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.
West coast: Kerala, Goa, Konkan, coastal Karnataka, south Gujarat
At a glance
Marigold in the West coast
After the south-west monsoon, with a second crop in the dry months
No published guide covers this for the West coast, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.About five to six months from nursery sowing to the last picking.
No published guide covers this for the West coast, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.Late August to September
No published guide covers this for the West coast, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Across India
When to sow it
Twelve growing regions, January to December. Your region comes first.
Too late this season
The window here was Late August to September. The next one opens in December.
- Nursery
- Transplant
- Harvest
- Under cover
- Today
Compare all 12 regionsShow fewer regions
See the dates as a table
| Region | Sow | Nursery | Transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West coast | Late August to SeptemberDecember | Late September to OctoberJanuary | December to February | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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
Nursery
Farmyard manure
30 kg per nursery bed (6 m x 1.2 m)
Mix into the bed before sowing.
Main field preparation
Farmyard manure
20 t per hectare
Work in while ploughing.
Day 0
Sow
Day 140 to 180
Last picking
No published guide covers this for the West coast, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Before sowing
Farmyard manure
30 kg per nursery bed (6 m x 1.2 m) · Mix into the bed before sowing. · Nursery
Farmyard manure5
20 t per hectare · Work in while ploughing. · Main 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 West coast, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Water every 4 to 6 days, depending on soil moisture and weather.5
What it needs
Soil, sun and warmth
Soil pH1,3
5.6 to 6.5
A wide range of well drained soils; 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 West coast aren't in the library yet.
Water and feeding
Watering5
Water every 4 to 6 days, depending on soil moisture and weather.
Weeding5
Weed once a month. Earth up the plants when pinching.
| When | What | How much | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery | Farmyard manure | 30 kg per nursery bed (6 m x 1.2 m) | Mix into the bed before sowing. |
| Main field preparation | Farmyard manure | 20 t per hectare | Work in while ploughing. |
Varieties and yield
11 to 18 tonnes a hectare
Yields vary with the plot, the seed and the season.
Pusa Narangi Gainda
IARI, orange.
Pusa Basanti Gainda
IARI, yellow.
Pests and diseases5
Organic and cultural controls only.
Flower beetles
Leaf hoppers
Stalk borers
Mites
Foot rot (Phytophthora)
Signs
Seen mainly on badly drained soil.
Prevention
- Plant on well drained land or ridges.
Stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum)
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 West coast, 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
- Package of Practices Recommendations: Crops, Ornamental plants (Marigold)Kerala Agricultural University, ThrissurRead 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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