- Plant Info
Botanical Name: Tagetes patula ‘Dainty Marietta’
The petals are edible as long as the flowers have not been treated with pesticides. Requires full sun, at least 6 hours or more of sunlight a day. Should be planted when temperatures reach 60°F outside. They grow 12-18 inches tall and should not need a trellis. Marigolds in general almost never need fertilizer, in fact they thrive in poor soil. Giving them too much fertilizer could result in very lush foliage (the leafy green bits) and not many blooms.Yes, if possible you should mulch around the base of the marigolds once they have sprouted.
- How To Sow
Spacing plants 8-10 inches apart, poke a hole in the dirt about 1/4th of an inch deep, drop in 2-3 seeds, and cover back up with dirt. (It does not matter which way the seeds are pointing in the dirt. I generally just lay them on their side) Water the planted area well immediately after planting, then keep moist but not soggy until it sprouts.
- After Planting
Seeds should take 5-10 days to sprout. Since we planted 2-3 seeds per hole, once they have sprouted, wait a few days, pick the strongest-looking one, and then snip off all the others close to the soil line. This is called “thinning” the seedlings.
- Harvest Time
50-65 days to maturity. To keep the flowers blooming as long as possible, deadhead the flowers when the blooms start to wither and die. (“Deadheading” means “to remove dead flower heads from a plant to encourage further blooming”.)
R.O.C.K.-Roots Of Care and Kindness Mutual Aid Group 