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Flower Full Sun Moderate water

Marigold

Written by the GrowByCity Editorial Team · Updated April 2026
2 min read

Cheerful annual that repels pests. A warmth-loving plant that does best between 18°C and 28°C, marigold adapts well to tropical and subtropical conditions but cannot tolerate frost. Plant in a spot with full sun (6-8 hours of direct light daily) and provide moderate, even watering throughout the growing season. Expect blooms in approximately 45-50 days. Adds colour and life to borders, beds, and containers from spring through autumn.

Harvest 45-50 days
Temp Range 5°C — 35°C

Quick Answer: How to Grow Marigold

Marigold takes 45-50 days to harvest. It grows best in 18–28°C with full sun and moderate watering. Marigold is not frost tolerant — wait until after the last frost to plant. It can be grown in 350 cities worldwide.

Find the best time to plant Marigold in your city →

Growing Requirements

☀️
Sun
Full Sun
💧
Water
Moderate
❄️
Frost
Sensitive
📅
Harvest
45-50 days

Temperature Range

18-28°C
-10°C 45°C
Optimal: 18–28°C Tolerates: 5–35°C
Tropical suitable: Yes
Cities growing: 350 of 350

Growing Tips

💡

Expert Tips

Deadhead spent flowers for continuous bloom. Plant near tomatoes. Wait until soil warms to at least 18°C before transplanting outdoors — cold soil stunts growth and can invite root rot. Water steadily but avoid soggy soil. A 5-cm layer of organic mulch helps balance moisture and suppress weeds.

Quick Facts

  • Grows in 350 of 350 cities
  • Available in 7 regions worldwide
  • Temperature range: 5°C to 35°C
  • Optimal growing: 18°C to 28°C
  • Harvest in 45-50 days

Did You Know?

  • 🌱 Marigold loves the heat! It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates year-round.
  • 🌱 Marigold needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth.

Step-by-Step Growing Guide

Marigolds are among the easiest, most rewarding annuals a gardener can grow, valued both as ornamentals and as essential companion plants. Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost or direct sow after frost. Sow 6mm deep in well-drained soil with pH 6.0–7.5; they tolerate a wide range of soil types including poor soils. Space French types (Tagetes patula) 20–30cm apart, African/American types (Tagetes erecta) 30–50cm apart. Marigolds need full sun — they perform poorly in shade. Water at the base, 2.5cm per week; once established, they tolerate short dry periods. Avoid overhead watering, which promotes botrytis. Feed sparingly — a single application of balanced fertilizer at planting is sufficient; rich soil produces lush foliage over flowers. Deadhead spent flowers consistently for continuous bloom. Plant alongside tomatoes, squash, and brassicas to repel pests with their root exudates (which suppress root-knot nematodes over time).

Common Pests & Problems

Spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) are the primary marigold pest in hot, dry conditions — fine stippling on leaves with tiny webs at growing tips; treat with neem oil spray and increase humidity around plants. Botrytis blight (Botrytis cinerea) produces fuzzy gray mold on spent flowers and stems in cool, wet weather — remove dead flower heads promptly and improve airflow. Aster yellows phytoplasma, transmitted by leafhoppers, causes distorted, stunted, yellowed growth with multiple small green shoots replacing normal flowers; infected plants have no cure — remove immediately and control leafhopper populations with row covers in future seasons.

Harvest & Storage

For cut flowers, harvest marigolds when buds are just opening — fully open flowers are past their prime for vase life. Cut in the morning with a clean, sharp knife, leaving a long stem. Vase life is 7–10 days. For seed saving, allow selected flowers to fully mature and dry on the plant (petals brown and papery, seed head dry). Pull seeds from the dried head and air-dry indoors for 1 week before storing in an envelope in a cool, dry location. Marigold seeds remain viable for 3–4 years.

Popular Varieties

"Vanilla" is a cream-white African marigold — a striking novelty among the typical orange and yellow palette, with large, fully double flowers. "Janie Deep Orange" is a dwarf French marigold (25cm) with compact double flowers and exceptional weather tolerance — among the best bedding plants. "Crackerjack" is a tall African marigold (60–90cm) with giant pompon flowers in orange and yellow — the classic background annual for borders and cutting gardens. "Striped Marvel" is a bicolor French marigold with bright red petals tipped in gold — eye-catching and extremely prolific.

