Marigold Greenery

Here is some information about one of our simplest, least expensive annual bouquet/arrangement greenery choices. Marigolds are useful in any arrangement or bouquet that will be kept in water. (They will wilt if used in installation work without water.) We use marigold greens in our supermarket bouquets, CSA bouquets, vase arrangements/centerpieces, and in bulk greenery buckets. When we were taking a high volume of weddings and events, marigold greens were a staple of almost every event, featuring in hundreds of centerpieces.

We grow marigolds primarily for their greens. They have branching ferny stems that are fantastic for bouquets and vase arrangements.

We choose giant marigold varieties from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. This year, we’re growing Giant Orange, Giant Yellow, and White Swan. The smaller French marigolds, while pretty, are not tall enough to provide the stem length we like.

We grow our marigolds from seed and start them in Vermont Compost (Fort Vee blend) in 72 cell trays. We use humidity domes and get them started at room temp under bright LED lights. When they have two true leaf sets, we pinch the top set and growing point off to promote branching.

Harvest marigold stems early in the morning when they are about 2-3ft tall. Cut them and place them directly into deep cold clean water. Snip off low leaves and branching bits (if torn off, you may inadvertantly strip off part of the stem).

Hydrate stems in cold water in a shady place or flower cooler for a couple of hours before use. If you use them too quickly or direct from the field on a warm day, you may see wilting.