Orange African Marigolds at 59 Inches

I love marigolds! I live in Florida and have a lot of direct sunlight. Marigolds are great blooming plants that are pretty reliable and love the full sunlight.

In March 2012, I planted a tray of yellow marigolds throughout my front flower bed. Then, I put 4 of the yellow marigolds in a large pot. It seemed like the next day that I received a promotion in the mail that included a package of marigold seeds. I added those to the middle of the circular flower pot, amongst the already blooming yellow marigolds.

Yellow Marigolds Blooming Heartily
Orange African Marigolds from Seed Just Erupting in the Center
Jacksonville, Florida : April 5, 2012

On April 5, 2012 I noticed that the orange African marigolds were beginning to emerge through the soil. If you look in the middle of the above picture, you can see little seedlings peeking through the soil.

Fast forward to July 27, 2012 and here are the orange African marigolds which were planted from seed. The bloom first started to open perhaps two days ago.

Orange African Marigolds at 39 Inches
Jacksonville, Florida : July 27, 2012

I was consulting the online almanac to determine the average size of marigolds. I learned there are some 50 species of marigold! That's amazing. It seems that most marigolds that we see are from three different species. One of those happens to be the Tagetes erecta which are reportedly the tallest of all marigolds coming in at three to five feet. The Tagetes erecta are sometimes referred to as African or American marigolds. Well, I'm pretty sure that I planted Tagetes erecta or African marigold seeds!

The online almanac provides a pretty comprehensive care and maintenance guide for the marigolds. I learned that I should have separated those seedlings when they were 2 inches tall. Marigolds not only love direct sunlight, but a fertile soil that is well-drained. In that pot I have a bottom area of sandy soil for drainage and added potting soil to the top portion.

Well, it's pretty amazing to see orange marigolds at 39 inches! I guess I never expected such a "large" plant from seeds. At first, I thought perhaps I was growing a tomato plant! How about that? Are you ready to try growing African Marigolds? Gosh, 200 seeds are just $1.85! Let me know if you've tried growing African Marigolds from seed. I'd love to see your pictures!

UPDATE:  Growth Alert! It is the "power of ten" - 10 inches!
Jacksonville, Florida October 17, 2012 - My Orange African Marigolds have grown even more! On October 17, 2012 I measured them once again.. They now have grown another 10 inches and are 59 inches tall!

Orange and Yellow African Marigolds at 59 Inches
Photographed at 10:30am on October 17, 2012

Jacksonville, Florida September 23, 2012 - My Orange African Marigolds have grown a bit! On September 23, 2012 I measured them. They now have grown another 10 inches and are 49 inches tall!

Orange and Yellow African Marigolds at 49 Inches
Photographed at 4:20pm on September 23, 2012

Jacksonville, Florida July 27, 2012 - My Orange African Marigolds have surely grown from those little seeds! On July 27, 2012 I measured them. They are officially 39 inches tall!

Not only do I have pretty spectacular Orange African Marigolds, but I now have Yellow African Marigolds mixed in! You can also see the regular Yellow Marigolds to the right. I think it is pretty incredible how these flowering beauties grew from little seeds. At 39 inches, I added a growing brace to stabilize the growing plant and keep it erect.