Where to Grow Marigold

Marigold can be grown in 350 cities across 7 regions worldwide

🌍 Europe (80 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Aarhus, DK easy
Amsterdam, NL easy
Ankara, TR easy
Antalya, TR easy
Athens, GR easy
Barcelona, ES easy
Bari, IT easy
Belgrade, RS easy
Bergen, NO easy
Berlin, DE easy
Bilbao, ES easy
Bologna, IT easy
Bordeaux, FR easy
Bratislava, SK easy
Brussels, BE easy
Bucharest, RO easy
Budapest, HU easy
Catania, IT easy
Cologne, DE easy
Copenhagen, DK easy
Corfu, GR easy
Cork, IE easy
Dublin, IE easy
Dubrovnik, HR easy
Edinburgh, GB easy
Florence, IT easy
Frankfurt, DE easy
Gdansk, PL easy
Genoa, IT easy
Glasgow, GB easy
Gothenburg, SE easy
Hamburg, DE easy
Helsinki, FI easy
Heraklion, GR easy
Istanbul, TR easy
Izmir, TR easy
Krakow, PL easy
Kyiv, UA easy
Limassol, CY easy
Lisbon, PT easy
Ljubljana, SI easy
London, GB easy
Lyon, FR easy
Madrid, ES easy
Malaga, ES easy
Marseille, FR easy
Milan, IT easy
Munich, DE easy
Naples, IT easy
Nice, FR easy
Nicosia, CY easy
Oslo, NO easy
Palermo, IT easy
Paris, FR easy
Porto, PT easy
Poznan, PL easy
Prague, CZ easy
Reykjavik, IS easy
Riga, LV easy
Rome, IT easy
Seville, ES easy
Sofia, BG easy
Split, HR easy
Stockholm, SE easy
Strasbourg, FR easy
Stuttgart, DE easy
Tallinn, EE easy
Thessaloniki, GR easy
Tirana, AL easy
Toulouse, FR easy
Turin, IT easy
Turku, FI easy
Valencia, ES easy
Valletta, MT easy
Verona, IT easy
Vienna, AT easy
Vilnius, LT easy
Warsaw, PL easy
Zagreb, HR easy
Zurich, CH easy

🌏 Asia (79 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Ahmedabad, IN easy
Almaty, KZ easy
Bali, ID easy
Bandung, ID easy
Bangalore, IN easy
Bangkok, TH easy
Beijing, CN easy
Busan, KR easy
Cebu, PH easy
Chandigarh, IN easy
Chengdu, CN easy
Chennai, IN easy
Chiang Mai, TH easy
Chittagong, BD easy
Chongqing, CN easy
Coimbatore, IN easy
Colombo, LK easy
Da Nang, VN easy
Dalian, CN easy
Davao, PH easy
Delhi, IN easy
Dhaka, BD easy
Dharan, NP easy
Fukuoka, JP easy
Galle, LK easy
Guangzhou, CN easy
Hangzhou, CN easy
Hanoi, VN easy
Harbin, CN easy
Ho Chi Minh City, VN easy
Hong Kong, HK easy
Hyderabad, IN easy
Incheon, KR easy
Indore, IN easy
Islamabad, PK easy
Jaipur, IN easy
Jakarta, ID easy
Jeju, KR easy
Johor Bahru, MY easy
Karachi, PK easy
Kathmandu, NP easy
Kochi, IN easy
Kolkata, IN easy
Kuala Lumpur, MY easy
Kunming, CN easy
Kyoto, JP easy
Lahore, PK easy
Lucknow, IN easy
Manila, PH easy
Mumbai, IN easy
Nagoya, JP easy
Nanjing, CN easy
Nha Trang, VN easy
Okinawa, JP easy
Osaka, JP easy
Pattaya, TH easy
Penang, MY easy
Phnom Penh, KH easy
Pune, IN easy
Sapporo, JP easy
Seoul, KR easy
Shanghai, CN easy
Shenzhen, CN easy
Siem Reap, KH easy
Singapore, SG easy
Surabaya, ID easy
Surat, IN easy
Taipei, TW easy
Tashkent, UZ easy
Tbilisi, GE easy
Tokyo, JP easy
Ulaanbaatar, MN easy
Varanasi, IN easy
Vientiane, LA easy
Visakhapatnam, IN easy
Wuhan, CN easy
Xi'an, CN easy
Xiamen, CN easy
Yangon, MM easy

🌎 North America (78 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Albuquerque, US easy
Anchorage, US easy
Atlanta, US easy
Austin, US easy
Baltimore, US easy
Baton Rouge, US easy
Boise, US easy
Boston, US easy
Bridgetown, BB easy
Buffalo, US easy
Calgary, CA easy
Cancun, MX easy
Charleston, US easy
Charlotte, US easy
Chattanooga, US easy
Chicago, US easy
Denver, US easy
Des Moines, US easy
Detroit, US easy
Edmonton, CA easy
El Paso, US easy
Fargo, US easy
Fresno, US easy
Guadalajara, MX easy
Halifax, CA easy
Hartford, US easy
Havana, CU easy
Honolulu, US easy
Houston, US easy
Jacksonville, US easy
Kansas City, US easy
Kingston, JM easy
Knoxville, US easy
Las Vegas, US easy
Little Rock, US easy
Los Angeles, US easy
Louisville, US easy
Lubbock, US easy
Madison, US easy
Memphis, US easy
Mexico City, MX easy
Miami, US easy
Milwaukee, US easy
Minneapolis, US easy
Monterrey, MX easy
Montreal, CA easy
Nashville, US easy
New Orleans, US easy
New York, US easy
Oaxaca, MX easy
Oklahoma City, US easy
Omaha, US easy
Ottawa, CA easy
Panama City, PA easy
Phoenix, US easy
Pittsburgh, US easy
Portland, US easy
Puebla, MX easy
Quebec City, CA easy
Raleigh, US easy
Richmond, US easy
Sacramento, US easy
Salt Lake City, US easy
San Diego, US easy
San Francisco, US easy
San Jose, CR easy
Santo Domingo, DO easy
Saskatoon, CA easy
Savannah, US easy
Seattle, US easy
Spokane, US easy
St. Louis, US easy
Tampa, US easy
Toronto, CA easy
Tucson, US easy
Vancouver, CA easy
Victoria, CA easy
Winnipeg, CA easy

