What are your temperatures there now? If they're in the 20s and not too cold at night, i'd just stick them out there. Do you have a cold frame you could put them in? That's where most of my seedlings hardened off.

Agreeing with Marcia.

One thing you need to know when you're planting out marigolds, is to really spread their roots out and loosen the soil they're being planted in. At one time I would plant marigolds from little pots, and they would just sit there all summer never getting any bigger. Then I started direct sowing them and they were like gigantic marigold trees. I figured out (with help from GWers) that if their roots are wound up in the pot they never really figure out to branch out on their own. If they're direct sowed they develop normally. Funny thing about marigolds. I also find they like fertilizer a lot.

Marcia - I wish I had a cold frame or greenhouse. We're still getting cold nights, so I guess I'll put them out and put them in the garage at night.

Northspruce - Hee hee! I'm the one who posted last year that my marigolds embarrassed me. Out of all the things I've grown over the years, marigolds were always the worst. I just couldn't grow them worth a hoot. The forum group last year told me to spread out the roots ( I was, but I guess not enough). So, after that, when I plantd my marigolds, I practically murdered the poor roots, and my marigolds were amazing! Who knew? Marigold roots like abuse =:)

I start some plants, including marigolds, indoors under grow lights. Sunlight is much more instense plus has UV light so the marigolds need at least a week, better two weeks, of gradually getting used to the sun to prevent it from frying their leaves. I don't worry about cold (except for actual frost of course). This past weekend my marigolds (which I started hardening around May 10 and planted around May 24) endured being covered with 5 cm of snow plus a daytime high on Sunday of just 3 degrees. But it never got below freezing (down to 0.3 degrees) and the plants look fine now that the snow has melted.

I didn't know that about the roots. No wonder mine always look so sad. My mom always teases me about them. Her's always self seed and are gorgeous. I wish. Now I know why, maybe this year they will get big enough they will self sow. Hey, C

Oh that was you was it NAF? LOL Well it shed some light on the mystery for me too. My DH always accuses me of repeating myself, I guess he's right.