I grew three colors of small Marigold this year (Yellow, Orange and Orange/Red bi-color). The seed heads from the three different colors have been saved separately; all yellow seed heads in one bag, orange in another etc. Next year when I plant the new seed can I expect the sead heads from the orange flowers to produce orange flowers, and the yellow to only produce yellow etc., or will the colors be all mixed up? The different color flowers were planted about thirty feet apart.
TIA, EJ in NJ
Since many marigolds are already hybrids, you are unlikely to get the same flowers that you got this year.
I grow the so-called "French" dwarf marigold hybirds (most often, the "Firecracker" variety) every year. So far, 100% of daughter seeds revert to some big-ass ancestral type. For that reason, I quit saving marigold seeds years ago and buy new ones every year. I grow marigolds for the color and as a butterfly attractant. I've demonstrated to my own satisfaction that marigolds are essentially, maybe absolutely, useless for nematode control (I am in Florida, nematode Nirvana). Sadly, the nematodes don't read the organic pest control magazine articles....
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