Dwarf Marigold
Bambino Marigold is a dwarf French marigold cultivar that transforms even the smallest garden space into a burst of color. These cheerful little flowers feature sunny tangerine and lemon stripes on plants that stay remarkably compact, reaching just 10 to 12 inches tall at maturity. From seed to bloom takes only 50 to 60 days, making it a fast-rewarding choice for gardeners seeking immediate impact. The plants are so densely covered in flowers that each one becomes a small mound of sunshine, perfect for edging beds, filling containers, or brightening mixed plantings.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
3in H x ?in W
Annual
High
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Bambino produces an extraordinary abundance of striped blooms on tidy, mounded plants that rarely exceed a foot tall. The combination of tangerine and lemon striping is distinctive and cheerful, and because these compact plants are naturally full and bushy, they require minimal deadheading to stay continuously flowering. Seed germinates quickly in just 5 to 10 days, and you'll have flowering plants within two months, making it one of the fastest French marigolds from seed to garden display.
Bambino Marigold is grown as an ornamental annual flower. Its compact, mounded growth habit and prolific blooming make it especially suited to container gardening, where its small stature and dense flower coverage create striking visual impact. It also excels as an edging plant in mixed borders and bedding displays, where its tidy proportions and continuous flowering provide structure and color throughout the growing season.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds at 1/4 inch depth in seed-starting mix kept at 70°F to 75°F. Seeds typically sprout within 5 to 10 days. Once seedlings emerge, provide bright light and keep soil moist but not waterlogged.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed. Harden off plants by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Space plants 6 to 9 inches apart. Bambino Marigold is not frost hardy, so wait until nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50°F.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after the last frost date and soil has warmed to at least 60°F. Sow at 1/4 inch depth, spacing seeds 6 to 9 inches apart. Keep soil moist until seedlings emerge in 5 to 10 days.
Bambino Marigold's naturally compact, mounded growth habit requires minimal pruning. Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming throughout the season, though the dense branching habit of this cultivar means it flowers prolifically even without constant deadheading.
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