How to Pinch, Deadhead, and Support a Growing Marigold

Orange marigolds
  • 1 hours
  • Beginner
  • 0-50
What You'll Need
Pruning shears
Gardening gloves
What You'll Need
Pruning shears
Gardening gloves

Marigold flowers are grown in many home gardens because of their bright colors. The marigold flower can be yellow, golden, orange, red, and white. These flowers are also very easy to grow, making them popular in homes. The marigold flower can be grown indoors and is easily transplanted to your garden. The following tips and tricks are the best ways to pinch, deadhead, and support a growing marigold flower.

Step 1 - Deadhead

Deadheading your marigold plants is the process of removing dead flowers that are no longer blooming. This process helps promote new flower growth and can help to propagate marigold flowers over seasons. Deadheading will promote continual blooming. Dead blooms are not healthy for the plant and should be removed at the stem with pruning shears back to the next bud or set of leaves. This helps to promote growth by bringing the next bud closer to the surface in order to promote blooming.

Step 2 - Deadhead By Pinching

Pinching dead blooms off is just as effective as pruning dead blooms away with pruning shears. Use gardening gloves to pinch the end of the old blooms off at the base of the old bloom. This helps to trick the plant into thinking it is not through reproducing. Most flowers will stop growing once it produces its seeds through the blooms. By pinching these blooms off before they are fully dead it promotes the growth of new blooms.

Step 3 - Other Ways To Promote Growth

Marigold plants need plenty of sunshine and water for healthy growth, which is especially important after you pinch and deadhead away the old blooms. This process exposes leaves and new blooms to more sunshine, thus promoting growth. Applying a layer of water soluble fertilizer can also promote strong growth in the plants. Some marigold varieties grow best if they are first planted indoors with seeds, then transplanted outdoors once the first buds begin to show.

Step 4 - Prepare For Winter

Marigolds can be an annual plant, but they must be cared for in the winter. A light frost may not do too much damage to the plants, but a heavy frost will kill them. Once the weather begins to turn it is wise to transplant marigold plants back inside. Once inside, you can still provide sunlight and water in order to keep them blooming through the winter. This also allows you to keep pruning, pinching, and deadheading blooms throughout the winter in order to allow replanting in the spring.