Thursday 9 April 2009

Marigold


Annual, Tagetas Ercta, Tagetas Patula
Marigold plants are a very prolific, easy to grow annual flower. Kids love 'em and adults love 'em. Marigold flowers are available in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, orange, red and mixed colors. Marigold Flowers will bloom from mid-summer all the way until frost. They can be used for indoor arrangements, but give off a pungent odor that is sometimes too strong indoors.
Did you Know? Marigolds are considered companion plants that keep insects away. Many gardeners grow them amidst their vegetable crops.

Propagation:
Marigolds are grown from seeds. They like full to partial sun. Marigold seeds can be directly sowed into your flower garden, or seeded indoors for transplanting later. We recommend planting Marigolds in pots and containers indoors, then transplanting them outdoors. This allows you to make the proper spacing without the need for thinning seedlings.
Sow Marigold seeds early in the season and cover lightly with soil. Water thoroughly once. They germinate easily and will grow quickly, producing their first of a continual display of blooms by mid-summer.
Transplant Marigold plants into your garden after the last frost date for your area. Spacing depends upon size with miniature varieties spaced four to six inches apart, and Giant varieties one to two feet apart.
How to Grow Marigold Flowers:
Marigold plants like rich, well drained soil, but are very tolerant of average to slightly poor soils. Improving your soil quality will produce much healthier plants and flowers, so add plenty of compost. Add a general purpose fertilizer once a month.
Once your Marigolds are established, they should grow well, even if left unattended. Soil should be moist, but not wet. Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week.
Add mulch around the plants for appearance and to keep weeds down.
Around mid-summer, your plants will begin to produce flowers and will continue to do so up to the first frost. You do not need remove dead flower blooms, except for appearance.
Marigolds are annuals and susceptible to frost. They may survive the first light frost with only a little damage. They will not survive a hard frost or freeze.
Insect and Disease:
Insects largely avoid Marigolds. Insects do not like it's pungent odor. This is why Marigolds make good companion plants. You can even make an insect repellent spray from these plants.


While insects avoid Marigolds, slugs can do major damage. Slugs like to slither up the stem and chew on the leaves. They can destroy an entire flower garden of Marigolds. They can be seen on the plants overnight, in wet weather and early morning. If an infestation occurs, treat quickly to avoid major damage.

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