- Plant marsh marigold correctly
- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- The right planting distance
- What soil does the plant need?
- What is the best planting time?
- When is flowering time?
- Cut marsh marigold correctly
- Water marsh marigold
- Fertilize marsh marigolds properly
- Diseases
- hibernate
- Propagating marsh marigold
- Marsh marigold in a pot
- Is marsh marigold poisonous?
- Marsh marigold does not bloom
- Yellow leaves
- Beautiful varieties
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With its preference for wet feet, the marsh marigold is recommended as spring-fresh greening of ponds, wet meadows and swampy locations. As early as March, the flower with its buttery yellow cup blossoms awakens our anticipation of spring, swarmed by bees, bumblebees and butterflies. Here you can explore proper cultivation using compact answers to frequently asked questions.
The marsh marigold brings splashes of color to river and pond banks
Table of Contents
Show all- Plant marsh marigold correctly
- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- The right planting distance
- What soil does the plant need?
- What is the best planting time?
- When is flowering time?
- Cut marsh marigold correctly
- Water marsh marigold
- Fertilize marsh marigolds properly
- Diseases
- hibernate
- Propagating marsh marigold
- Marsh marigold in a pot
- Is marsh marigold poisonous?
- Marsh marigold does not bloom
- Yellow leaves
- Beautiful varieties
- Water regularly and plentifully outdoors
- Ideally use soft rain and normal tap water alternately
- Apply an organic starter fertilizer outdoors with compost, horn shavings (32.93€) or bark humus
- Cut off wilted flower heads down to the basal foliage for a summer rebloom
- Fill a waterproof plastic tray with nutritious mud soil
- Sow the seeds, sieve thinly with substrate and press down
- Fill the container with lime-free water until the seed soil is 0.5 to 1 cm under water
- For 2-4 weeks in a partially shaded spot at 18-22 degrees Celsius
- Then store in the refrigerator at -4 to 0 degrees Celsius for 4-6 weeks (the water may freeze)
- Multiplex: premium variety with double pompom flowers in bright yellow from April to May; 20-30cm
- Alba: White flowering spring beauty with extra early flowering time from March and compact stature; 15-25cm
- Aurea: Colorful hybrid with yellow, single flowers above golden yellow leaves; 20-30cm
- Trattbergwichtel: Ideal for planting around the edges of small water worlds with yellow bowl-shaped flowers from April to May; 15 cm
- Caucasus Marsh Marigold: A hardy hybrid, taller than its peers by 20 cm; 60 cm
Plant marsh marigold correctly
The marsh marigold does not tend to proliferate. This saves you the hassle of planting in a basket. At the edge of a fish pond, however, it makes sense to use a plant basket so that the fish do not damage the rhizomes when they are digging. Place the perennial in a nutrient-rich, moist to boggy soil with a water level of up to 5 cm. For this purpose, create small planting holes 25-30 cm apart with 1.5 times the volume of the root ball. Do not put any fertilizer in the planting hole on or in the pond to avoid playing into the hands of the dreaded bloom of algae. Planted out in a wet meadow or perennial bed, water generously and regularly during the day and afterwards.
care tips
The closer the general conditions at the selected location are to the optimum, the less effort is required for maintenance:
As a native perennial, the spring flower is fully hardy. It is sufficient to leave the fallen leaves on the plant until February as a natural winter protection. Cut the perennial close to the ground in good time before new growth. Please consider the toxic ingredients in all planting and care work. Therefore always wear protective gloves.
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Which location is suitable?
One of the most popular water-edge perennials, the marsh marigold favors a sunny to partially shaded location. A moist, loamy, swampy soil with a water depth of up to 5 cm is the basic requirement for a lavish abundance of flowers. Incidentally, a fluctuating water level does not cause any problems for the small flower beauty.
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The right planting distance
The heart-shaped foliage spreads out like a clump, so that the marsh marigold grows almost as wide as it is tall. With a planting distance of 25-30 cm you take this fact into account. The herald of spring comes into its own in small tuffs with 3-5 specimens. For a flat arrangement, ideally plant 10-12 specimens per square meter.
What soil does the plant need?
A nutrient-rich, moist to swampy soil inspires the marsh marigold to magnificent growth and lavish flowering. In the shallow water zone of ponds and streams, the yellow herald of spring thrives in a water depth of up to 5 cm. A place in the spring-fresh soil of a wet meadow is also welcome for this vigorous perennial. A pH of 5.8 to 6.5 is advantageous; however, is not a mandatory criterion.
What is the best planting time?
