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Crackerjack African Marigold Seeds

Heirloom

4.2307692307692 out of 5 stars
(13 reviews)
If you want a large, majestic marigold, Crackerjack is a superior blend with a mounding form, consistent height, and sturdy flower stalks. The 4" blooms in tangerine orange, rich gold, and lemony yellow will brighten up your flower bed, path edges, and large container plantings. They make radiant, long-lasting cut flowers and are so easy to grow from seed. African Marigold petals are edible with a slightly bitter, citrusy/spice flavor. They make a pretty garnish on rice, salads, or desserts. For a dazzling contrast, plant next to blue or dark purple flowers. Be prepared for butterflies to visit!

Botanical Name: Tagetes erecta

Family: Asteraceae

Native: Mexico and South America

Hardiness: Annual

Plant Dimensions: 24"–36" tall

Variety Information: 4" blooms in tangerine orange, rich gold, and lemony yellow.

Exposure: Full sun

Bloom Period: Blooms summer to frost, although may take a break in extreme heat.

Attributes: Cut Flower, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Edible Flower, Good for Containers, Rabbit Resistant

When to Sow Outside: 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is 70°–80°F.

When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date.

Days to Emerge: 5–14 days

Seed Depth: ¼"

Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 18"

Thinning: When 1" tall thin to 1 every 18"

Harvesting: For the longest vase-life, harvest in the morning, choosing flowers that are half-open. Change vase water frequently.

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Crackerjack African Marigold Seeds Reviews

13 reviews

Disappointing

1 out of 5 stars Jul 23, 2019
The plants are large but I was under the impression that the flowers would be large as well. They are the same size as the smaller marygolds and are not flowering very profusely.
CAROL NORTHCUTT from AZ
Owner Response: Hi Carol, Thanks for your feedback. A little tip that came to mind that may help is that nitrogen-rich soil can favor green growth over flower productions. A phosphorus-rich liquid fertilizer will help these marigolds bloom larger and more profusely. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.

Swallowtail Heaven

5 out of 5 stars Aug 10, 2019
Tall, beautiful fern-like foliage in early summer and now an absolute riot of sunny flowers that are visited all day long by swallowtails and other butterflies. Gorgeous!
Cat from MD

Best marigolds!

5 out of 5 stars Aug 28, 2019
I did not know marigolds could get so big! Beautiful plants covered in blooms. I plan to grow them every year now.
Jenna from CA

Crackerjack African Marigold Seeds

4 out of 5 stars Jun 10, 2020
Planted direct into the garden well after any worry of freeze. All seeds germinated and have grown to 4 - 5 feet all!! Many many flowers!! Good seed.
Brett from TX

ZERO Flowers

1 out of 5 stars Sep 16, 2020
This was our firt time planting from seed. We started the seeds in the house and then planted them on the border of our vegetable garden and in a pot on our deck. We got ZERO flowers. It was disappointing.
Rita Wojchik from NJ
Owner Response: Hi Rita, Given time (which is sounds like they had) and good environmental conditions there is no reason a flowering plant will not flowers. I am guessing there was an abundance of nitrogen, which favors big, beautiful plants, but stifles flowering when it is too abundant. I would suggest a soil test and to check any fertilizers you may be used to ensure they lean toward phosphorous and not nitrogen. Happy gardening!

Bold & Beautiful

5 out of 5 stars Jan 4, 2021
These have been the showstoppers of my garden the last two years. The marigolds are tall with strong stems and when in bloom they will attract all of the attention in the garden. I planted them en masse with California poppies, and as soon as the poppies started to dwindle, these popped up and bloomed continuously until the first hard frost, providing color way beyond my expectations.
Ariel from OR

Amazing Marigolds

4 out of 5 stars May 25, 2021
I absolutely adore these marigolds. They were started indoors mid February here in zone 10a, and plant out mid March. These plants exploded with growth and started blooming with large beautiful flowers in early May. I have 4 growing in a raised bed and 4 growing in containers and they are all doing well, producing dozens of flowers that attract hover flies and ladybugs. I'll be sure to plant even more next year
Andy from CA

Giant, bright, and so beautiful!!!

5 out of 5 stars Nov 10, 2021
These were such an unexpected standout in the garden this year! I planted them everywhere thinking they would be similar to smaller marigolds, but ended up with giant orange and yellow bushes with hundreds of flowers! The butterflies loved them. They were hardy, unfussy, and heat tolerant, as well as some of the last flowers continuing to bloom late into fall. I will always add them to the garden in future years.
Grace from CO
Owner Response: Thanks so much for sharing your experience!

Crackerjack African Marigold Seeds

5 out of 5 stars Jan 15, 2022
Co planted these around my tomato plants this year and even though the tomatoes (not Botanical Interest) didn't do super, the Marigolds were beautiful and made the pots and area of garden look amazing. If you love marigolds, these Crackerjack ones are the ones to plant.
Cheryl from CO

Huge flowers on huge plants!

5 out of 5 stars Jan 30, 2022
I grew these for 3 years in Colorado before moving to Vermont last summer and growing them here. In Colorado they were somewhat compact but very drought tolerant and covered in blooms. Vermont was another story--with the richer soil and moisture here they grew to 5 ft tall!! I did not get any blooms until the plants were over 3' tall in August; I had started the in the ground in June (near record heat wave) then July was near record cold and wet. I used them as a companion in my veggie garden so the surplus of nutrients may have inhibited blooming. The native bees loved them and would fall asleep in them in the cold days before the first frost took them out. Anyways these worked wonderfully in very different climates and I will keep growing them every year!
Joe from VT

So tall and amazing flowers!

5 out of 5 stars Jul 5, 2022
I started these indoors in February of 2022. They got so tall inside that once it warmed up here in Baltimore they were already over a foot tall. I planted them late since winter lingered on for so long this year. They are now three and a half feet tall with amazing flowers. They are in with my tomatoes and all the bees are having a good time.
Malena from MD

High Quality

5 out of 5 stars Mar 11, 2023
I am very impressed with the Crackerjack Marigold seeds! I live in Zone 7. I started seeds indoors on March 7 and covered the cells with plastic bags to retain moisture. I had consistent sprouting by March 10th... every single seed. I planted 2 seeds per cell out of habit... other brands I used in the past did not have a very good sprout rate. Every one of my seeds from Botanical Interests sprouted! I am overjoyed! Dependable, consistent production, now THAT'S a great value! I am definitely switching to Botanical Interests... and bringing friends. Thank you!
Karen from TN

Wonderful

5 out of 5 stars Mar 14, 2023
Where I live in FL, we don't have soil, it is literally sand. Planted these in August of last year and they got enormous with a dozen flowers at any given time once they reached maturity. They died with the frost we got at the beginning of January, but they were absolutely stunning for the time being. Buying them again currently
Taelor from FL

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