How to Save Marigold Seeds

Marigolds are some of my absolute favorite annuals to have around the garden. They grow in a variety of soils, don’t need a ton of water, and come in vivid shades of orange and yellow. As a bonus, they are great pest repellants.

Their distinct, strong scent is what helps repel pests. It’s a scent that I really love—it reminds me of being a kid because I think about plucking the flower heads off, and how doing so would make my hands smell like marigolds all day. So let’s talk through how to save marigold seeds for an endless supply of flowers!

Step 1: Pick dry flower heads

First you need to locate the dry flower heads. Make sure they don’t have any color left in them. Take a look at the photo below. Can you see any dried seed heads? They really blend in as the plant is starting to die off!

The second photo below shows an excellent candidate for seed saving. It is nearly completely dry, with all of the petals having turned a crispy brown and fallen off. Gently pluck these dried flower heads off of the plant.

Step 2: Pull out seeds

Next pick off the dried flower bits that remain. Hold on to the side that had the dried flower bits with two fingers. Then gently pull off the dried tissue-paper-like “sheath” that holds the seeds. The seeds should be long, thin, black, and firm.

You can keep the lighter brown chaff attached if removing them all is a pain. It isn’t part of the seed, but it also doesn’t really hurt to keep them attached.

Step 3: Dry & store appropriately

Next spread the seeds out on a paper towel to dry for a few days. Even if you think the seeds are already dry, it’s a good best practice. I store my seeds in air-tight containers, so I like to make sure they are super dry before storing them.

You can store yours in small canisters as I do, or you can put them in small breathable paper bags. Label them so you remember what they are when you go to start seeds next years!

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