Growing marigold
Tagetes erecta · also called Genda, GaindaAfrican marigold, grown for its large orange and yellow flowers for garlands and worship, and as a border row in vegetable plots. Raised in a nursery and transplanted; frost kills it.
Central plateau: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha
At a glance
Marigold in the Central plateau
Across India
When to sow it
Twelve growing regions, January to December. Your region comes first.
- Nursery
- Transplant
- Harvest
- Under cover
- Today
Compare all 12 regionsShow fewer regions
See the dates as a table
| Region | Sow | Nursery | Transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central plateau | FebruaryMayAugustNovember | MarchJuneSeptemberDecember | April to JulyJuly to OctoberNovember to JanuaryFebruary to April | |
| Temperate Himalaya | Under cover: Late March to April, under cover | May to early June | Late July to early October | |
| Cold desert | Under cover: April, in a greenhouse | Late May to early June | Late July to September | |
| Sub-tropical foothills | JuneSeptember to OctoberUnder cover: January, under cover | JulyOctober to NovemberFebruary | ||
| North-west plains | End of JuneMid SeptemberUnder cover: January, under polythene | By 25 FebruaryFirst half of AugustBy mid October | ||
| Gangetic plains | Mid JuneMid SeptemberJanuary to February | Mid JulyMid OctoberFebruary to March | ||
| North-east hills and valleys | September to early OctoberMarch | October to early NovemberApril | December to March | |
| Arid west | JuneSeptember | JulyOctober | December to early March | |
| Deccan plateau | FebruaryMayAugustNovember | MarchJuneSeptemberDecember | April to JulyJuly to OctoberNovember to JanuaryFebruary to April | |
| South interior | FebruaryMayAugustNovember | MarchJuneSeptemberDecember | April to JulyJuly to OctoberNovember to JanuaryFebruary to April | |
| West coast | Late August to SeptemberDecember | Late September to OctoberJanuary | December to February | |
| East coast | FebruaryMayAugustNovember | MarchJuneSeptemberDecember | April to JulyJuly to OctoberNovember to JanuaryFebruary to April |
From seed to harvest
One season, day by day
Days from sowing
Day 0
Sow
Day 140 to 180
Last picking
No published guide covers this for the Central plateau, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Before sowing
Farmyard manure3
25 t per hectare · Work it into the soil. · 15 days before transplanting
Day 0
Sow
Day 4 to 5
Day 21 to 28
Transplant1
Day 140 to 180
Last pickingNo published guide covers this for the Central plateau, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Never let the crop go short of water while it is growing leaves. Water about every 8 to 10 days in winter and every 4 to 5 days in summer, more or less with the soil.3
What it needs
Soil, sun and warmth
Soil pH1,3
7 to 7.5
Deep, fertile, well drained soil that holds water well; sandy loam suits it. Mix well rotted farmyard manure in at the last ploughing.
Sunlight2Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
At least 6 hours a day
Full sun. In shade the plants grow lanky and flower poorly.
Temperature3,1Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
Grows best at 18 to 20 °C
Frost: none tolerated.
Monthly temperatures for the Central plateau aren't in the library yet.
Water and feeding
Watering3
Never let the crop go short of water while it is growing leaves. Water about every 8 to 10 days in winter and every 4 to 5 days in summer, more or less with the soil.
Weeding3
Keep the field clean for a good flush of flowers. Most crops need four to six weedings.
| When | What | How much | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 days before transplanting | Farmyard manure | 25 t per hectare | Work it into the soil. |
Varieties and yield
8 to 12 tonnes a hectare
Yields vary with the plot, the seed and the season.
Pests and diseases3
Organic and cultural controls only.
Aphids
Signs
Small green, grey or black insects cluster on the growing tips and suck sap; plants turn weak.
Beetles and weevils
Signs
They eat young leaves and tender shoots, mostly near the ground.
Leaf hoppers
Signs
Leaves roll and curl and shoots wilt, mainly in the rainy season. French marigold suffers more than African.
Red spider mite
Signs
Active at flowering. Leaves look speckled, discoloured and dusty.
Damping off
Signs
Dark spots and rings on young seedlings, which then collapse.
Prevention
- Look after the nursery well; losses are high in a neglected bed.
Wilt and stem rot
Signs
The collar rots; seedlings damp off and field plants wilt. African types are hit harder than French and dwarf types.
Prevention
- It gets worse in wet soil, so do not overwater.
Collar rot
Signs
Black patches on the main stem and rotting at the collar kill the plant.
What to do
- Water with care.
Leaf spot and blight
Signs
Brown dead spots on the leaves grow larger until the foliage is spoilt.
Powdery mildew
Signs
White powdery growth on the leaves and stems.
Flower bud rot
Signs
Young buds shrivel and turn dark brown; leaf tips and edges show brown spots.
Seed and the season's end
Saving seed1,3
Marigold crosses between varieties: keep 600 to 1,000 m between them, and pull out off type plants at the leafy stage and again at flowering.
When the seed is ready
Pick seed heads when the petals start to shrivel. Leave the small, poorly formed flowers.
Cleaning the seed
Dry the picked heads in the shade for 10 to 15 days, then in the sun for 1 to 2 days. Cleaned seed comes to about two fifths of the fresh flower weight.
Pack dry seed in plastic bags or other closed containers and keep it in a cool place. It stays good for about one to two years.
After the last pickingNo published guide covers this for the Central plateau, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Pull the plants once picking falls off and compost the healthy ones. Take wilted or rotted plants off the field.
Pull the plants after the last picking and compost the healthy ones. Take plants that wilted or rotted at the collar off the field.
Rotation
Do not grow marigold on the same bed year after year; rotate it with a vegetable or a cereal.
Sources
Where this comes from
Our team has checked this guide against the sources at the end of the page.Reviewed by our team on 13 November 2026.
These published guides are the sources. Where none of them covers a detail for this region, the page shows an AI suggestion and labels it.
- Package of Practices: Cultivation of Flowers and Landscape Gardening 2020 (Marigold; seasonal flowers)Directorate of Extension, SKUAST-JammuRead the source
- Marigold crop pages: area, soil and climate, propagation, planting, manuring, irrigation, intercultural operations, harvesting and yield, pests, diseasesNational Horticulture Board, Government of IndiaRead the source
- TNAU Agritech Portal: Horticulture, flower crops, African marigoldTamil Nadu Agricultural University, CoimbatoreRead the source
- AESA based IPM package: Chillies and capsicumNational Institute of Plant Health Management and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage, Government of IndiaRead the source
AI Farm Manager · In development
Plan this crop on your land
AI Farm Manager will turn guides like this one into a plan for your own plot. It doesn't make plans yet.