Saving marigold seeds is a fun and frugal way to enrich your garden the following gardening season.  Today, I’m sharing flower garden tips on how to save marigold seeds from your backyard garden plants.  French marigolds find a place in my vegetable garden and backyard containers each year.  I companion plant marigolds with my tomato plants.  But, I also love them in containers on my deck paired with a sweet potato vine.

There are actually 50 varieties of marigolds; however, three are the most popular.  Marigolds have a daisy or carnation flower that are produced  as a single flower or in cluster.  They are natives of Mexico and prefer sunny locations.  They should receive at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day.

Here are the three varieties of marigolds:

• French – Plant throughout the spring and summer.  Dwarf only growing about a foot.
• American – Plant in the spring.  Tall, usually grows to about 3 feet.
• Signet  – Plant throughout the spring and summer.   Flat and look like daisies.

The French marigolds are more compact than the American or Signet varieties.  I love them planted among my tall tomato plants.  You can direct sow marigolds in the spring when all signs of frost has past or start them inside.  If you direct sow, preparing the soil by removing rocks and debris and adding compost to the soil will help you grow a healthy and hardy garden full of marigolds.

Here’s a few benefits on why you should plant marigolds in your garden:

• They’re easy to grow and be can direct sowed in the garden.
• Repel pests.
• Companion plant with tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, snap beans, squash, onions, and garlic.
• Marigolds can be dried for flower arrangements.
• Comes in a variety of colors like white, yellow, orange, or bi-color.
• Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators love to feast on the nectar in the blooms.

Saving marigold seeds from you backyard garden:

Pull marigold plants from your garden and containers at the end of the growing season.  I plant yellow and orange marigolds for the most part.  However, I did plant a bi-color this year too.

Pull the dead/dried pods from the plants.  You will harvest the seed from these pods.  If you have flowers or pods that aren’t completely dry, place the plants in a bag and allow them to dry completely.  You can remove the seeds later.

Remove the top from the dried pods.  A simple twist should remove the top.  Once the top is removed, open the pod to expose the marigold seeds.

Also, the marigold seeds are long with a black tip.  You will want to separate the seeds from the pod and tips.  Once you have the seeds separated, place them into an airtight container, plastic envelope or paper envelope.  Mark the container with 2019 and the type of seed that you saved.  For example, 2019 Yellow French or 2019 Bi-Color Signet.

So, saving marigold seeds from year to year will save you money on flower purchases from the garden center or your local nursery.  You will find that the marigold plants will reward you with plenty of seeds.  You will have enough to share with neighbors, family or friends for years to come.  Plant them in containers, baskets and in your vegetable garden and borders.  You can never have enough marigolds in your wildlife habitat and gardens.

Finally, you may also like Why You Should Winter Sow Seeds.  If you would like a package of free marigold seeds, please contact me at rhonda@mother2motherblog.com.