🌍 Africa (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abidjan, CI easy
Accra, GH easy
Addis Ababa, ET easy
Algiers, DZ easy
Antananarivo, MG easy
Arusha, TZ easy
Bamako, ML easy
Bloemfontein, ZA easy
Cairo, EG easy
Cape Town, ZA easy
Casablanca, MA easy
Dakar, SN easy
Dar es Salaam, TZ easy
Douala, CM easy
Durban, ZA easy
Entebbe, UG easy
Fez, MA easy
Freetown, SL easy
Harare, ZW easy
Johannesburg, ZA easy
Kampala, UG easy
Kigali, RW easy
Kinshasa, CD easy
Lagos, NG easy
Libreville, GA easy
Lilongwe, MW easy
Lome, TG easy
Luanda, AO easy
Lusaka, ZM easy
Maputo, MZ easy
Marrakech, MA easy
Mombasa, KE easy
Nairobi, KE easy
Ouagadougou, BF easy
Port Louis, MU easy
Pretoria, ZA easy
Tunis, TN easy
Windhoek, NA easy
Zanzibar, TZ easy

🌎 South America (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Arequipa, PE easy
Asuncion, PY easy
Barranquilla, CO easy
Belem, BR easy
Bogota, CO easy
Brasilia, BR easy
Buenos Aires, AR easy
Cali, CO easy
Campinas, BR easy
Caracas, VE easy
Cartagena, CO easy
Concepcion, CL easy
Cordoba, AR easy
Curitiba, BR easy
Cusco, PE easy
Fortaleza, BR easy
Georgetown, GY easy
Goiania, BR easy
Guayaquil, EC easy
La Paz, BO easy
Lima, PE easy
Manaus, BR easy
Medellin, CO easy
Mendoza, AR easy
Montevideo, UY easy
Paramaribo, SR easy
Port of Spain, TT easy
Porto Alegre, BR easy
Quito, EC easy
Recife, BR easy
Rio de Janeiro, BR easy
Rosario, AR easy
Salvador, BR easy
Santa Cruz, BO easy
Santiago, CL easy
Sao Paulo, BR easy
Sucre, BO easy
Trujillo, PE easy
Valparaiso, CL easy

🌊 Oceania (19 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Adelaide, AU easy
Alice Springs, AU easy
Auckland, NZ easy
Brisbane, AU easy
Cairns, AU easy
Canberra, AU easy
Christchurch, NZ easy
Darwin, AU easy
Dunedin, NZ easy
Gold Coast, AU easy
Hamilton, NZ easy
Hobart, AU easy
Melbourne, AU easy
Noumea, NC easy
Perth, AU easy
Suva, FJ easy
Sydney, AU easy
Townsville, AU easy
Wellington, NZ easy

🕌 Middle East (16 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abu Dhabi, AE easy
Amman, JO easy
Baghdad, IQ easy
Beirut, LB easy
Doha, QA easy
Dubai, AE easy
Erbil, IQ easy
Jeddah, SA easy
Kuwait City, KW easy
Manama, BH easy
Muscat, OM easy
Riyadh, SA easy
Sana'a, YE easy
Tabriz, IR easy
Tehran, IR easy
Tel Aviv, IL easy

When should I plant marigold in my city?

The best time to plant marigold depends on your local climate zone. It thrives in temperatures between 18°C and 28°C. Wait until after the last frost in your area. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact dates.

Can I grow marigold in winter?

Marigold is not frost tolerant and cannot survive winter outdoors in most temperate climates. In tropical areas (USDA Zones 10+), it may grow year-round.

Get Marigold Seeds & Plants

Ready to start growing? Find Marigold seeds and starter plants online.

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Similar Growing Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions about Marigold

When should I plant marigold?

The best time to plant marigold depends on your local climate. Marigold grows best in temperatures between 18°C and 28°C (can tolerate 5°C to 35°C). Marigold is not frost tolerant, so wait until after the last frost in your area. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact planting months.

Can marigold grow in tropical climates?

Yes! Marigold can grow in tropical climates. It's successfully grown in tropical cities like Abidjan, Abu Dhabi, Accra. Marigold requires full sun and moderate watering.

How long does marigold take to grow?

Marigold typically takes 45-50 days from planting to harvest. It requires full sun and moderate watering. Deadhead spent flowers for continuous bloom. Plant near tomatoes. Wait until soil warms to at least 18°C before transplanting outdoors — cold soil stunts growth and can invite root rot. Water steadily but avoid soggy soil. A 5-cm layer of organic mulch helps balance moisture and suppress weeds.

Find the Best Time to Plant Marigold

See the planting calendar for Marigold in these popular cities:

Last updated: March 2026 · Climate data from NOAA, FAO, USDA

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