About marigolds - do you need to pinch off the blooms when they start to wilt?

Yep, dead head them up to the end of the growing season. When it gets close to fall quit doing that and let the heads remain on the plant. Let the plants winter over with out cutting them. In the spring when everything starts to green up bend the plants over to shake out the seeds, that way you`ll get another crop out of them and won`t have to re plant anything. I have been doing this every year for 4 growing seasons with one 6 pack of marigolds and now have a 2x6 flower bed of nothing but marigolds.

About marigolds - do you need to pinch off the blooms when they start to wilt?
yes you do , it will help promote more buds
Reply:If you want continious blooms it is best to dead head as soon as a bloom starts looking wilted or brown.
Reply:Yes, you should if you want your plant to produce continuous and beautiful blooms. Also, when you get your plants, you should pinch off the buds right before they bloom. This will make your plants produce more buds, and, therefore, more blooms and bushier plants. Yours will be the envy of the neighborhood.
Reply:yeah you should...keeps the plant blooming longer just drop them in your flower bed and you will get blooms off them either next year or toward the end of the summer

shoe horns