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.
North-west plains: Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh
At a glance
Marigold in the North-west plains
Across India
When to sow it
Twelve growing regions, January to December. Your region comes first.
Too late this season
The window here was Mid September. The next one opens in June.
Under cover, from January, under polythene.
- Nursery
- Transplant
- Harvest
- Under cover
- Today
Compare all 12 regionsShow fewer regions
See the dates as a table
| Region | Sow | Nursery | Transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North-west plains | End of JuneMid SeptemberUnder cover: January, under polythene | By 25 FebruaryFirst half of AugustBy mid October | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | |
| Central plateau | FebruaryMayAugustNovember | MarchJuneSeptemberDecember | April to JulyJuly to OctoberNovember to JanuaryFebruary to April | |
| 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
Before sowing
Field preparation
Well rotted farmyard manure
20 tonnes per hectare
Mix in while ploughing.
Day 0
Sow
Day 140 to 180
Last picking
No published guide covers this for the North-west plains, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Before sowing
Well rotted farmyard manure2
20 tonnes per hectare · Mix in while ploughing. · Field preparation
Day 0
Sow
Day 4 to 5
Day 21 to 28
Transplant1
Day 140 to 180
Last pickingNo published guide covers this for the North-west plains, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Water right after transplanting and keep watering well for the first 10 to 12 days. After that the crop usually needs water every 7 to 10 days, depending on season and soil.2
What it needs
Soil, sun and warmth
Soil pH1,3
5.6 to 6.5
A wide range of well drained soils with plenty of organic matter; sandy loam is ideal.
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 North-west plains aren't in the library yet.
Water and feeding
Watering2
Water right after transplanting and keep watering well for the first 10 to 12 days. After that the crop usually needs water every 7 to 10 days, depending on season and soil.
Weeding2
Remove weeds early; two or three weedings are needed. A paddy straw mulch (4 t a hectare) or silver and black plastic mulch laid at transplanting keeps weeds down in the summer and rainy crops.
| When | What | How much | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field preparation | Well rotted farmyard manure | 20 tonnes per hectare | Mix in while ploughing. |
Varieties and yield
80 to 120 quintals a hectare
Yields vary with the plot, the seed and the season.
Punjab Gainda No. 1
Orange, fully double; heat tolerant, for the summer and rainy season crops.
Pusa Narangi Gainda
Orange, fully double; for the winter crop.
Pusa Basanti Gainda
Yellow, fully double; for the winter crop.
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.
Leaf spot and flower blight
Signs
Dark brown dead patches on stems, flower stalks and petals; badly hit buds do not open. Warm weather near 25 °C and long leaf wetness favour it.
Prevention
- Keep the right spacing so air moves and leaves dry quickly.
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 North-west plains, 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.
Growing under cover2
Raise the summer crop nursery under polythene in January so the seedlings are ready by late February.
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
- Package of Practices for Ornamental Crops (Marigold), PAU/2022/F/792/EPunjab Agricultural University, LudhianaRead 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
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