Good as gold
Radiant marigolds light up summer – and growing them yourself can save a fortune
I’VE just ripped open the corner of a seed packet and sprinkled the contents on to the palm of my hand. The dried-up grains are distinctive. Dark, slender and just over a third of an inch long, one end is sharp and pointy, and the other terminates in a tuft of white hairs. At first glance, they look like miniature darts.
These bizarre seeds contain the genes to produce marigolds, one of our best-loved summer bedding plants. It never fails to amaze me that within a few months of sowing, they will have turned into compact, bushy plants that will produce a succession of cheery blooms, from early summer until the first frosts.
As far as I’m concerned, starting marigolds from seed is better than buying ready-grown ones in late spring. Last year, my local garden centre stocked just one or two anonymous plants, but online seed specialists offer scores of dazzling named varieties, from old favourites to the latest breeding breakthroughs.
Marigolds, or tagetes as they are called botanically, are half-hardy annuals that originate from Mexico and Central America. Long before they brightened up our gardens, they played an important role in the lives of the Aztecs and Mayans – the flowers were used medicinally, for decoration and in religious ceremonies.
Spanish conquistadors shipped seeds across the Atlantic in the 16th Century, which were then transported far and wide by travellers. This led to two main strains still used for bedding – French and African marigolds. Don’t confuse either with pot marigolds (calendula), a hardy annual native to Europe.
African marigolds (Tagetes erecta) form robust plants, 1ft to 3ft tall, with big, balllike double blooms. French marigolds (Tagetes patula) are more compact. They produce single, semi-double or fully double flowers on 6in to 1ft plants. Afro-French types are hybrids boasting large flowers on compact plants.
Marigolds come in shades of cream, yellow, gold, orange and red, with many that have showy two-tone blooms. Modern breeding has led to the introduction of varieties with flowers that change colour as they age, resulting in plants that will produce an ever-changing display. Sow seeds 1in apart in small pots or trays filled with seed compost. Some gardeners swear that these long seeds need setting pointy-end down, but they are happy resting flat on the surface. Finish by covering with a ¼in layer of vermiculite or finely sieved compost. Packets might contain anything from 20 to 300 seeds, depending on what you go for. Marigolds have a good germination rate so sow only a few more than you think you might need. Stash the opened packet in an airtight container and the remaining seeds should remain viable for up to three years.
Water gently and place containers inside a heated propagator – if you don’t have one, slip a clear plastic bag over the top of the pot, secure with an elastic band and stand it on a light windowsill.
Once the seeds have germinated – usually within about 21 days – take the container out of the protected environment.
When seedlings are large enough to handle, move into 3in pots filled with multi-purpose compost. Start by filling pots, levelling the surface and making a small hole in the centre. Next, break apart the root ball of soil to separate seedlings and lower each into a hole. Gently firm in place and water.
Keep young plants in a warm, light and frost-free place, moving them into slightly larger pots whenever necessary. Marigolds will produce long, leggy stems if left to their own devices, so pinch out the top pair of leaves when plants are about 6in tall. This will encourage sturdy, bushy growth.
Seed-raised marigolds will be ready to go outside in late spring. Plant them en masse, as edging alongside beds or to fill gaps in borders, spacing 1ft apart. The compact nature of some makes them perfect fillers within hanging baskets, window boxes, planters and summer container displays.
Another option is to take a cue from organic gardeners and plant marigolds around vegetables that are prone to attack by insect pests. Their foliage has a strong, musky odour that will repel blackfly, greenfly and whitefly from a host of vegetables, such as tomatoes, sweetcorn and beans.