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How to grow French marigolds in the UK

Bright orange pom-poms whose strong smell keeps whitefly and greenfly off tomatoes.

• DifficultyEasy peasy
• WhereBeds or Pots
• Sunfull sun
• Grows to25cm
• Spacing25cm
• Time to first pickabout 10 weeks
• Typeannual

When to sow, plant and harvest french marigolds

Dates are for central England. Sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland, and up to two weeks earlier in the south and south west. Get the dates for your postcode.

Starting it indoors

1. Fill a small pot or tray with seed compost
2. Push the seeds in (0.5cm deep) - a couple per pot
3. Water gently, then put them on a bright windowsill
4. Keep the compost damp but not soggy - check it every day
5. When they have 2 proper leaves, give each seedling its own pot

Planting it out

1. Toughen them up ('hardening off'): put them outside in the day for a week, bring them in at night
2. Dig a hole a bit bigger than the pot
3. Tip the plant out gently, holding the leaves, not the stem
4. Pop it in the hole, firm the soil around it, and water well
5. Space the plants about 25cm apart each way

Top tips for growing french marigolds

• Plant one every few tomato plants, or along the edge of the bed.
• Snip off dead flowers and they keep flowering until the frost.

Looking after french marigolds

• Week 3: Snip off dead marigold flowers so new ones keep coming

Soil and feeding

Poor soil - really!. Nasturtiums flower best in poor soil. Feed them and you get all leaves and no flowers.

Pests and problems

• Slugs & snails: munch seedlings overnight, worst in wet weather

• Protect young plants from slugs for the first couple of weeks

Harvesting and eating french marigolds

Enjoy them! Pick off the dead flowers to keep new ones coming.

Companion planting

Grows well with

• Cherry tomatoes: the smell keeps whitefly and greenfly away
• Big tomatoes: the smell keeps whitefly and greenfly away
• Sweet peppers: the smell keeps whitefly and greenfly away
• Chillies: the smell keeps whitefly and greenfly away
• Aubergine: the smell keeps whitefly away
• French beans: keeps whitefly away
• New potatoes: said to keep pests away from the roots
• Cucumbers: keeps whitefly away
• Carrots: the smell helps hide carrots from carrot fly

Saving your own french marigolds seed

Late summer and autumn, as the flowers fade.

1. Stop deadheading a few flowers - let them fade on the plant
2. When the seed heads are dry and brown (and the seeds rattle), snip them off on a dry day
3. Shake the seeds into a paper bag
4. Spread on a plate to dry for a week

Where to buy french marigolds seeds

Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon

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French marigolds questions

When should I sow french marigolds in the UK?

In the UK, sow french marigolds indoors from early March to late April. These dates suit central England; sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland and up to two weeks earlier in the mild south and south west.

When do I plant out french marigolds?

Plant french marigolds out from mid May to late June, once the last frost has passed.

When can I pick french marigolds?

French marigolds is ready from mid June to mid October. Enjoy them! Pick off the dead flowers to keep new ones coming.

How long do french marigolds take to grow?

Roughly 10 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.

Are french marigolds easy to grow?

French marigolds are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed or in pots and containers.