African Marigold

African Marigold

Tagetes erecta

Start african marigold indoors 5 weeks before your last spring frost, then plant out 1 week after your last spring frost. Space plants 12 in (30 cm) apart.

Photo: Reinhold Möller Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

When to plant

Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.

See the dates for your garden

Enter your average last spring frost and first fall frost. Every timing on this site turns into a calendar date. Not sure of yours? Your local extension service or a search for “last frost date” and your town will tell you; the app finds them from your location.

Last spring frost
First fall frost

Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Optimal Indoor Start

From seedRecommended
  1. Start indoors5 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. Begin hardening offaround your last spring frost
  3. Plant out1 week after your last spring frost
  4. First harvestabout 80 days after sowing

Optimal Transplant

From seed
  1. Plant out1 week after your last spring frost
  2. First harvestabout 80 days after planting out

Optimal Direct Sow

From seed
  1. Sow outdoors2 weeks after your last spring frost
  2. First harvestabout 80 days after sowing

Growing african marigold

Spacing in the row
12 in (30 cm)
Between rows
18 in (46 cm)
Planting depth
1/4 inch
Sun
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, average fertility
Germination
5-10 days at 70-75°F
Harvest season
Summer to Fall
Mature height
12-36 inches
Life cycle
Annual

Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep. Requires light for germination. Keep consistently moist.

Watering. Water consistently until germination. Once established, water when the top inch of soil is dry. Avoid overhead watering.

Neighbours

The companion chart →

Grows well beside

Feeding

Seedlings
Light liquid feed once true leaves appear.
Growing
Balanced liquid or granular fertilizer every 4-6 weeks.
Flowering and fruiting
No special bloom booster needed if soil fertility is adequate.
How often
Every 4-6 weeks during active growth.
Note
Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can promote foliage over flowers.

Your african marigold, planned to the day.

Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.

Add african marigold to your planting calendar →

Help test itHelp test it on Android