- All seeds
- Makkelijke Moestuin sowing calendar
- Are our seeds organic?
- What are Salanovas?
- What does F1 mean?
- African Marigold: sowing and growing
- Asian salad mix: sowing and growing
- Endive: sowing and growing
- Baby broccoli
- Bush tomato
- Bush basil: sowing and growing
- Beetroot: sowing and growing
- Lente-ui
- Chinese bieslook
- Chioggia beetroot: sowing and growing
- Bindsla
- Boterboon
- Climbing courgette
- Dropplant
- Yellomato: sowing and growing
- Goudsbloem
- Komkommer
- Cilantro: sowing and growing
- Bibb lettuce: sowing and growing
- NZ spinach: sowing and growing
- OI-kers
- Paksoi
- Palmkool
- Peultjes
- Red Crispy lettuce
- Baby pompoen
- Reuzen radijs
- Arugola: sowing and growing
- Snijbiet
- Snijboon
- Bacon bean: sowing and growing
- Spinach
- Stamboon
- Stengelsla
- Sugarsnap
- Veldsla
- Wintererwt
- Winterpostelein
- Wortel
- Paarse wortel
- Zonnebloem
- All seeds
- Makkelijke Moestuin sowing calendar
- Are our seeds organic?
- What are Salanovas?
- What does F1 mean?
- African Marigold: sowing and growing
- Asian salad mix: sowing and growing
- Endive: sowing and growing
- Baby broccoli
- Bush tomato
- Bush basil: sowing and growing
- Beetroot: sowing and growing
- Lente-ui
- Chinese bieslook
- Chioggia beetroot: sowing and growing
- Bindsla
- Boterboon
- Climbing courgette
- Dropplant
- Yellomato: sowing and growing
- Goudsbloem
- Komkommer
- Cilantro: sowing and growing
- Bibb lettuce: sowing and growing
- NZ spinach: sowing and growing
- OI-kers
- Paksoi
- Palmkool
- Peultjes
- Red Crispy lettuce
- Baby pompoen
- Reuzen radijs
- Arugola: sowing and growing
- Snijbiet
- Snijboon
- Bacon bean: sowing and growing
- Spinach
- Stamboon
- Stengelsla
- Sugarsnap
- Veldsla
- Wintererwt
- Winterpostelein
- Wortel
- Paarse wortel
- Zonnebloem
African marigolds: sowing, growing and companion planting
African marigolds are the best neighbour plants for your vegetable garden. They improve the soil, ward off nematodes, and attract tons of bees and butterflies.
What are African marigolds?
African marigolds - officially called 'Tagetes' - are (usually) annual plants with yellow, orange, or red flowers. They are popular as bedding plants because they bloom from summer until well into fall.
But you also see them a lot in the vegetable garden because they're helpful to other plants and vegetables. They keep harmful insects and nematodes away.
This marigold variety comes from warmer climates in Central America and Mexico originally. They can be found there in the wild. They were only given the name African marigolds when the Spanish brought them to Europe. The Moors in Spain also used them a lot in their gardens.
But you also see them a lot in the vegetable garden because they're helpful to other plants and vegetables. They keep harmful insects and nematodes away.
This marigold variety comes from warmer climates in Central America and Mexico originally. They can be found there in the wild. They were only given the name African marigolds when the Spanish brought them to Europe. The Moors in Spain also used them a lot in their gardens.
More about our African Marigolds
African Marigolds are one of the best companion plants for your vegetable garden. They repel harmful insects, such as aphids, and attract lots of bees and butterflies.
- Variety: Tagetes Naughty Mariette
- Family: flowers
- Number per square: 1
- Height: 25 to 45 cm
- Pre-sowing: April to May (sow outside from late May to June)
- Sowing depth: max. 0.5 cm
- Germination time: 7 to 21 days from 18°C
- Time to flowering: from 10 weeks
- Sunlight: preferably full sun, but a little shade is fine too
- Packet contents: approx. 60 seeds, for 15+ squares
Note: these seeds have an expiry date of 2027. From then on, germination may slowly decrease, but you can still sow them successfully.
Our African Marigolds grow into sturdy, nicely compact plants with masses of yellow-orange flowers until well into autumn.
The flowers of this variety are single, so bees, butterflies and bumblebees can easily reach the nectar. That is much harder for them with the common double-flowered marigolds.
The flowers of this variety are single, so bees, butterflies and bumblebees can easily reach the nectar. That is much harder for them with the common double-flowered marigolds.
What do you need to grow your own African marigolds?
Here's everything you need to grow African marigolds:
- a 30x30 cm patch with airy, nutrient-rich soil mix
- African marigold seeds
- a place with at least 6 hours of sunlight a day
In other words, an MM-Mini, or a square patch in one of our garden boxes, filled with MM-Mix.
Growing marigolds in this perfect soil mix is super easy. If you use poor-quality (potting) soil, it's much harder and the results will be disappointing. So just go for the best 😉
Growing marigolds in this perfect soil mix is super easy. If you use poor-quality (potting) soil, it's much harder and the results will be disappointing. So just go for the best 😉
How to sow and grow marigold?
Our African marigold is included in the free Makkelijke Moestuin app. Use it, and you'll get step-by-step guidance from seed to harvest.
Each vegetable goes through a number of stages - we call them levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and checks in when your plants are ready for the next.
So you don't need to know how to grow marigolds before you start: the app takes you through every step.
But if you'd like to read more about those steps, here's what the process looks like:
Each vegetable goes through a number of stages - we call them levels. The app tells you exactly what to do at each level and checks in when your plants are ready for the next.
So you don't need to know how to grow marigolds before you start: the app takes you through every step.
