How to grow a delighted and full of flowers marigold plant from seeds at Home.
Uses for marigolds
Marigold is great for massed displays in flower beds, in pots or as an ‘indicator plant' to detect powdery mildew, or repel nematodes in vegetable and herb gardens.
Planting marigold from seeds
1. Sow seeds directly into a sunny, well-drained garden bed once the soil is warm in spring, or get a head start and sow into pots in late autumn.
2. Keep them protected, and move them into the sun once the plants have grown.
Planting marigold punnets or pots
1. Remove the plants from the punnets or pots.
2. Separate them if they were in punnets.
3. Plant the marigolds in the garden 20–30cm apart.
4. Water well.
Growing marigolds
Marigold plants germinate from seeds quickly, so you should see flowers within 8 weeks. They thrive in full sunshine, so all you need to do is give them a sunny spot and let them do their thing!
An added bonus of planting marigolds is that they can be used for companion planting. Marigolds are a natural insect deterrent, so can increase the growth and health of fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cucumbers, eggplant, melons or tomatoes.
Caring for marigolds
Give your marigolds a deep drink when the top few centimetres of soil are dry. They hate to be wet and soggy, so never overwater, particularly in pots. If they're allowed to stay wet they may develop root rot. Feed them with a liquid fertiliser once a month according to directions, but be careful not to overfeed. If the soil is too rich, your marigolds may become weak and not flower well. Pinch out spent blooms to keep plants bushy and to prolong flowering.
Diseases and pests affecting marigolds
If rust or powdery mildew becomes a problem, treat with an appropriate fungicide. Look out for aphids, too. If the infestation of these sap suckers is small, you can hose them off or squash them, but if there are too many, spray them with an appropriate insecticide. Snails love nearly all seedlings, and marigold plants are no exception, but there are plenty of great deterrents such as snail and slug barrier.
