The Ultimate Guide to Harvesting and Saving Marigold Seeds
Are you a fan of marigold flowers and wondering how you can save and store their seeds for future planting? The answer is yes! You can definitely save seeds from fading marigold blooms to grow new plants in your garden next year.
In this comprehensive guide, I will take you through the step-by-step process of harvesting and saving marigold seeds. By following these seven simple steps, you will be well on your way to ensuring successful seed-saving and beautiful blooms in the future.
What Do Marigold Seeds Look Like?
Before we dive into the seed-saving process, let’s make sure you know what marigold seeds actually look like. Each faded marigold bloom contains thin “achenes,” which are long and thin, black at one end, and cream colored at the other. These achenes are technically fruits, with each one containing a single seed. For our purposes, you can consider the achene to be the seed itself.
1. Choose Open-Pollinated Varieties
To start off, it’s crucial to choose open-pollinated varieties of marigolds. Open-pollinated cultivars will breed true, meaning that future generations will have the same characteristics as their parent plants. Heirloom cultivars are always open-pollinated, while some non-heirloom cultivars are also open-pollinated. Hybrids, on the other hand, are not open-pollinated and will not breed true.
One of the recommended open-pollinated marigold varieties is T. patula ‘Legion of Honor,’ which features beautiful bicolored red and gold blooms that attract pollinators.
2. Isolate Species
After choosing your open-pollinated marigold variety, the next step is to isolate species. Isolating varieties of the same species will help prevent cross-pollination and ensure that your propagation stock breeds true to type. Consider the distance needed to isolate a variety based on pollinator populations, wind, and other landscape factors.
Additionally, if you’re growing multiple marigold cultivars and want to avoid cross-pollination, choose cultivars from different Tagetes species.
3. Collect Dry Seed Heads
As your marigold plants produce blooms, keep an eye out for spent flowers. Instead of deadheading faded blooms immediately, allow them to dry on the plant. Mature achenes are necessary for successful seed saving, so letting the flowers dry out is essential.
Harvest the dry seed heads from multiple plants if possible to ensure genetic diversity in your seed collection.
4. Allow Harvested Seed Heads to Dry
Once you’ve collected the dry marigold flower heads, bring them indoors and spread them out on a plate, tray, or drying rack. Allow the withered blooms to continue releasing any remaining moisture to prevent mold growth on the achenes. The duration of this step will depend on the humidity levels in your location.
Try the snap test to check if the achenes are fully dry. If they snap when broken in half, they are ready for the next step.
5. Remove Achenes from Seed Heads
After the harvested seed heads have dried, break them open and remove the achenes. Collect the seeds in a container and set aside the husks of the faded flower heads for disposal. With marigolds, there is no additional vegetation to remove, making achene collection straightforward.
6. Place in Packets
Once the achenes are dry and removed from the flower heads, store them in paper packets or airtight containers. Label the packets with the flower name, cultivar, and year of harvest to keep track of your seed collection.
Consider using repurposed envelopes or small storage envelopes for this purpose to prevent mold growth and maintain seed viability.
7. Store Securely
Finally, place the filled envelopes or containers in a dry and cool location for long-term storage. Some gardeners prefer storing seeds in the fridge or freezer, while others opt for rodent-proof containers to protect their collection. Tagetes achenes can remain viable for two to five years when stored properly.
Congratulations, you are now equipped to be a master marigold seed-saver! By following these seven steps, you can ensure a consistent and reliable supply of Tagetes blooms for years to come.
If you have any questions or need further assistance with the seed-saving process, feel free to reach out in the comments section below. Share your success stories and photos of your marigold blooms for other gardeners to admire!
Don’t forget to explore additional resources on planting marigold seeds, the edibility of marigold flowers, and companion planting with marigolds for a thriving garden.
With these tips and tricks, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a successful marigold gardener and seed saver. Happy gardening!
