How to Keep Marigolds From Getting Too Leggy When Growing Them From Seed

Bright orange, yellow or red marigolds add annual color to garden beds or containers. Starting the seeds indoors in spring ensures the flowers are ready to burst into full bloom as soon as you set them outside in the garden. Indoor-started seedlings sometimes develop leggy growth. These leggy marigold seedlings have long, weak stems and sparse foliage that makes them look unattractive and can cause them to fall over under the weight of their own flower buds. Preventing legginess when the seedlings are young gives you healthier, more attractive plants as they mature.

Grow lights
Fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Place the seedlings in a brightly lit area as soon as the first sprouts appear. Choose a location where the marigolds receive at least six hours of direct sunlight or place them 2 inches beneath an artificial grow light for 14 hours a day.
- 2
  Turn the pot daily if you have them in a sunny window so all sides of the seedling receive the same amount of light. Turning the pot encourages the stems to grow straight and strong, instead of bending and reaching in one direction toward the light.
- 3
  Water the marigolds correctly because too much water causes weak stems and poor rooting. Irrigate when the soil surface feels dry, and empty the water that drains out of the soil from the drip tray after each irrigation. Avoid overwatering and soggy soil.
- 4
  Thin the seedlings so they sit at least 2 inches apart in flats or so there is only one seedling per cell in cell pack pots. Overcrowded seedlings produce weak, leggy growth as they compete with each other for light and moisture.
- 5
  Fertilize sparingly in the weeks prior to transplanting because both too much and too little fertilizer can cause the marigolds to become leggy. Use a balanced water-soluble fertilizer applied every two weeks at half the package recommended rate.

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