Crackerjack, Marigold Seeds

Crackerjack Marigold Seed

Huge carnation-like blooms top tall sturdy stems
Yellow, gold, and orange create festive summer color
Bushy flowers make bold garden and bouquet statements
Tough plants tolerate lean soil and browsing

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Tagetes erecta

Days to maturity

45 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

275 Seeds

About Crackerjack, Marigold Seed, Marigold Seed

The Crackerjack Marigold is a festive flowing plant that produces huge, bushy blooms of carnation-like flowers on tall stems. This variety blooms yellow, gold and orange that adds a beautiful pop of color to any garden!

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/2"

Days to Germination

5–10 days

Germination Type

A - No Pretreatment

In-row plant spacing

6-24"

Plant profile

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

36 inches

Growth Habits

Upright

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

8,500

Color

Orange, Yellow

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Before Planting

For marigolds, prepare a sunny bed that drains after rain and allows air to move between plants. Clear weeds, loosen the upper soil, and mix in a small amount of finished compost if needed. No routine seed pretreatment is required.

Planting

Start marigolds indoors 4–6 weeks before the last spring frost, or direct sow after frost once the soil has warmed. Keep the medium warm and evenly moist until emergence, then provide strong light. Thin indoor seedlings to one per cell and harden before transplanting. Space dwarf marigolds 6–9 inches apart and taller types 12–18 inches apart.

Watering

Water marigold regularly until established, then irrigate deeply only when the soil becomes dry. Avoid frequent shallow watering and saturated conditions, which encourage weak growth or root disease.

Fertilizer

A light application of balanced flower fertilizer can support marigold after establishment and during a weak flowering period. Follow the label rate and do not try to force blooms with extra nitrogen.

Harvesting

Cut marigold flowers when blooms are well colored and at the opening stage best suited to display. Harvest during the cool morning with clean shears, leaving healthy foliage for continued flowering.

Tips

Pinch young marigold plants to encourage branching when appropriate, then deadhead regularly to extend flowering. Succession plantings can maintain color after the earliest plants decline.

Pests & Diseases

Alternaria blight, Botrytis, Fusarium stem rot, damping-off, and aster yellows occur on marigolds. Green, distorted flowers indicate aster yellows and require whole-plant removal. Use clean seedling mix, rotate flower beds, deadhead blighted blooms, and avoid treating marigolds as disease-proof companions for nearby vegetables.

During active growth, inspect marigold for aphids, thrips, spider mites, Japanese beetles, slugs, and caterpillars. Keep the planting uncrowded, examine buds often, and address isolated colonies before they spread through the bed.