A marsh marigold grown in a container can be planted in moist soil from spring through fall. As long as the ground or the water is not frozen and there is no threat of late ground frosts, settle the herald of spring in the garden. The best planting time is from late August to mid-October.
When is flowering time?
The pure species covers the swampy, damp edge of the pond with countless yellow dabs of color as early as March. The main flowering period of the decorative hybrids extends from April to May. Most marsh marigolds have the potential to rebloom. Therefore, cut off the withered flower heads to just above the basal tuft of leaves. In this way you set a summer rebloom in motion.
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Cut marsh marigold correctly
Cut back the withered flower heads after the first flowering period, the marsh marigold will eagerly remount. The result is a rebloom between July and September, which is usually a little weaker. Leave the retracted leaves on the perennial as a natural winter protection. Only in January/February cut off the plant close to the ground, in good time before the fresh shoots.
Water marsh marigold
Sufficient moisture is available for the marsh marigold in the shallow water zone or on the bank of your private water world. If the spring flower thrives in a fresh, damp perennial bed or a wildflower meadow, water regularly. Constantly moist soil is essential for vital growth, because drought inevitably means the end for the little beauty. Ideally, you'll alternate between using collected rainwater and tap water to keep the pH balanced between 5.8 and 6.5.
Fertilize marsh marigolds properly
Surrounded by the nutrient-rich pond water, there is no need to add fertilizer. Settled in the bed or a flower meadow, the marsh marigold gratefully accepts organic fertilization. In March, work compost and horn shavings (€32.93) superficially into the soil and then water generously. Optionally apply a mineral-organic liquid fertilizer for flowering plants.
Diseases
A species of rust fungus has specialized in infesting marigolds. Puccinia calthae is recognizable to the naked eye as brown and yellow pustules on the leaves. These are nests of spores from which the entire flower is infected. Immediately cut out affected parts of the plant to prevent further spread. Unless the marsh marigold is at the edge of a fish pond, control the fungal infection with an approved fungicide such as Amtempo Copper Fungus Free. As a precaution, do not water the plant overhead, as the fungal spores only germinate on moist leaves.
hibernate
The native flower is completely frost-resistant. In autumn it pulls in its leaves, while the root ball with the strong rhizomes in the ground survives the cold season. If possible, leave the withered leaves on the perennial as a natural winter protection and only cut them off close to the ground in February.
Propagating marsh marigold
The simple, varietal propagation succeeds by dividing the root ball in spring or autumn. To do this, dig out the perennial, divide it in half and plant the segments in the sunny location in the moist, nutrient-rich soil. In contrast, the sowing proves to be more complex due to the high water requirement. Furthermore, the seeds are cold germinators, which require stratification. That is how it goes:
After the cooling period, gradually get the seeds used to higher temperatures between 5 and 12 degrees Celsius, for example in a cold box. Only later do you care for the seedlings on the warm, partially shaded window sill at 15-18 degrees Celsius.
Marsh marigold in a pot
If neither a body of water nor a bed is available, you still don't have to do without the distinctive perennial. Cultivate the marsh marigold on the balcony in a waterproof pot filled with nutritious mud soil. Pour in soft water so that the level remains at 1-3 cm. Apply a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants in March and after the first pruning. Taking the time to cut off wilted flower heads will reliably replant the flower. Before the first frost, cut the plant down to the ground and put the pot in a frost-free winter quarters. During dormancy, the substrate should only be kept slightly moist so that the root ball does not dry out.
Is marsh marigold poisonous?
The marsh marigold is one of the moderately poisonous ornamental plants. When consumed, the toxins it contains cause classic symptoms of poisoning, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Even mere skin contact triggers allergies and inflammation. Therefore, do not plant the flower in the family garden or out of the reach of pets. It makes sense to wear gloves for all planting and care work. The use of the buds as a substitute for capers in the past was an act of sheer desperation in times of need and resulted in symptoms of poisoning if consumed in excess.
Marsh marigold does not bloom
At the sandy-dry location you will look in vain for the butter-yellow flowers. The marsh marigold rightly bears its name, because the perennial can only grow and thrive in moist to swampy soil. Where all the general conditions are right and the flowering still does not occur, it is probably a seedling-propagated specimen. Flowers grown from seed take 2-3 years before they bloom for the first time.
Yellow leaves
Unless it is the hybrid Aurea with golden yellow foliage, yellow leaves indicate a deficiency. If the pH value in the soil rises well above 6.5, the high lime content fixes important nutrients. First and foremost, the supply of iron comes to a standstill. The reaction to this is leaf chlorosis, with leaves turning yellow. If you switch the water supply to soft water, the marsh marigold will recover. A special iron fertilizer compensates for the short-term deficiency.