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Let's talk about one of my favorite garden flowers, the French Marigold. This flower is the truth! It's beautiful and it is a flower that keeps on giving. For real, this thing blooms from spring, summer, to fall. And a flower that can withstand the Texas heat is a winner to me. I'm going to share with you my top three favorite things about this particular marigold, not to be confused with its cousins the Pot Marigold also known as Calendula or the African Marigold.
1. They're Easy
Marigolds were the first flower I tried growing from seed and I planted them thick thinking the mini porcupine quill-like seeds may not germinate well, but I was wrong. They sprouted within a few days and when they bloomed, they were glorious. As beginner gardener marigolds gave me the confidence to try growing all sorts of plants from seed. Now I'm hooked. Even saving the seeds is so easy my four-year-old can do it.
2. They're a Great Companion Plant
I can't name a vegetable plant that doesn't benefit from being planted near marigolds. Things like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and beans thrive near them because it deters certain pests that plague each of them. But what kind of pests? Those pesky aphids, horrid cabbage maggots, my nemesis the squash bug, and many others.
3. Bring on the Pollinators
From bees to butterflies, wasps to beetles they all love and flock to my marigolds and I love what it does for my vegetable garden. My garden is constantly buzzing and humming from all of the little bugs hoping to get a taste. If you're having a problem with your fruiting plants not being pollinated, plant marigolds!
Sowing the Seeds
-You'll want to plant marigold seeds after the danger of frost has passed.
-These flowers do great in full sun or partial shade.
-Remove all debris in front of the planting area.
-Broadcast your seeds on the soil surface, and cover them lightly.
-Keep soil moist so the seeds don’t dry out.
-Thin to 1 plant per foot, if desired. Or let them be and bush out.
So, did I convince you to get your marigold planting on? Ha. I sure hope so, and you won't regret it. And just for the last FYI, marigolds can grow in pretty much any zone and that will dictate when and how you start your seeds;)
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