Marigolds, a typical flower in Mexican, and Indian societies, might reach 5 inches to 4 feet long relying on the kind you pick. Since they are flowers that were first grown by the Aztecs, they are often associated with festivals such as Mexico’s Day of the Dead and India’s Dussehra and Diwali. So for orange and yellow carotenoid-heavy iterations, marigolds serve as both a chemical-free fabric dye and a non-toxic food coloring.
In most of its varieties, these carnation- and daisy-like blooms are members of the Asteraceae family, which makes them perennials-it can burst up year after year. But there are annuals that prosper almost anywhere from zone 2 to zone 11. MarigoldsMarigolds are ideal for bringing bright, russet colors to the garden. But these birds are more than just pretty, they serve an important purpose in your garden! The overall trend in planting these species remains with vegetables where they attract pests like aphids, certain beetles, and spider mites that might influence the production of vegetables.
Types of Marigold
Marigold rangesThere are literally hundreds of species and divisions of marigold, with numerous cultivars belonging in each – Although a good many are medium-sized there is a range of shapes and sizes in marigolds. Short bedding marigolds that stay 4 to 6 inches high make a nice border, or you can get taller varieties up to 48 inches that are nice as cut flowers. There are as many as 50 different types of marigolds, but the three most popular are varieties of the Tagetes species, including African, French, and signet marigolds.
African marigolds (Tagetes erecta): African or Mexican marigolds are prized for their large, full pom-pom flowers on medium to tall plants. Their flowers can become more than 4 inches wide and reach up to 4 feet tall. Available in yellow and orange. African marigold series ‘Antigua’
French (Tagetes patula): ‘French’ marigolds- these are long-blooming, flower-happy marigolds. Short, bushy plants which grow from 5-18 inches tall. Double, 2 inch wide flower heads in yellow, orange, and mahogany are carried on plants with purple tinged stems. Naughty MariettaFrench marigold with wide ruffled petals in deep yellow with maroon centers.
Signet Marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia): These are the marigolds you can eat. Starfire marigolds are not at all similar looking to the bedding marigolds. They have feathery leaves, and single, daisy-like flowers. Available in yellow and orange with appropriate cultivar names like ‘Orange Gem’, ‘Tangerine Gem’, ‘Red Gem’, and ‘Lemon Gem’. The single-flowered signets called ‘Gem’ Series have very ferny foliage. In recent times, there have been some hybrids available on the market with various flavors of cream, burgundy and bi-colors, but the flavor does not always parallel that of the ‘Gem’ types.
Additionally, there are hybrid crosses, T. erecta x T. patula, which combine the African marigolds’large flower heads with the French marigold’s anemone-like flowers, producing very robust plants with self-supporting, spherical, bushy habits, known as the “dwarf bush” types.
How to Plant Marigolds
From Seed
indoors, 6-8 weeks before last frost date (indoors, 6-8 weeks before last frost date) To begin with, sprinkle seeds over the surface of an ordinary commercial potting soil such as seedlings would usually be grown in, which is slightly wet, in a tray or small pot. Cover with a thin layer of vermiculite, then place a clear plastic lid over the tray or pot.
At this point marigold seeds don’t require sunlight. All you need to do is place your container in a warm spot and they will sprout for you 4-5 days of planting. Finally, remove the plastic and relocate the container to a position in which it receives 4-5 hours of light a day. keep the potting mix moist – but not waterlogged to prevent damping-off fungus. When your seedlings show early signs of new leaves, it is time to transplant your blooms outside.
Full grown nursery plants
Mature plants-Plant marigolds in a sunny, well-drained area of your garden (soil should be free of puddles when you get a heavy rain) two weeks before planting. Make sure to water your marigolds the night before you plant them in the ground. This means when watered it drains evenly out of every pot base, saturating the soil, foliage, stems, and roots of each plant.
