WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Tagetes 'Gold Medal', WUCOLS IV

How often to water dwarf Mexican marigold in California

In July in the Central Valley, established dwarf Mexican marigold in loam needs a deep watering about every 14 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 0.8 gallons a week. Dwarf Mexican marigold is a small, evergreen, shrubby selection about 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide, with aromatic, finely divided leaves. Lightly fragrant golden daisies appear nearly year round, heaviest from fall through late spring. It wants sun to part sun and well-drained soil with only occasional water, and it resprouts from the base after frost.

PerennialRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water dwarf Mexican marigold, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for dwarf Mexican marigold and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1 foot of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 3 inches down under the plant in a long dry spell signals dwarf Mexican marigold can take a soak
  • Fine leaves wilting and flowering slowing in summer heat can indicate thirst
  • Stems blackening at the base over soggy soil point to overwatering
  • Frost-browned tops in winter are normal, and new growth returns from the base

How to water it

  • Water at the base with drip or a gentle hose
  • Soak several inches down, then let the soil dry before the next soak
  • Plant in full to part sun in well-drained soil
  • Shape it by pruning after the spring flush of flowers
  • Cut frost-damaged stems back once new growth starts

Through the seasons

Water a new plant regularly until it is growing well, then switch to occasional deep soaks. It is evergreen and flowers nearly all year, most heavily from fall through late spring. Frost below about 25 degrees F can kill it back, but it resprouts from the base. WUCOLS rates dwarf Mexican marigold low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. In the low desert it carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert.

In pots

Dwarf Mexican marigold makes a compact, long-blooming container plant. Use a well-drained mix and water when the top couple of inches are dry, letting it drain. In summer heat, check every few days. Empty the saucer. No deadheading is needed, since new flowers hide the old. In winter, water lightly and move the pot under cover in a hard frost. Repot in spring if roots fill the pot.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.711.42.12.90.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.711.42.12.90.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Dwarf Mexican Marigold: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.31–0.78
Feb0.210.260.320.35–0.93
Mar0.350.430.460.52–1.52
Apr0.470.610.560.64–1.95
May0.580.830.640.78–2.45
Jun0.640.990.690.92–2.79
Jul0.641.070.791–2.85
Aug0.60.950.740.93–2.6
Sep0.50.720.60.74–2.08
Oct0.350.470.460.53–1.49
Nov0.190.220.330.36–0.96
Dec0.120.140.260.27–0.68
Year4.86.846.27.37–21.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated low water in the Central Valley, like dwarf Mexican marigold. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

AgapanthusAgapanthus orientalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGeraniumsPelargonium x hortorum and cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyIrisesIris germanicalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyYarrowAchillea millefolium (non-native hybrids)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain AlyssumAlyssum montanumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver SageSalvia argentealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple MulleinVerbascum phoeniceumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilvery YarrowAchillea clavennaelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFern Leaf YarrowAchillea filipendulinalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWoolly YarrowAchillea tomentosalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPerennial HollyhockAlcea rosea cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain Lady's MantleAlchemilla alpinalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes dwarf Mexican marigold, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water dwarf Mexican marigold in summer?

In July, established dwarf Mexican marigold in loam needs a deep watering about every 14 days in the Central Valley, about every 18 days on the south coast and about every 14 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does dwarf Mexican marigold need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established dwarf Mexican marigold needs about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.4 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for dwarf Mexican marigold change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates dwarf Mexican marigold separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Do I need to deadhead dwarf Mexican marigold?

No, older flowers are hidden by new ones. You can shape the plant after the spring bloom. Water as usual afterward.

Do deer eat dwarf Mexican marigold?

The sharp-smelling foliage seems to deter deer and rabbits. It is a good choice in deer country. Damage is rare.

Will dwarf Mexican marigold come back after frost?

It is hardy to around 25 to 28 degrees F and resprouts from the base if frosted. Cut back dead stems in spring. Keep the soil on the dry side in winter.

How is it different from Mexican marigold?

It looks like a smaller version of the fall-blooming Mexican marigold, which can reach 6 feet. This one stays about 2 feet tall. It blooms over a longer season.

When does dwarf Mexican marigold bloom?

Nearly all year, with the heaviest flowering from fall through late spring. Early fall can bring a solid mass of gold. Occasional water keeps it going.

More plant watering guides

Little Ragu Dwarf BayVancouver Jade BearberryBearberryFringed SageFern AsparagusOregon GrapeSmoke TreeSaharan Cypress

Sources