I still remember the first time I grew pot marigolds. It was in my very first gardening season. At that time, I wanted to grow as many different vegetables, herbs and garden flowers as possible. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out as planned. I was spreading myself too thin. The majority of plants didn’t get nearly as much love, care and atention as they should…
The pot marigolds were amongst them, of course. I forgot all about them from the moment I threw their seeds into the ground. I was too busy with other gardening chores!
Then, one day, they gave me a vigorous reminder of their existance. It happened towards the end of spring when they started to bloom. They literally flooded my garden with their yellow and orange flower heads. The sight was truly astonishing. It was in that moment that I fell in love with these alluring (as well as very useful) plants…
Pot marigolds are undemanding, but do appreciate any extra help from you…
There is one valuable thing I learned about pot marigolds from my first growing experience. They are super-easy to grow and low-maintenance plants…
Remember, I completely forgot about them. I totally neglected them. I didn’t even know they exist. Still, they came out strong. They grew into healthy plants with beautiful flowers despite the fact that noone really cared about them!
So, does that mean you don’t need to do anything as far as caring for pot marigolds goes?
Well, if you prepare your garden well and plant them correctly and at the right time, then yes. Your job is pretty much done. You have a very good chance they will do just fine on their own…
However, if you go a step further and put some more effort into their care, the plants will certainly appreciate it. They will reward you with their colorful flowers. And your garden will benefit from them too since they attract beneficial insects and make good companion plants!
Now let’s see what you could do to help pot marigolds grow into healthy and beautiful plants:
Give them more space, so they can grow faster and stay healthy…
It’s nothing wrong if you sow the seeds too densely. In fact, I always do it with almost every vegetable or plant I grow from seed. This way I get all the seedlings I need. However, there’s also a downside to it…
Once the plants come out of the ground and get bigger and bigger, the growing space soon gets overcrowded. They can’t realize their full potential due to lack of room for growth and consequently lack of light and food as well.
The solution to overcrowded pot marigolds is thinning. You need to remove some of the (smaller and weaker) plants to create more space for the remaining (bigger and stronger) ones. You don’t have to thin them all at once. You can do it gradually as they get bigger. By the time they start to form flower heads (aproximately two months after the planting), they should be about 10 inches (25 centimeters) apart from each other and apart from any other plants or vegetables too…
Thinning does not only give them more growing space. It also improves air circulation and thus reduces the chance of powdery mildew, a plant disease that commonly affects pot marigolds.
And another thing. You don’t have to throw the removed plants on the compost pile. Instead, transplant them to other spots of your garden or give them to your fellow gardeners. You could also transplant them into pots and containers and then place them on terrace or porch!
Pay attention to the amount of water they are getting and act accordingly…
As pot marigolds grow bigger and bigger, their rooting system becomes very strong and deep. It allows them to source water from deep layers of soil. The plants are consequently almost never thirsty. Not even during the hottest summer weeks!
Obviously, this makes my job of growing them much easier. I never have to worry whether they have enough water or not. So as far as watering goes, I don’t really do it. They seem to do just fine solely with the water they get from occasional rainfalls…
Of course, there’s nothing wrong if you water them every now and then. It actually helps them perform even better. Just make sure not to overdo it to avoid root rot. It is also important that you apply water under the plants. That’s because overhead watering (where water runs over the leaves) can result in powdery mildew.
With that said, there may be times when it is absolutely necessary for you to water them. What I have in mind are periods of drought. If you notice that it hasn’t been raining for weeks, you may want to help them with some water. This goes especially, if the plants are still small. Or if the weather is blazing outside. Otherwise, they may not survive despite their strong and deep roots…
You may need to protect them from snails and slugs…
I do have snails and slugs present in my garden. And they do cause me some damage. However, to be honest with you, I have never seen them go after my pot marigolds. They prefer other vegetables more, especially the leafy green ones, such as cabbage and lettuce…
Unfortunately, lots of other people haven’t had as much luck with it. It seems this type of pest loves to munch on young and tender leaves of pot marigolds as well. You sholuld defnitely keep an eye on them, if you have them present in your garden, especially when the plants are still in the early stages of growth.
Pinch them off at the top if you would like them to have more bushy structure…
The last thing I’d like to bring up at this point is not really about the care or the maintenance of the plants. It’s more about their appearance. Let me explain…
In general, the plants develop one single stalk with more than one flower head on it. They look perfect like that and there’s no need to do anything about it. However, if you would like some of your plants to have more stalks and even more flower heads, then all you have to do is pinch the main stem off at the top.
Obviously, this slows them down for a while and delays the blooming. However, once they regrow, they look bushier and, in my opinion, even more beautiful thanks to all those extra branches, leaves and flowers!
With that said, I recommend you do it before the plants start forming the flower heads, so they have enough time to regrow themselves and start flowering before the summer heat starts.
That’s it. These are my secrets on how to care for pot marigolds. Put them into action and it won’t be long before your plants start blooming and flowering. Now go ahead and discover when and how to pick or harvest them …
