Wondering how to save seeds from all of those beautiful marigolds growing in your flowerbeds, garden or pots and containers to plant again next year?
Marigolds are one of the most beneficial of all flowering annuals to plant all around your landscape. Not only do they produce loads and loads of big, bright beautiful blooms with little effort, they also happen to be an amazing companion crop for a wide variety of flower and vegetable plants due to their strong scent and brightly colored blooms.
Marigolds are excellent for drawing in pollinators and other beneficial insects to your garden spaces. Even better, their strong scent repels larger unwanted pests like rabbits and squirrels, while working working wonders to keep aphids, hornworms and even mosquitoes away.
But what really makes marigolds the perfect annual is just how easily they can be grown from seed. While you can usually find marigold transplants at local garden centers, there simply is no reason to spend extra money when marigolds grow so quickly by directly seeding into the soil. Especially when you see how easy it is to save the seed from this year’s flowers!
How To Save Marigold Seeds With Ease
The secret to saving marigold seeds with success all starts with knowing what types of marigold plants you can save seed from.
There are two main types of marigolds: hybrid marigolds and open pollinated varieties. Hybrid marigolds are created by crossing at least two or more different parent plants. The seeds that hybrid varieties produce will not be an exact match of the plant you saved the seed from. Instead, they will have characteristics of one of the original parent plants.
Open pollinated varieties, on the other hand, will produce identical copies of the parent plant. Most of the seeds that you purchase in stores are open-pollinating varieties. They are usually listed as African or French marigolds and will not contain the word “hybrid” in them.
Although you can save the seeds from either type of plant, keep in mind that with hybrids, you might not end up with the look or color of the plant as what you were intending to grow. But on the flip side, you might end up with a new variety that you like even better!
So now that we’ve covered the various types of marigolds you can save – let’s cover how to save them. And for that, timing is everything!
Saving Marigolds At The Right Time…
Saving seed from marigold basically boils down to saving a few of the fading flowers as they die off It is within these flower heads where the seeds are located. But when you save is important. It’s always best to allow the plant to produce flowers for awhile before saving.
If you save blooms too early in the season, the plant has not matured enough to produce its best quality seed. Instead, wait until at least mid-summer to begin saving seed to get the highest quality.
The easiest way to harvest marigold seeds is to wait until the seed heads have started to dry out slightly on their own. You will start to see the petals turning brown and crispy as the color begins to fade from the flower.
To test if the bloom is ready for picking, pull out one of the individual petals. The long and thin seed will be attached to a single petal. One end of the long stem should be white or clear, while the other should be black. The black end is actually the seed that will produce a new marigold plant.
If, however, the seed head is all one color and not black and white, the bloom is not yet ready for harvesting. If you save at this point, the seed will more than likely be sterile and not produce a plant next year.
Drying Out The Seeds – How To Save Marigold Seeds
Once you have the seed head cut from the plant, it’s time to dry out the individual seeds. If the bloom is already somewhat dry, the seeds should pull out fairly easily. Gently pull out the seeds out by holding on to the petals with one hand and the base of the flower head with the other.
Put the individual seeds on a paper towel or plate to dry out completely. You don’t need to separate the clear part from the black. It’s important to keep the seeds in a dry location that is out of direct sunlight. It will take anywhere from a few days to a week or two to fully dry out.
You can test if they are ready by breaking one in half. If it easily snaps, it’s ready for storage. If they don’t, allow them to dry out for a few more days. You don’t want any moisture in the seeds at all because they can end up molding in storage.
How To Store Marigold Seeds Over Winter
Once the marigold seeds are fully dry, it’s time to store them for the winter. The key to keeping them viable is to keep them cool and dry.
Moisture is the enemy when it comes to saving seeds since any small amount can cause the seeds to mold while in storage. For this reason, do not use any type of plastic container since they easily harbor moisture.
The best way to store saved marigold seeds is to use a paper envelope. Another option is to reuse old seed packets or purchase inexpensive kraft seed packets online. Product Link: 100 Pack Self-Adhesive Kraft Paper Seed Envelopes
Don’t forget to label and date your seed packets. While you might know exactly what is inside at the time of storage, it’s quite easy to forget several months from now. The best place to store your seeds is in a cool, dark and dry location. The seeds do not need cold to activate, and there is no need to store them in the freezer.
Under ideal storing conditions, saved marigold seeds can stay good for up to two years. However, they are most viable when used the following spring. Here’s to saving money while also saving your favorite marigold seeds to grow again next year!
For more on saving seeds, check out our article How To Save Zinnia Seeds.
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