How to Germinate a French Marigold

Indoor Seed Germination

• 1

  Fill the pots with a sterile potting soil. Always use pots with drainage holes.

• 2

  Put one or two French marigold seeds in each pot. Cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of perlite or vermiculite.

• 3

  Wet the soil, but be careful to not displace the seeds.

• 4

  Set the pots in a warm site where temperature ranges from 70 to 75 degrees F (the recommended germination temperature).

• 5

  Maintain moist, but not soaked, soil for the French marigold until seedlings appear in seven to 14 days.

• 6

  Thin the seedlings to one per pot when true leaves emerge. Slowly, over two to three days, accustom the seedlings to full sun.

• 7

  Water as needed to maintain moist soil, and then transplant the French marigolds outside when the soil warms.

Outdoor Seed Germination

• 8

  Wait until there is no longer any danger of frost in the area to germinate French marigold seeds directly in the landscape.

• 9

  Clear a site with full sun and well draining soil. French marigold grows in most soil types as long as it not over fertilized or excessively damp.

• 10

  Sow one French marigold seed 1/4 inch deep. Space the seeds 6 to 12 inches apart.

• 11

  Water the area to moisten the soil and to promote germination.

• 12

  Watch for French marigold seedlings to emerge in seven to 14 days.