Anybody have trouble growing marigolds in the heat of summers or even late spring sometimes? I’m raising my hand here. It doesn’t seem to matter how I take care of them; in the early part of the year, my marigolds just say no! They seem to open their doors to welcome spider mites. Every. Single. Year.

That all stopped the year I tried growing marigolds in fall. Life Changer. Don’t ask me why I didn’t try earlier knowing that spider mites love hot, dry weather combined with sickly, gasping marigolds.

If you have struggled with marigolds in the past, but you love their cheerful blooms, you might want to read on and see which type of marigold you are going to try growing this fall.

 

You can always count on marigolds to catch your eye when walking through the aisles at Rainbow Gardens. When they are grouped together in masses on the tables, it’s like a sunset is ablaze.

Brilliant orange, golden yellow, and rusted bronze are the main colors of blooms. Flower diameter depends on variety of marigold, but they can range from 0.5″ W to 4″ W.

These cheerful pompom-like blooms bring instant fall color to your world and marigolds are nice option when you are tired of seeing mums. (Although our mums are looking pretty fabulous right now.)

We just got some marigolds in today and I stopped in my tracks to snap some pictures and eenie-meenie-miney-mo my own selections. I left plenty marigolds for you though. So take a look at what is here now, and try these beauties for some fall flair!

African Marigolds and French Marigolds

Quick Look African Marigold

• Avg. Mature Growth: 1-3′ T x 1-2′ W
• Light Exposure: Full Sun
• Soil Preference: Well Draining, Sandy, Loamy
• Water Needs: Water when top 1-2″ of soil is dry
• Bloom Season: Spring and Fall

Quick Look French Marigold:

• Avg. Mature Growth: 6-8″T (petite French Marigolds, 10-24″T (medium), and 36″ (standard)
• Light Exposure: Full Sun
• Soil Preference: Well Draining, Sandy, Loamy
• Water Needs: Water when top 1-2″ of soil is dry
• Bloom Season: Spring and Fall

I’m adding a bonus here: Another of my favorite “marigolds” is actually a calendula. Calendulas are more cold hardy than marigolds which will hit the road when a freeze hits them. This is one of the reasons calendula has the nickname “the winter marigold”, and also because, well, it looks similar to a marigold.

Calendulas are cold tolerant to 20°F, which is usually just fine for our San Antonio winters. You get the look of marigolds in flowers that will last you multiple seasons.

That’s it, that’s all I got today. Go get yourself some gorgeous fall and winter color. The marigolds and calendulas are fresh!

~The Happy Gardener, Lisa Mulroy