How Much Water Does A Marigold Need?

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Marigolds are beautifully vibrant flowering plants that will give you blooms from early summer until late fall when you care for them properly. If you’ve never planted one in your garden or are new to caring for them, you might wonder how much and how often to water marigolds.

Let’s explore how easy it is to water marigolds and keep them happy throughout the summer and fall seasons.

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Tips On Watering Marigolds

Marigold flowers flourish in bright sun and well-draining soil. When you provide these two necessary growing requirements, you must find the proper watering schedule to keep them happy.

They enjoy a nice soaking each time their soil is almost dry. For most outdoor locations, this means watering the marigolds about once a week. 

However, you might get away with watering them less frequently if your summer temperatures reach 90° degrees Fahrenheit and the soil dry out slowly.



However, you might need to water them more frequently during a heat wave with exceptionally bright sun.

The most important thing to remember about marigold watering is to ensure you only take a watering can to them if the soil is almost dry. 

Don’t be afraid to stick a finger into the ground at the base of the plant to gauge the dampness of the soil.

How Much Water Do Marigolds Need?

Now that you know to water your marigolds about once a week, how much water should you give them each week?

Water the marigolds until the soil is soaked, but don’t flood them.

The amount of water you deliver may change based on the size of the pot in which the marigolds live or the depth of the soil in the flower bed.

Tending To Baby Marigolds Or Newly Planted Marigolds

When you water your newly planted marigolds, you’ll want to deliver extra water to encourage healthy root growth. Watering them every three days for about 1 or 2 weeks should suffice.

Once the plants look happy in their new home, water them about once a week. A gardening drip line that delivers water once a week is an excellent way to keep the marigolds happy as they grow.

Consider watering before dawn to reduce evaporation and maximize the water you use.

Water Marigolds At The Root

You might assume that marigolds drink water through their leaves or flowers, but they actually absorb water through the ground and into their root system. So it’s best to avoid watering them from above unless there’s no way around it.

These plants enjoy watering at the soil level, and watering them from above can make them vulnerable to fungal infections throughout their stems and leaves. 

If you have access to a soaker hose, they’re ideal for watering your marigolds at the base without covering the leaves and flowers with cascading water.

Check the Soil Moisture Regularly

It’s easy to adopt a healthy watering schedule for your marigolds since they’re usually a “set it and forget it” type of plant, but it’s helpful to check the soil around your plant every once in a while, too.

If you experience inclement weather, check the soil to ensure your marigolds aren’t drowning. Also, you might want to turn off your drip line or hold off watering the plants if you get a summer rainstorm or a week of heavy clouds where the soil doesn’t dry out as expected.

Saving Overwatered Marigold Plants

In your zeal to ensure your marigolds receive adequate water, you may accidentally give them too much water. So what happens when you overwater marigolds?

Since marigolds are hardy and grow best in well-draining soil, you might end up with waterlogged marigolds that could develop root rot or fungus, as well as dropped leaves and eventual death.

Simply water the plant less frequently if they’re water-logged or the soil is damp. If you’re worried about standing water, you can till the soil around the flowers, which should provide aeration and dry things out quickly.

Why Should You Beautify Your Garden With Marigolds?

Marigolds have a pungent scent that repels some annoying garden pests, and it’s common to place them near tomatoes to keep bugs from eating the fruit. However, you may need to place your plant in a different bed from the tomatoes.

Tomatoes need water at least once a day early in their growing season. However, some garden tomatoes require watering twice daily when the weather gets hot. 

Marigolds only need water about once a week, so try to avoid wetting them daily when you water the nearby tomatoes.

How Often Do You Water Marigolds? Don’t Overthink It

Marigold water requirements aren’t complicated and don’t need substantial attention in-between watering. 

As long as you choose soil that drains quickly and places them in a spot with lots of direct sunlight, it should grow easily with a weekly soaking at the soil level.

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