And the fact that Mrs. MIgardener really loves flowers.

If you, too, are looking to add more beneficial, beautiful flowers to your garden, growing marigolds is a great place to start! After that, consider learning how to grow dahlias, how to grow lavender, how to grow Jerusalem artichokes, how to grow asters, and how to harvest sunflower seeds without feeding the wildlife. 

Varieties of Marigolds

The two main varieties of marigolds are French marigolds and African marigolds. (The term “pot marigold” refers to calendula, a similar flower that is not actually a marigold.)

The difference between French and African marigolds really comes down to plant height. French marigolds are typically smaller, more petite and bushier. They grow to around 12 to 16 inches tall, and the blooms are smaller as well. 

African marigolds can easily grow 2 to 3 feet tall with much larger blooms. You also usually see much less color variation in African marigolds, whereas French marigolds are commonly bicolored, like our Crackerjack marigold mix.

Both varieties are effective for pest control and offer the same other benefits, so it's best to choose a variety based on how tall you want the plants to grow.

Growing Marigolds From Seed

Growing marigolds from seed is so simple! There really is no reason you have to go to a garden center to purchase marigolds, unless you’re in a bind or just short on time this year.

Follow these steps to start marigolds:

1. Prepare Seed Starting Mix - Start with a quality seed starting mix. Sift the mix at this time to increase its surface area, help it hold moisture, and remove the larger chunks, allowing the roots more room to grow. Use a ¼-inch mesh to sift the seed starting mix. 

2. Fertilize - Most starting mix is sterile, so you may need to add fertilizer. I mix in 3 Tbsp of Trifecta+ plus 2 Tbsp of worm castings per gallon of soil mix.

3. Pre-moisten Seed Starting Mix - Pre-moisten the mix to help it retain water over time. It should be damp but not dripping. Misting it with a water bottle works well.

4. Fill Your Containers - Gather clean, sterile seed starting trays and fill them with starting mix. Pro-Tip: Don’t pack the mix into the containers tightly! Fill each one, then gently tap the container on the table to help it settle. You want the mix to be fluffy.

5. Make Indentations - Use the back of a pencil or marker to create a ¼ inch deep hole in each tray plug where the seeds will be planted.

6. Sow Seeds - Sow one to two marigold seeds per cell. Pro-Tip: Come back and thin later, selecting the healthiest plants, so there is only one plant in each cell.

7. Cover the Seeds - After planting the seeds, cover them with the starting mix no deeper than ¼ inch.

8. Water - Bottom water by nesting the filled seed starting tray into a 1020 propagation tray that will hold water. Whenever you need to water, simply lift out the seed tray insert and pour water into the propagation tray. Return the cell plug tray insert to its place. The water will be absorbed into the cells from the bottom.

9. Grow Lights - Use grow lights to avoid leggy seedling growth if you are starting seeds indoors instead of greenhouse gardening. Raise the lights as the plants grow higher. The temperature surrounding your seedlings should be between 68-72°F. 

10. Transplant Into the Garden - Once it's time to transplant seedlings, place them in the garden in loose, well-draining, fertile soil. For me, that time is early May when our threat of frost has passed. Remember to properly harden off your seedlings first!

Once they are in the garden, marigolds are easy to maintain. Their biggest need is nitrogen, so give them plenty of nitrogen to get them up and growing. 

They are among the earliest flowering crops in terms of maturity. You want to practice deadheading, which is trimming off old blooms, to encourage more blooms in the future.

Using Marigolds For Pest Control

Marigolds are like the Swiss Army knife of the gardening world, but their most prominent use is pest control. Marigold roots excrete a chemical that deters certain soil-borne pests, and the marigold's fragrance causes pheromone confusion that deters above-ground insects like aphids, whiteflies, cabbage moths, and more.

As I explained in the How to Grow Cabbage growing guide, I recommend planting marigolds throughout the garden, but especially near Brassicas. Many studies have tested their effectiveness and found that intercropping marigolds with crops reduces root knot nematodes by up to 50%, thereby dramatically improving Brassica plant health!

Marigolds are also highly effective against tomato hornworms. Studies show that simply planting marigolds next to tomato plants can decrease tomato hornworms by up to 30%. Pro-Tip: Learn how to grow herbs to expand on this great organic pest control tactic by also intercropping with very fragrant herbs.

Using Marigolds To Deter Pest Animals

In the same vein as insect control, marigolds can deter pest animals in the garden. If you plant marigolds next to crops that are food for hungry rabbits or deer, the chemical compounds in the marigold scent will be very undesirable to those animals. 

Because of that, you may find that you have less crop damage if you intercrop with marigolds. It won’t completely prevent them, but it absolutely will help.

Harvesting Marigold Flowers

We enjoy consuming marigolds and other edible flowers. To eat marigolds, we simply pluck off the flowers and toss them in salads or make tea with them. 

They taste kind of buttery and peppery. They are delicious and so great for you, so I hope you will enjoy all the benefits that growing marigolds has to offer!