Marigolds Planting Guide

July

Your July guide to marigolds

This page is about marigolds in general. For your zone's exact planting and harvest dates, pick your county below.

Sun full sun

Water low

Days to harvest 50–70

Plant depth 0.3″

Spacing 10″

How to water marigolds
Mulch heavily around marigolds to hold soil moisture without watering more often.
Where to put marigolds
South-facing beds are ideal for marigolds. Shade from nearby trees or fences costs real production.
Check your local forecast before planting
Your zone determines the exact week to plant marigolds. Pick your county below and we'll line everything up against your frost dates.

Pick your county for exact marigolds timing →

Marigolds (Tagetes patula) are warm-season annuals beloved for their cheerful orange, yellow, and red blooms — and for their well-documented ability to repel pest nematodes in vegetable beds. Easy from seed, drought-tolerant once established, and bloom from early summer until the first hard frost.

Tagetes patula · Flower · Asteraceae family · 50–70 days to maturity

Annual Blooms in Multi-season Pollinator-friendly Deer-resistant Good for cutting Fragrant

Why it matters: If you're just starting a flower garden in your area, Marigolds is a forgiving first pick. It tolerates imperfect soil, mild drought, and the occasional missed watering. The reward: weeks (sometimes months) of continuous color.

Get Your Personalized Marigolds Planting Dates

Enter your ZIP code to see exact planting dates, soil compatibility, and growing tips specific to your county.

Where Can You Grow Marigolds?

Zone Compatibility for Marigolds Zones 2a – 11b

1a 1b 2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11a 11b 12a 12b 13a 13b

Ideal (data available) Suitable Marginal Not recommended

Planting Dates by Zone

Zone	Start Indoors	Direct Sow	Transplant	Bloom
Zone 2a	Apr 11	Jun 20	Jun 20	Aug 15 – Oct 10
Zone 2b	Apr 3	Jun 12	Jun 12	Aug 7 – Oct 9
Zone 3a	Apr 3	May 29	May 29	Jul 24 – Oct 2
Zone 3b	Mar 29	May 24	May 24	Jul 19 – Sep 27
Zone 4a	Mar 25	May 20	May 20	Jul 15 – Sep 30
Zone 4b	Mar 20	May 8	May 8	Jul 3 – Sep 18
Zone 5a	Mar 14	May 2	May 2	Jun 27 – Sep 19
Zone 5b	Mar 7	Apr 25	Apr 25	Jun 20 – Sep 19
Zone 6a	Feb 27	Apr 17	Apr 17	Jun 12 – Sep 11
Zone 6b	Feb 20	Apr 3	Apr 3	May 29 – Sep 4
Zone 7a	Feb 11	Mar 25	Mar 25	May 20 – Aug 26
Zone 7b	Feb 4	Mar 18	Mar 18	May 13 – Sep 2
Zone 8a	Jan 25	Mar 1	Mar 1	Apr 26 – Aug 30
Zone 8b	Jan 21	Feb 11	Feb 11	Apr 8 – Aug 26
Zone 9a	Jan 6	Jan 27	Jan 27	Mar 24 – Aug 25
Zone 9b	Dec 21	Jan 4	Jan 4	Mar 1 – Aug 23
Zone 10a	Nov 27	Nov 27	Nov 27	Jan 22 – Jul 30
Zone 10b	Dec 4	Nov 20	Nov 20	Jan 15 – Aug 13
Zone 11a	Dec 4	Nov 6	Nov 6	Jan 1 – Aug 13
Zone 11b	Dec 4	Oct 30	Oct 30	Dec 25 – Aug 20

How to Plant Marigolds

0.3"

Planting Depth

10"

Between Plants

12"

Between Rows

Growing Conditions

☀️ Sun

Full Sun (6-8+ hours)

💧 Water

Low — drought tolerant

Drought tolerant — water only when soil is dry 2" deep.

🧪 Soil pH

6 – 7.5

Prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil — ideal for most garden beds.

🗺️ Hardiness Zones

Zone 2a – 11b

📅 Days to Maturity

50–70 days

Quick-growing crop. Multiple plantings per season are possible.

👪 Plant Family

Asteraceae

Rotate with other families yearly to prevent soil-borne diseases. Don't plant in the same spot where Asteraceae family crops grew last year.

Succession Planting Marigolds

Marigolds matures in just 50–70 days, making it ideal for succession planting. In a typical 180-day growing season, you can get up to 4 successive plantings by sowing every 5.7 weeks.

Your actual succession count depends on your local frost dates. Enter your ZIP code to get personalized succession planting dates for your area.

Companion Planting for Marigolds

✅ Good Companions

Tomatoes Peppers Basil Squash Cucumbers

❌ Keep Away From

Beans Cabbage

Check more combinations with our Companion Planting Checker →

Growing Tips for Marigolds

Direct-sow after last frost or start indoors 4-6 weeks earlier. Deadhead spent blooms to keep new flowers coming. French marigolds (T. patula) are the most reliable nematode repellents — plant a band around vegetable beds. Tolerate poor soil but bloom best with monthly compost.

Saving Marigolds Seeds

🌾 Save Your Own Marigolds Seeds

Life Cycle Annual

Pollination Self-Pollinating

How to Collect Let flower heads dry on plant. Pull dried petals to reveal seeds.

Storage Store in envelopes; viable 3 years at 35°F, under 50% humidity.

Very easy to save. Seeds are the long, thin, dark pieces inside the dried flower head.

Get our full Seed Saving Guide for 200 plants →

Recommended for Your Garden

🌱

Seed Starting Trays $8-20

Start seeds indoors with reusable cell trays and humidity domes.

🧪

Soil Test Kit $12-25

Test your soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels before planting.

🏷️

Garden Plant Markers $6-12

Keep your garden organized with durable, weather-resistant plant labels.

Reader favourite

Seed Saving & Storage Guide

$27 $157 value

Most saved seeds go bad before next season. This shows exactly when to pick, how to dry, and where to store seeds from 200 plants so yours don't.

200 plants, step-by-step: life cycle, pollination type, isolation
Exact temperature + humidity ranges that keep seeds viable
Bonus: searchable Google Sheets tracker + custom GPT assistant

Save a lifetime of seed money →

Marigolds by State

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to grow Marigolds?

Marigolds (Tagetes patula) takes 50 to 70 days from planting to harvest. Exact timing depends on your variety, growing conditions, and USDA zone.

What zones can Marigolds grow in?

Marigolds can be grown in USDA zones 2a through 11b. Use the planting calendar above to find the exact dates for your zone.

How much sun does Marigolds need?

Growing Marigolds requires Full Sun (6-8+ hours), Low — drought tolerant, and soil pH of 6 to 7.5.