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F
FlowersHalf-HardyAnnual
French Marigold
French marigold, usually grown as Tagetes patula in garden practice, is a compact bushy half-hardy annual with aromatic divided foliage and bright flowers in yellow, orange, red and bronze shades. It is widely used in borders, pots and vegetable gardens, and is commonly paired with crops such as tomatoes in companion planting schemes.
Basic information
Category
Flowers
Lifecycle
Annual
Hardiness
Half-Hardy
Planting partners
1 companion · 0 crops to avoid
Growth profile
Germination window
5–10 days
Germination temperature
18–24 °C
Plant spacing
25 cm
Row spacing
35 cm
Sowing depth
0.5 cm
Height
35 cm
Spread
25 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Raise French marigolds with warmth or sow after frost risk has passed, then plant in full sun in moderately fertile well-drained soil. Water during dry spells, deadhead regularly to prolong flowering, keep airflow good so damp weather does not spoil the display, and use them as edging or interplanting subjects around tender summer crops.
Common pests
Slugs on young plants, aphids, botrytis in overcrowded growth.
Companions
Don’t grow with
No crops to avoid have been added yet.