Types Of Marigolds And Where To Plant

If you want big, bright, beautiful flowers in your garden all year - or at least spring through fall - then marigolds are a good choice. They require very little care if planted in full sun and will bring joy in the way of flowers that are bright yellows, oranges and reds. In fact, there are many that are multi-colored as well. You'll often see yellow and orange together on the same flower.

Marigolds also attract butterflies, lady bugs, beas and other beneficial insects and some say they repel harmful pests, which is especially useful around vegetable gardens.

Their leaves are very different than many other flowering plants. They almost seem like fern frauns, with soft, narrow dainty type leaves.

Marigolds grow with one flower per stem. Therefore, planting several in a group is almost a necessity if you want multiple flowers blooming at the same time... and if planted in a large group, they will be positively radiant with color.

The most commonly planted are the shorter varieties but if you have the room in your garden, the taller ones will certainly make a statement.

Where to plant them will depend on the type of marigold you have and it's location. They look good in gardens, containers or hanging baskets. If planting in pots they would be the "thriller" plant amost all the others in the pot.

When planting, keep in mind that where you plant them depends on the ultimate size of the plant. For instance, the shorter varieties can look good just about anywhere - in gardens as a border or mass planting and in pots or hanging baskets.

On the other hand, the taller varieties are best suited for mass plantings in gardens. Unless you have very large pots, the taller varieties would not look good in most containers as they are just too tall and will over-power other plants in the containers.

Keep in mind these are sun plants. They like full sun - 8+ hours per day. Although they will survive and bloom in partial shade (we've planted them for ourselves in partial shade), they definitely won't perform to their potential.

The blooming time of marigold flowers is one of their best features, since they will bloom continuously from early spring until the first frost. This means they are an annual in most parts of the country.

Although they need no care to bloom repeatedly, pinching off the spent blooms will mean they will produce new flowers even quicker, so if you have the desire and time, we say pinch them regularly for the very best color show.  However, they will still bloom without doing this.  After all, they bloom in nature, with no one around to remove the dead blooms.

As mentioned above, there are 3 types of marigolds you should be aware of when shopping for them. Although there are others varieties, they are not as numerous in this family of plants as others.  Plus, these 3 are the most stocked and the most planted here in the U.S. - and possibly elsewhere too.

Each type comes in several different colors but even more important is their size. which ranges from 6 inches to 4-5 feet. This means both color and size should be considered when shopping, since your planting location affects the decision.

This type of marigold is the smaller, daintier variety we all know and love so well here in the U.S. This is the variety that's planted the most and the most widely available.

Although you would think with a name like that, they would have come orginially from France. This is actually not the case at all. Tagetes patula actually are native to Central and South America.

Of course within this family is an entire aray of varieties and color choices, from yellows to oranges, whites and even multi-colored varieties.

In fact, for us, the orange reminds us of orange chrisathemums that are planted in the fall. In fact, some of our clients don't like orange flowers in the summer because they look like fall.

They are very different plants however. Just looking at the closely will be obvious.

This  is one of the tall marigold varieties and the largest of the three. Indeed, they can grow quite tall, some report 5 feet, although we've never experienced this. Three feet is more common. Despite their name though, they are not from Africa.  Just like the others they are native to the americas.

In addition to their height, their flowers are also very big, round pom-pom like blooms that come in a variety of yellows, oranges, and white. The flowers can actually be 4-5 inches in diameter - quite large for an annual flower. The African variety however, does not produce multi-colored flowers as other varieties do - so solid colors are the rule here.

Because they are so tall, they might require staking to prevent them from falling over - especially after heavy rains. In addition, they want to spread out and take over other plants, so plant in an appropriate location that will give them room to grow. This does not mean that they spread, via rhizomes roots. This is a seed plant that will only spread via seeds so they are easy to keep under control, if you so desire.

This is the smallest of the marigolds, which is also considered a dwarf variety. Besides that difference the flowers are also different.

The flowers in the signet variety are smaller and flat, similar to daisies. In addition, the foliage is even more dainty and fluffy and will fill out an area in which it is planted.

Signet marigolds look good in hanging baskets as they will droop down over the edge and their foliage will provide a different texture to the basket. In addition, you can use them as border plants in a garden.

First and foremoset, marigold pedals are edible. Did you know that?

Secondly, they are known worldwide for their healing properties, including as an antiseptic, an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and more. Herbal healers have been using them for a very long time.

We are not medical professionals and in no way are we promoting using marigolds for any health issues. We are just reporting the facts here as to what others have used them for in the past.

For more information, you can read this article here: https://www.offthegridnews.com/alternative-health/medicinal-uses-of-marigolds/

If you want marigolds you'll have a choice. You can either purchase plants from your local retailer and stick them in the ground, or purchase the seeds and plant them from seed. Either way is a great option and is super easy.

If you purchase potted plants, simply dig a hole, add some amendments and stick them in the ground with the top of the root ball even with the ground or just slightly under the surface.

Keep in mind that you'll find marigolds as single plants in pots or several plants in the same larger pot. If you purchase a pot with multiple plants, you'll have the option of splitting the plants apart and planting each separately or planting the entire pot in one spot. The former is the better option because planting each plant separately gives them room to grow. This goes for any annuals and not just marigolds.

Be sure to water in immediately after planting, even if rain is expected (You know how reliable forcasts are. Don't depend on rain to water your plants).

Sow the marigold seeds in fertile soil indoors before the outdoor growing season. Just stick the seeds under the soil in small pots or egg cartons or any other small container, place neer a window and water regularly. Then, when the last frost has passed, you can transplant them into your garden.

Even better and to skip the transplanting, you can sow the seeds directly in the garden. Just wait until after the last frost. Dig a trench 3-4 inches deep where you want the flowers to grow. If you have fertile soil, a trowel will be fine for this step. If you have hard ground and can't dig a trench with a trowel, you'd better an amendments to the soil. Finally, spread the seeds in the trench and cover them will soil.

Water regularly if it doesn't rain. It's important to keep the soil moist until they have grown and put roots down - usually about 3-4 weeks.