Skip to Content

HARVESTING MARIGOLD SEEDS

Harvesting marigold seeds is easy and very useful. Harvesting your own seed is cost effective and growing marigolds provides a whole list of benefits to your plants and pollinators.

If you own a bee hive, planting marigolds could benefit your honey production. Try this Creamed Honey Recipe with your crystallized honey.

DEAD HEADED MARIGOLDS

I really do enjoy handing out a bunch of seeds to my neighbors and my family. I also love busting open the seed heads and sprinkling them all over my garden willy-nilly. It’s very nice picking them because the smell is lovely.

Collecting your own seeds can be hard and confusing so this can be a really easy way to start saving seeds. You will save money and also save everyone else money that you give them.

It is so fun for kids! You can save them in the freezer for up to 5 years if you don’t want to use them right away. So you basically can’t lose. I do homeschooling with my kids and this is a very easy starting point to teach my kids how to save seeds and to learn how pollination works. Marigolds are great for this.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

  • Basket, bag, or pocket!
  • I really like this Cute Apron with pockets!

HOW TO HARVEST MARIGOLD SEEDS

  • You are going to want to wait until the color is gone out of your flowers, once they start to die back.
  • Make sure not to get them when they are too crispy and the seeds have started to deteriorate.
  • I like to pick the dead flowers on a sunny day when they are completely dry!

HOW TO STORE MARIGOLD SEEDS

  • Leave the heads somewhere where they won’t get wet, in the open air to dry.
  • Store them in a plastic or paper bag and place them in the freezer for up to 5 years!
  • I like to keep the flower heads whole until we use them. Just so they are in convenient little pods and it’s not like a bag full of dust.

HOW TO HARVEST MARIGOLD SEEDS

HOW TO HARVEST MARIGOLD SEEDS

Harvesting marigold seeds is easy and very useful. Harvesting your own seed is cost effective and growing marigolds provides a whole list of benefits to your plants and pollinators.

Active Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Estimated Cost $2-$5

Materials

  • Container - basket, bag, or pockets
  • Ziploc bag or paper bag

Instructions

  1. Find your dry, wilted flower heads.
  2. Make sure they aren't too deteriorated.
  3. Place them out in a dry area in open air.
  4. Store them whole in a ziploc bag in the freezer.

Notes

  1. Wait for the green base part of the flower to be dark and dry.
  2. You will notice they are beginning to deteriorate when the color of the seeds themselves turn from black to a dusty gray.
  3. I place mine in an open cardboard box and put it in my room.
  4. Make sure you put it in a dry place in your freezer.

Latest posts by Eligh Miller-Polivka (see all)

Skip to Instructions

THE GOOD OLD WAY MAILING SUBSCRIPTION

We will always have new things to teach and learn

Thank you for joining! We have a long list of important things to show in the future. Glad you came around!