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How To Save Marigold Seeds? 3 Easy Steps!

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If you’re like me, you love spending time in the garden surrounded by beautiful blooms. One of my favorite flowers to grow is the marigold. These brightly colored flowers are not only beautiful, but they’re also edible.

Did you know that you can save the seeds from your marigolds so you can plant them again next year? It’s really easy to do, and in this article, I’m going to show you how to save marigold seeds.

Marigolds are a low-maintenance, easy-to-grow flower that provides a steady supply of vibrant color. They’re also known for repelling hazardous insects, making them a great low-impact and completely organic pest control option.

Marigold seeds aren’t particularly costly, but they must be replaced every year. This year, why not try to collect and save marigold seeds?

Each plant produces flower heads with petals, which develop into pods that carry the seeds. Marigolds produce a lot of seeds, with every marigold pod yielding about 30-35 seeds. Therefore, learning how to save Marigold leaves is a great way to stock up on these seeds for the following year.

It’s critical to harvest marigold seeds at the correct time. The best time to harvest marigold seeds is when the flowers are starting to fade, and the petals are beginning to fall off.

You’ll know they’re ready when the seeds inside the flower start to turn black. When the seed pods are still green at the base, it’s fine to harvest them. If you wait much longer, mold will grow on the seeds, ruining them.

How To Save Marigold Seeds
Marigold Seeds – via Flickr

A Garden Guide on How To Save Marigold Seeds

Many gardens have marigolds as a mainstay. They are easy to cultivate from seed and produce bright and profuse colors throughout the season.

You won’t be needing new plants or seeds for the following growing season if you learn how to save Marigold seeds. It’s simple to collect and save marigold seeds. To store the seeds during the winter, take the seeds from the blossoms and let them air dry.

Step 1: Harvesting

It would be best to wait for the seeds to mature before collecting marigold seeds. This means you’ll have to keep your wilting and dying marigold blooms on the plants for a bit, as the seeds won’t be ready if you snap them off as soon as they start to flag.

You can gently split open the seedhead with your fingers to examine if the seeds are developed. You’ll be able to see the seeds, which are still attached to the plant if you do this. When the seeds turn dark, they’re ready to harvest. Seeds that are pale aren’t quite ready yet. Later, double-check them!

To save marigold seeds, you’ll need a paper bag and a plastic bag. Now, cut the flowers off the stem or pluck them by holding the base of flowers and pulling them.

The seeds are linked to the base on the inside. For the time being, place the prepared blossoms on a paper towel. Place them in the paper bag.

Allow the flowers to dry for a few days until the petals fall off. Once the petals have fallen off, you can remove the seeds from the flower and place them in the plastic bag.

You can also break the marigold heads apart with your hands once you cut the flowers off the stem, pulling the seeds off with your fingers. The seeds of marigolds are slender, long, and pointed.

On one end, they’re black, and on the other, they’re light. Scrape the seeds from the base of each blossom. The base should then be discarded. 

Step 2: Drying

To survive until the next year, the seeds need to be dried. Place a cloth or a paper towel on a flat surface.

Over the next few days, the collected seeds will need to be distributed over it to dry, so you should choose a suitable location for drying. Separate any seed clusters before scattering them over the drying area.

They should be left alone now! After the seeds have dried completely, you can pick them up and keep them. After a week, put them to the test by picking up a seed and attempting to snap it in half. It should split if it has dried sufficiently. If it bends, let them dry more!

Step 3: Storage

Place the seeds in a jar or other container and store them in a cool, dry place. You can also store them in the freezer. Dried seeds must be kept away from direct sunlight and heat in paper envelopes, glass canning jars, or brown paper lunch bags.

Label the envelope with the contents and the date harvested, so you recognize what’s inside. If you have several marigold kinds, keep them separate while drying and use distinct envelopes for each variety unless you don’t mind mixing plants.

If you’re going to keep the seeds anywhere, ensure it doesn’t have a lot of temperature or humidity fluctuations. Wet seeds can rot, sprout, or mold, so keep them dry. Keep the envelopes or jars cold, dark, and dry locations.

How To Save Marigold Seeds 2
Day 3 of seed starting and there are already marigolds sprouting! – via Reddit

Step 4: Planting

Plant the seeds in your garden after the last frost date in the spring. Seeds saved during the winter must be used for best results in the next growing season.

When it’s time to plant the seeds, sow them in a pot or garden bed and water them well. The seeds will germinate, and you’ll soon have beautiful marigolds blooming in your garden again.

Marigolds propagate quickly, so they don’t need to be started inside. If you do, seedlings can be transplanted outdoors once they are nearly 2 inches tall.

If the seeds are sown directly in the ground, you may wish to thin them out after they sprout about 10 inches apart. New branches should be cut down using scissors rather than being pulled out of the ground, as this could destroy the root system of the other plants.

One thing to keep in mind when gathering marigold seeds: you can’t always expect to receive an exact replica of the parent’s blossoms. If the plant you gathered is an heirloom, the seeds will produce blossoms that look just like the ones you picked.

However, if it’s a hybrid (which is likely if you bought inexpensive plants from a garden center), the following generation will most likely not look the same.


Final Remarks

Saving marigold seeds is a great way to extend the life of your plants, and it’s also a fun project to do with the kids. So, next time you’re in the garden, be sure to plant some marigolds and save the seeds for next year.

The best time to save marigold seeds is when the flowers are in full bloom. Cut the flower heads off the plant and let them dry for a day or two.

Then, cut the pods open and extract the seeds. You can either use a screen to separate the seeds from the pod, or you can rub the pods between your fingers. Store the seeds in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to plant them.

Now that you know how to save Marigold seeds, you can enjoy these beautiful flowers for many years to come. Thanks for reading!