French marigold
Tagetes patula
An ornamental plant, sown February to May.
In September: clear away the dead French marigold stems and leaves. Wear gloves: the leaves may aggravate skin allergies.
Add French marigold to my plot
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French marigold, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow under cover. | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Sow outdoors. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Plant out. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none |
| Deadhead the French marigold. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual |
| Clear away the dead French marigold stems and leaves. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Handle it with care
Wear gloves: the leaves may aggravate skin allergies.
Strong source: RHS.
Sowing and planting
Sow under cover February to May, 5mm deep. Moderate sources: Mr Fothergill’s, Gardeners’ World and Vital Seeds.
Sow outdoors April to May, 1.5cm deep, 10 to 20cm apart. Moderate sources: Mr Fothergill’s, Gardeners’ World and Vital Seeds.
Plant out May to June, 20cm apart, rows 30cm apart. Moderate sources: Mr Fothergill’s and Gardeners’ World.
Deadhead the French marigold
Usually June to August. Moderate source: Sarah Raven.
Clear away the dead French marigold stems and leaves
Once finished or killed by frost, pull up the whole plant and add it to the compost bin.
Usually September to November. Moderate source: Gardeners’ World.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.
Add French marigold to my plot
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “French marigold” comes from.