Getting it to bloom

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

Also called French marigold (T. patula), African marigold (T. erecta), signet marigold (T. tenuifolia) (Tagetes).

About Marigold

Tagetes · also called French marigold (T. patula), African marigold (T. erecta) · flowering

Marigolds are easy half-hardy annuals from Mexico with yellow, orange, and mahogany flowers. Widely used as companion plants — the strong scent deters whitefly on tomatoes and the roots release compounds that suppress some nematodes. Mildly toxic to pets in quantity.

The genus Tagetes is native to Mexico and Central America; the common French marigold is Tagetes patula and the African (American) marigold is T. erecta, both of Mexican origin despite the misleading common names.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Stop flowering in midsummer: Deadhead regularly to keep flowers coming.

Sources: missouribotanicalgarden.org, missouribotanicalgarden.org, ipm.ucanr.edu

The reasons marigold isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming marigold 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 marigold 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 marigold to flower

Maximise sun. Give marigold 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 marigold and get the feeding right with the marigold 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

Marigold 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 marigold care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Marigold blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my marigold flower?

Marigold 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 marigold bloom?

Give marigold 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 marigold normally bloom?