Saline environments reduce the germination ability of seeds. To determine the effect of different salt doses in the growing medium on seed germination, marigold seeds were treated with 0, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl. Marigold seeds were sown in nylon petri dishes, 20 seeds per dish, between filter paper. Salt doses of 0, 50, 100, and 150 mM were prepared and applied to each prepared petri dish containing the seeds. The study was designed according to a randomized plots experimental design with 3 replications and 4 petri dishes in each replication. Daily germination data were collected from the nylon petri dishes containing the marigold seeds. The study was terminated after 13 days of seed germination, and analyses were performed. The study evaluated the responses of marigold seeds to salt doses of 0, 50, 100, and 150 mM. It was observed that germination rate and germination index decreased with increasing salt doses, and the number of days to germination increased with increasing salt concentration. According to scanning electron microscopy results, C, O, Ca, Si, Na, S, and Cl elements were observed in marigold seeds at 0, 50, and 100 mM salt doses, while Si was not observed at 150 mM salt dose. It was also observed that cell shrinkage and contraction increased in the seed coat with increasing salt concentration.