Tagetes - Marigolds
Tagetes - Marigolds: Available in 4 Groups, deep rich colors, great border plants, full sun, prolific bloomers all summer long.
| Tagetes | Annual |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Summer |
| Light | Full Sun |
| Water | Deep Rich Garden Soil |
| Diseases | Stem Rot, Yellows, Virus, Fusarium Wilt, Botrytis |
| Pests | Aphids, Leafhoppers, Tarnished Plant Bug |
| Propagation | Seed |
| Color | Red, Yellow, Orange |
| Zones | 10 - 11 |
Tagetes - Yellow Gate Marigold
The Marigold comes in 4 groups, classified as French, African, Signet and Triploid, and within each of these groups ,there are many varieties.
African Marigold: The African Marigold is about as far from understated as you can get. These plants sent big, showy colorful accents of color for your sunny annual or perennial border or large container.
Most of the African Marigolds are yellow, orange, or cream. Plants get up to 3 feet tall and produce huge 3-inch puffball blooms while dwarf varieties get just 1 foot tall.
The mounded dark green foliage is always clean, fresh, and tidy. It is very lace-like and is by itself a great addition to the border. Grow them in a warm, sunny spot with moist, well-drained soil all summer long.
Signet Marigolds: There's a whole world of other, less commonly planted marigolds out there than the fancy French and big African marigolds.
If you like a more simple, understated marigold, try the sweet little signet marigolds.
They have small half-inch blooms atop lacy foliage. This type includes showy little delicacies such as 'Lemon Gem', 'Tangerine Gem', and 'Starfire'.
French Marigolds: Just as you'd expect from something called French, these marigolds are the fancy ones.
French marigolds tend to be frilly and some boast a distinctive "crested eye." They grow roughly 8-12 inches high with a chic, neat, little growth habit and elegant dark green foliage.
They do best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil and will flower all summer long. They may reseed, coming back year after year, in spots where they're happy.
Tagetes is native to the hot regions of New Mexico to Argentina, with one species endemic to Africa.
The annuals are strong scented. The foliage may aggravate the skin upon contact.
If you want to have a natural bug repellant, plant Marigolds, upwind in several areas of your flower borders and vegetable garden. This is the ultimate organic pest repellant.
Tagetes are easily propagated from seed. Sow seed in the ground in spring, when temperatures are at least 70°F (21°C).
Tagetes - Taishan Gold African Marigold
Coreopsis:
Seed African marigolds among drifts of golden coreopsis for an abundant, sunny look.
Mexican sunflower:
Pair French marigolds with Mexican sunflower for a hot flowerbed backdrop.
Cosmos:
Combine with cosmos with signet marigolds for a cottage garden look.
Geranium:
Pair signet marigold with geraniums for bold colors and a terrific contrast in textures.
Sweet Potato Vine:
Bright little marigolds will really pop when planted with Blackie sweet potato vine.
Tagetes - Yellow Gate Marigold
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Discovery Orange marigold (Tagetes erecta 'Discovery Orange') bears bold orange flowers that reach 3 inches wide on compact, 1-foot-tall plants.
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Discovery Yellow marigold (Tagetes erecta 'Discovery Yellow') bears big, 3-inch-wide bright yellow flowers on compact, 1-foot-tall plants all summer long.
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Taishan Gold African marigold (Tagetes erecta 'Taishan Gold') is a vigorous selection with strong stems that hold up better to wet weather than other varieties. It grows 12 inches tall and 10 inches wide
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Disco Queen marigold (Tagetes patula 'Disco Queen') bears orange-red flowers ringed in yellow on long-blooming plants that grow 1 foot tall and wide.
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Durango Red marigold (Tagetes patula 'Durango Red') produces orange-red flowers all summer long on plants that grow 1 foot tall and wide.
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Little Devil Fire marigold (Tagetes patula 'Little Devil Fire') bears double red-and-yellow flowers on compact plants that grow only 8 inches tall and wide.
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Striped Marvel marigold (Tagetes patula 'Striped Marvel') offers bold burgundy-and-gold striped blossoms on 2-foot mounded plants.
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Yellow Gate marigold (Tagetes patula 'Yellow Gate') bears 3-inch-wide blooms atop rounded, 10- to 12-inch-tall plants.
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Lemon Gem marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia 'Lemon Gem') bears single golden-yellow blooms all summer long on 1-foot-tall plants.
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Red Gem marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia 'Red Gem') bears single red-orange blooms all summer long on 1-foot-tall plants.
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Tangerine Gem marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia 'Tangerine Gem') bears single orange-yellow blooms all summer long on 1-foot-tall plants.
Tagetes - Tangerine Gem Marigold
Spacing: Space 10 - 12" apart when planting
Fertilizer: Use an all-purpose once a month.
Water Requirements: Water 2 - 3 times per week.
Sun: Give 6 or more hours of direct sun per day.
Soil Conditions: Does well with fast-draining soils. When water avoid overhead irrigation (especially for the species T. erecta, African Marigold) as the taller stems may break from the weight of the water. Irrigate by flooding the soil or avoid the tall stems.
Water liberally during drought. The flowerheads of African Marigolds rot in wet weather conditions.
Deadheading: Deadhead Marigolds to extend the bloom season and bring more abundant blooming.
Bushy annuals:
Tagetes does best with full sun in sites with hot climates.
African marigolds work best for formal bedding.
The French, Triploid, and Signet marigolds are a great addition for the edge of a mixed border.
Any of the Marigold groups are great for container planting. They are also very popular for cutting gardens as they are very long-lived post cutting.
