This compact , easy - care annual give you month of coloured bloom .
Perhaps the least well - knowntype of marigold , signet marigold combines vibrant color and compactness . Mounds of lacy foliage and a mix of bright paprika , pumpkin vine Orange River , and lemon tree yellow - color flower add it a finespun , polished appearance . It is just as gentle to get from seed and as long - efflorescence as the more common magnanimous marigold .
Add this little wonder to containers or garden planting beds for months of easy - attention colouring . Signet marigolds are also dandy companion planting because they wo n’t shade anything out . Some variety give off a lemon scent when their foliation is bruise , which earned it the common name maize marigold .
The plant is mildly toxic to humans and PET .
Where to Plant Signet Marigold
Select a location in full sun with well - drained , slimly acid to inert soil .
There are hundreds of landscape painting uses for this diminutive flora . Edge a narrow walkway with the brilliant blossoms of Signet marigold . total several plants to a windowpane box for ever - present colour properly outside your window . Pair it withAfricanandFrench marigoldsfor a show of color from former summer until the first hoarfrost . tote up a group of nectar - ample signets to a garden bed to draw in butterflies . Or make signet marigolds part of adeer- and rabbit - resistant container garden .
How and When to Plant Signet Marigold
you may eitherstart your own signet marigolds from seedor plant potted nursery transplants . Starting seed indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last have a bun in the oven frost give you a head start on the produce season . Plant seeds 1 column inch apart in a container of well - drained seed starting premix . works seed ¼ inch late and keep the soil moist until you are ready to transplant them outdoors .
Once all danger of Robert Frost is retiring , it is also potential to seed seeds directly into well - work garden dirt . Space seeds 2 to 3 inch aside and plant them ¼ column inch late . Marigold seeds germinate speedily , so have a bun in the oven to see fine , grass - comparable leafage pop out of the ground about 7 days after plant .
Thin or transplantation seedling 8 to 12 inches apart .
Signet Marigold Care Tips
Signet marigold are easy to develop one-year flowers that do n’t want much caution .
Light
The plant need at least 6 hours of full Dominicus every day .
Soil and Water
Signet marigold grows in a broad range of soil types , including clay , but rich , rich , well - drained soilwith apH between 6.0 and 7.0is nonpareil .
After the plant is base , it tolerates geological period of drouth . However , for the best bloom , it should be irrigate on a regular basis in the absence of rain .
Temperature and Humidity
Like all marigolds , signet marigold require warm weather and thrive in heat . The ideal sprouting temperature for the seeds is between 70 and 75 degrees F. Tender young plant should only be found after the last frost engagement in the spring though mature works at the goal of the summertime are capable to live a light frost . The plant are not bothered by high humidness .
Fertilizer
Fertilizing is not necessary — in - background plants in rich , fat soil are usually fine without it . If you decide to fertilize to encourage flowering , use restrained amounts of all - purpose fertilizer , preferably at dilute lastingness . Excess nitrogenwill produce leaves but few blossom .
Pruning
If plants become tall , gangly , and look bedraggled , cut them back by half their top , which promote the outgrowth of new foliage and blossom .
Potting and Repotting Signet Marigold
Because of their summary size , signet marigold make fantabulous container plants . Make trusted the container has large drainage hole and fill it with well - draining potting mix . Like all pot industrial plant outdoors , signet marigold involve regular watering , especially when grown in hanging baskets , as they dry out even quicker than standard pots . Repotting is not necessary as the plant conclude their biography oscillation with the first fall frosts .
Pests and Problems
The most coarse pests on signet marigolds are mites , which appear peculiarly during hot weather condition . Other likely pests admit tarnished flora bugs , leafhopper , leafminers , and slugs . Possible plant diseases are botrytis blight , which occurs especially in wet weather condition , and leafage spots . polish off infected plant parts often helps to moderate them . Aster fusarium wilt is a more serious fungal trouble that might require you to move out and ruin the industrial plant before it affects others .
How to Propagate Signet Marigold
Signetmarigolds are propagate from seedas described in the planting instructions above . If you would like to hoard the seeds from your plant , check that it is an open - pollinated variety ( most come caller render this selective information in their catalogs ) because only those seeds will produce plant life that are true to the parent .
Types of Signet Marigold
‘Starfire Mix’
This isa multicolor dwarf variety with single flowers of orange , stinker , maroon , and gold . The compact , 12 - inch pitcher - forming plant is a good choice for container andhanging baskets .
‘Lemon Gem’
At about 10 inches marvelous , this long - blooming yearly makes a great familiar plant in the veg garden , tally color and attract pollinator . It is cover withlots of brilliant , almost glowing yellow flowers all summer . The flowers have a citrusscent .
‘Tangerine Gem’
The edible petals of this pocket-size , hopeful , fertile blooper expect great as a garnish on salads and other summer dishes . The plant produces tons of exclusive rosiness with a works height of about 10 inch .
‘Red Gem’
If you associate marigold mostly with orangish or lily-livered color outline , here is a variety that stands out . It produces anabundance of deep red - colored flowers . The compact plants reach only 6 to 12 inches in height and the lacy foliage has a citrus scent .
Signet Marigold Companion Plants
Zinnia
One of the baffling annuals you’re able to plant , zinniasare also a dearie with pollinators such as hummingbird , bees , and butterflies . While marvellous zinnias suit cottage and cutting gardens , their lower - grow , mound or spread varieties work well in containers . Just like signet marigolds , they are capable to address period of drouth .
Nasturtium
Nasturtiumis a fast - growing yearly with pretty , lotus - similar leaves . Some variety show have vary leave-taking distinguish with white or emollient . cultivar are mounding , some are trailing , and others are climbers . The eatable flowers come in a image of warm colors from creamy jaundiced to bright ruddy .
Cosmos
With its saucer - shaped pink , magenta , or blank flowers and bright dark-green , feathery leaf , cosmosis one of the most popular yearbook . It is a day - raw plant that blossom best in tardy summertime when the days get short . There are more than 25 species of cosmos and legion varieties and cultivars with single , semi - double , or double flowers , and in sizes ranging from dwarf to tall .
Frequently Asked Questions
The flora is native to Mexico , Central America , Columbia , and Peru . It was introduced to North America as early as 1798 under the name Mexican marigold .
Botanially they areperennial plantsbut only make it through the wintertime in warm climates exchangeable to their native habitat in Central and South America . Most gardeners grow signet marigold as yearbook .
Updated by Nadia Hassani
Tagetes tenufolia . North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension .
