Getting it to bloom

Why won't my African Marigold 'Crackerjack' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called African marigold, American marigold (Tagetes erecta 'Crackerjack').

More about african marigold 'crackerjack'

About African Marigold 'Crackerjack'

Tagetes erecta 'Crackerjack' · also called African marigold, American marigold · flowering

'Crackerjack' is a tall, old-fashioned African marigold producing big, fully double pompon flowers up to 10 cm across in bright yellow, gold and orange on robust stems. A heat-loving warm-season annual, it makes a bold summer-to-frost display and useful cut flower in full sun. Aromatic foliage; like all Tagetes it is mildly toxic to pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Botrytis (grey mould) on heavy blooms: The big double pompons hold water and rot to grey mould in wet, humid weather. Deadhead faded flowers, water at the base, and give plenty of spacing.

The reasons african marigold 'crackerjack' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming african marigold 'crackerjack' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding african marigold 'crackerjack' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get african marigold 'crackerjack' to flower

Maximise sun. Give african marigold 'crackerjack' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for african marigold 'crackerjack' and get the feeding right with the african marigold 'crackerjack' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

African Marigold 'Crackerjack' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full african marigold 'crackerjack' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

African Marigold 'Crackerjack' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my african marigold 'crackerjack' flower?

African Marigold 'Crackerjack' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make african marigold 'crackerjack' bloom?

Give african marigold 'crackerjack' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does african marigold 'crackerjack' normally bloom?