But if you'd like to read more about those steps, here's what the process looks like:
Level 1: Pre-sowing African marigolds
Level 1: Afrikaantjes voorzaaien
African marigold seedlings struggle outdoors. They often get eaten up by snails and other pests.
So, we sow the plants indoors first and only put them in a garden box when they're strong enough. That's called pre-sowing.
For pre-sowing you use 2 MM-Airpots with equal parts MM-Mix and vermiculite.
Plant some seeds in each pot and put them on the windowsill.
So, we sow the plants indoors first and only put them in a garden box when they're strong enough. That's called pre-sowing.
For pre-sowing you use 2 MM-Airpots with equal parts MM-Mix and vermiculite.
Plant some seeds in each pot and put them on the windowsill.
Level 2 and 3: African marigold seedlings
Level 2 en 3: Afrikaantjes zaailingen
As soon as you see the first seedlings, you know things are going well. They probably won't all come up at once, but just give it another week or 2. Sometimes it may take a little longer.
Then put the pots in a light but unheated place: they won't do nearly as well if it's too warm.
At level 3, you thin out your seedlings. Leave the best seedling in each pot and ruthlessly cut away the rest. It might sound harsh, but it's necessary. You're giving the remaining plants enough room to grow.
Then put the pots in a light but unheated place: they won't do nearly as well if it's too warm.
At level 3, you thin out your seedlings. Leave the best seedling in each pot and ruthlessly cut away the rest. It might sound harsh, but it's necessary. You're giving the remaining plants enough room to grow.
Levels 4 and 5: care for your plants on the windowsill
Level 4 en 5: Verzorg je plantjes op de vensterbank
Your seedlings have now grown into small plants.
Over these 5 weeks, make sure your plants:
- get plenty of light
- are not kept too warm
- get enough moisture
If you have a cold greenhouse, they can go there too, but bring them back inside if there is night frost.
Levels 6-10: getting used to outdoor air
In the second half of May, let the plants get used to outdoor air: a little longer each day.
In the final level they stay outside all day, and you only bring them back inside at night.
In the final level they stay outside all day, and you only bring them back inside at night.
Level 10: Transfer the most beautiful plant
Level 11: Uitplanten in een eigen vak
When your plants have gotten used to being outside, you can transfer the best-looking of them to your garden box or MM-Mini.
After transplanting, there isn't much more to do: your plants pretty much grow by themselves.
Plant your African marigold next to carrots, parsley, and/or kale plants. It protects the first 2 nematodes in the soil mix.
It does something else for the kale plants. Since the flowers have a sharp smell, butterflies don't pick up the scent of the kale as much and they're less likely to lay their eggs on your kale plants. It helps, but it's no guarantee, so keep an eye on them anyway 🙂
After transplanting, there isn't much more to do: your plants pretty much grow by themselves.
Plant your African marigold next to carrots, parsley, and/or kale plants. It protects the first 2 nematodes in the soil mix.
It does something else for the kale plants. Since the flowers have a sharp smell, butterflies don't pick up the scent of the kale as much and they're less likely to lay their eggs on your kale plants. It helps, but it's no guarantee, so keep an eye on them anyway 🙂
Level 11: Flowering marigolds
Level 12: de eerste knoppen en bloemen
About 10 weeks after sowing, you'll see the first buds and flowers.
From now on the plants will continue to bloom. Cut back wilting or dead flowers and the stems will continue to bloom.
From now on the plants will continue to bloom. Cut back wilting or dead flowers and the stems will continue to bloom.
From this point on, the plant will keep flowering. Keep cutting away spent flowers, and the plant will make more and more new buds.
This is also an easy way to harvest seeds for next year: they look beautiful.
This is also an easy way to harvest seeds for next year: they look beautiful.
The end of the season
At the end of the growing season, you'll receive a last notification from the app. By then the plant probably looks pretty sad and doesn't have many flowers left.
If the plant gets really ugly then remove it completely. Tidy up your empty patch, and get ready to sow something new.
If the plant gets really ugly then remove it completely. Tidy up your empty patch, and get ready to sow something new.
So, what's stopping you from growing your own marigolds?
They look great, add color to your garden box, and attract tons of pollinators to your garden.
Plus: with our app and materials, it's almost impossible to fail 😉
Order your marigold seeds from the shop or get started with a complete starter kit:
Plus: with our app and materials, it's almost impossible to fail 😉
Order your marigold seeds from the shop or get started with a complete starter kit:
Enjoy your African marigolds!
About our seeds
- All seeds
- Makkelijke Moestuin sowing calendar
- Are our seeds organic?
- What are Salanovas?
- What does F1 mean?
- African Marigold: sowing and growing
- Asian salad mix: sowing and growing
- Endive: sowing and growing
- Baby broccoli
- Bush tomato
- Bush basil: sowing and growing
- Beetroot: sowing and growing
- Lente-ui
- Chinese bieslook
- Chioggia beetroot: sowing and growing
- Bindsla
- Boterboon
- Climbing courgette
- Dropplant
- Yellomato: sowing and growing
- Goudsbloem
- Komkommer
- Cilantro: sowing and growing
- Bibb lettuce: sowing and growing
- NZ spinach: sowing and growing
- OI-kers
- Paksoi
- Palmkool
- Peultjes
- Red Crispy lettuce
- Baby pompoen
- Reuzen radijs
- Arugola: sowing and growing
- Snijbiet
- Snijboon
- Bacon bean: sowing and growing
- Spinach
- Stamboon
- Stengelsla
- Sugarsnap
- Veldsla
- Wintererwt
- Winterpostelein
- Wortel
- Paarse wortel
- Zonnebloem