Advice on making African Marigolds bushy?

Mountainranger

Hi
I normally buy African Crackerjack marigold seeds, but they have a tendency to grow very tall and leggy. They did not look at all good in my window box at nearly 1 metre tall last year lol.

Ideally I want my marigolds small and bushy with lots of blooms and no more than 15 cm high maximum, just like they are in the garden centre! 

My questions are:

How far apart should I sow each seed, are they best sown in a seed tray or individual pots? 

How deep? 

When should I start to pinch out the top shoots to ensure they become bushy early on? 

Is it possible to achieve bushy 15cm plants using African Crackerjack seed variety or is that variety too tall? 

Any other advice?

Thanks

Buttercupdays

You need another variety - Crackerjack grows to around 30cm. There are lots of smaller Tagetes that will give you the effect you want. Have a look at on or two online seed merchants to get an idea of variety and to check sizes and then you will know what names to look for.

fidgetbones

Crackerjack will grow tall even if you pinch it out. It just grows bushier and flowers later. Try growing one of the double french marigolds instead if you want neat little mounds.  Durango tangerine looks like a small version of crackerjack.