Although I have always sown marigolds directly into the soil, if I were to use containers at any point I would sow them into a seed tray rather than a pot. When they have their first true leaves (after the cotyledons) I would thin them out into other trays to give them more space to develop the roots, always handling seedlings by the leaves and never by the stems. Seeds can go into compost without feed, but transplanted seedlings need a weak feed or slow release fertiliser like Osmocote added to help them grow strong.
The thing is, when gardening - if not sure, do whatever your instinct is, and that is usually the best way to learn - as long as you're not working for a boss that is.
Don't be tempted to over water your seedlings as damping off can be a problem!
Right! Thank you for the watering tip, I had trouble starting seeds indoors last season, but I wanted to give it another shot! Our winters are very very short here and rather mild. I actually didn't know about damping off. A good reminder to take off the humidity dome now that my basil is sprouting, I suppose.
I also didn't know you were supposed to fertilize seedlings until recently! Fortunately I have a fertilizer on hand at the moment, 2 2 2 if I recall. I was afraid that it would make them rot (?????).
I am lucky that I have a lot of wiggle room to mess up in! If it doesn't work, we'll get 'em next time!
Yes, I usually do. Common names can be deceptive, there are two different plants with very similar flowers both called 'marigolds', I have never found one superior to the other.
That is an excellent attitude which will get you a long way, most seed is really cheap. I often say to beginners go for cheap plants, it is not quality that determines price, but how hard they are to grow, and you want the easy ones, they are usually just as good, or better.
Welcome to the forum.
Thank you for the advice Oliver! To clarify I'm planting dwarf French marigolds. My fiance picked them out for me! Marigolds do well here and they're the first thing I've grown. They're a fast favorite of mine!
Seed definitely is pretty cheap. I was surprised at a few packets being a little sparse though. Should have checked the amounts before I brought them home. Good advice about picking easy plants! It's a little tricky knowing which are easy here, because the sun can be crazy and it's so dry outside of winter and monsoon. Luckily there's a lot of desert specific resources and also I just met an experienced garden locally!