Then, go on and make holes at least 8-10 inches apart in the ground (this can change depending on your species), and take your marigold out of its container, and unravel the roots. Put a marigold in each planting hole and fill in all the gaps with soil to the base of its stem. Smooth off the top of the surface and press the soil flat with your hands Finally, water to the 4-inch depth. If you leave them to their own devices, your marigolds will rapidly reproduce.
How to Grow Marigolds
Light
Marigolds planted in full sun outperform those in low light conditions during blooming.
Water
Water your marigolds, preferably when they are young to encourage growth. Never leave marigolds in dry soil for more than a couple days, Groft warns. New plantings should be watered best in the heat daily. Marigolds can be drought-tolerant once established but will still do best if watered weekly.
Fertilizer
Marigolds usually do not require additional fertilization unless your soil is very deficient in nutrients. But if you want to be really efficient and improve the nutrients and drainage you can layer in some compost. Above all, the easiest way to enjoy marigolds is to deadhead them frequently.
How to Care for Marigolds
Pruning
Remove early flower buds to keep the marigold plant bushy and to ensure even denser flowering during the main bloom season Deadheading also prolongs the flowering period and causes the flowers to continue blooming late into the fall months.
Transplanting
Marigolds are gorgeous outdoor container plants, as they provide color and texture for a very long season. In addition, they transplant well, taking only a short few weeks to put down new roots in soil. I use regular commercial potting soil in any container, but clay pots are the best. You will also not need to report as you will be throwing this plant out at the end of the growing season.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Marigolds have few serious pests or disease problems, but a few troublemakers may cause some issues.
These may include snails and slugs that may consume leaves, especially on young plants. Cat Worm If you find ragged holes in your leaves, you probably have this pest. Maintain clean, leaf-free soil and, if necessary, deploy slug and snail traps.
Aphids may be a little challenging, however, horticultural soaps or oils generally clear them up.
Marigolds are susceptible to the common fungal plant disease powdering mildew. This white dusting on leaves is generally created by fungal spores that are jumping up from the earth, or might be spread between affected plants. It is an unsexy, seldom-lethal ailment. Avoid it with open air between individual plants, and wetting soil, not leaves.
Problems of Marigold
Slugs and snails (see above) are the most common problem for gardeners growing marigolds, but there are a few others.
Seedlings Rot Off Soon After Germination
While marigold seeds are one of the easiest and fastest seeds to germinate, gardeners you get seedlings that wilt and die as soon as they start to grow aren’t uncommon. Typically, when the delicate stems turn black, shrivel up and die. This is a textbook case of “damping off disease”—a catch-all phrase for a multitude of fungal diseases that can cause this sad problem. In the case of damping off disease, it cannot be cured. Although, you can avoid planting with only sterilized potting mixes or say by planting in pots, which does not already have this bug. Well by placing trays of seedlings not too closely together, and providing plenty of air circulation and watering seedling pots and trays from below instead of overhead watering. Damping-off fungi thrive in cool conditions so warm the soil first. Thus, on the off chance that the seedling plate is kept warm, it could likewise aid in forestalling it.
Tall Marigolds Flop Over
The taller marigolds that grow taller than 3 feet may get top heavy and begin to flop over after strong winds and rains. One way to avoid this is to plant the plants extra deep while planting (with additional soil to transplant the extra deep roots), tear off the bottom leaves of the basil and plant so these bare stem nodes are submerged. This produces a massive root system that despite strong winds, makes the plant stable. This will also be a way to take away the big past spent after flowering. To avoid the plant getting too top-heavy. You can of course stake up your plants if necessary.
Plants Get Weak in Midsummer
During the heat of mid-summer, marigolds may become sparse and spindly with less active bloom, but generously recover when cooler temperatures of early fall set in. This is indeed more common in hot areas. At the first of these hot spells, many gardeners like to cut them back hard. The plants usually return to strong growth and heavy blooming in later summer or early fall as the weather cools down again.
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1 thought on “Marigolds: Stunning Colors, Garden Benefits, and Expert Growing Tips”
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.