Potted Marigolds Don't Do Well Under The Full Southern California Sun?

Content submitted by: Barbara Weiner

Over the weekend, I planted my first French Marigold into the ground next to my African Marigold. When I purchased the potted single-flower French Mariglold plant at $1.00 from the grocery store, I was intending to keep the plant in its pot because I like the idea of easily moving the plant to anywhere around the home when I feel like it.  After a couple weeks sitting in the pot in the patio under the cool nice spring weather, the plant seemed to do well and actually produced 2 more flowers. I even deadheaded the oldest original flower, as demonstrated in the gardening video; in an attempt to encourage more bloom.

All went pretty good until a few days ago, the weather sort of changed to become hotter with a stronger sun. I went into a panic when I saw my potted marigolds go  limp. (See photo below.)  I was scared that the supposedly easy-to-grow, and heat-resistant marigolds would die on me.  The fact that my thumb could be so black that I couldn't even handle the supposedly hardy marigolds was just too humiliating to even think about.

I still can't believe that the full sun (morning or noon or any hour)  here in Southern California actually can  wilt a potted French Marigold plant in just a couple hours, despite the regular watering.  (No wonder humans actually get skin cancer from just hanging out by the beach.)  After seeing that the African Marigolds in the ground seem to do a little better under the sun, I planted the French Marigolds into the ground too.   It became perky again after the strong sun subsided. (See the first photo on the very top.)  I don't know why every gardening video is saying that Marigolds love full sun, because my potted one doesn't seem to like it that much.  I wonder if the full-sun advice only applies to Marigolds that are planted into the ground?

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