Step 1
Man has implant the fragrant marigold amid garden vegetables to discourage everything from beetle to animals in search of dinner party . According to Robin Howe and Beth Musgrove , of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System , although much of the effectuality of marigolds in the garden trust on anecdotal evidence , marigold do furnish a method of ensure garden pest .
Nematodes
Marigold plants contain toxins that help eliminate root grayback and other nematodes . nematode worm , tiny microscopic worm , damage the stem of vegetables , particularly tomatoes . According to Jeff Schalau , county director at the Arizona Cooperative Extension , planting marigold reduce the number of roundworm in the soil the following year .
Insect Pests
Although there is little evidence that marigolds repel insects , according to the Arizona Cooperative Extension , marigolds do attract good worm , such as ladybugs , lacewing fly and parasitic wasp . These insects prey on harmful garden insects , providing raw insect control . What many gardener comprehend as the marigold ’s ability to repel insect pests may in reality be a result of the beneficial insects they pull .
Animals
F. Robert Henderson , elongation specialist from Kansas State University , reports that although it has not been scientifically verified , set marigold border around garden may dissuade jetty . According to WildLife & Natural History Q - line , marigolds may successfully deter deer .
Aesthetics
Marigolds brighten the garden with their bright yellow and orange blooms atop bright immature foliage . These highly scented plant life release a acrid fragrance when brushed . Marigolds draw butterflies and other flying dirt ball , adding both movement and beauty to the garden .
Marigold Flower Facts
Description
French marigolds bush out to 6 to 12 inches high , with 2 inch flowers . African marigolds ( aka American marigolds ) grow to 3 feet high . Triploid marigolds , a cross between French and African marigolds , have sterile , 3 - inch broad bloom heads . Colors are red , gold and chickenhearted .
Growth
Plant marigolds in full sun and water if there are periods of drouth . They can hold out in most any soil and are almost effortless to grow . expert soil , compost and caution ensure full and racy growth .
Hardiness
Marigolds go with the frost , so they choose hardiness geographical zone 9 to 11 .
Propagation
broadcast by sow the very slight black semen directly into the grunge . sparse to a foot apart after the seedlings are about 1 to 2 inches grandiloquent .
Fun Fact
Tagetes lucida , known as Mexican tarragon , can be a replacement for Gallic estragon , a kitchen spice .
Marigold Fast Facts
Types
Marigolds can be classified by four common species : African marigolds , French marigolds , triploid marigolds and single marigold .
Size
A fully grown works standard anywhere from 6 inches to 4 infantry high , with a spread of 6 in to 3 feet . Triploid marigold are often the largest , and French marigolds the smallest .
Climate
marigold will arise in nearly any strong to temperate clime . They do not hold up well in colder climate . They prefer to be plant in full Sunday , approximately eight to 16 inches aside in moist , well - drained soil after the danger of hoar has glide by .
Common Pests
Marigolds produce a pungent smell that dissuade many dirt ball , but wanderer pinch and spittle bugs may still find marigolds to be a tasty dainty .
Care
Keep soil moist but not excessively wet . Remove any flowers that have died , a procedure called " deadheading . " This will ensure that the plant blooms throughout the leaping and summertime . Fertilizers rich in phosphoric will encourage flower growth .
How to Grow Pot Marigold
satisfy small peat pots with potting land , about a calendar month before the expected last frost . Plant several marigold ejaculate per pot just below the surface of the soil . drizzle the dirt and put the peat pots in a shallow tray with several centimeters of weewee .
Step 2
assure that the ground in the peat pot remain dampish and lay the seminal fluid in a warm , dark area until they burgeon forth .
Step 3
Bring the sprouted marigold seedling out when the first two leaves are seeable . Place them in the Sunday .
Step 4
pluck the littler , weaker plant . Leave one plant per small peat can .
Step 5
Begin to accustom the seedlings to outdoor temperatures by putting them out in the aurora and bring them in in the evening .
Step 6
Plant your marigold seedlings in their final pots . By using peat pots , the entire seedling pile can be found .
Step 7
Pinch off the played out flush to advance further bloom and growth .
Planting Marigold Seeds
opt a gardening site . marigold mature serious and produce the most prime when reared in a sunny location .
Prepare the garden soil . take out any Earth’s surface vegetation and debris . Break the grime into fine thud to a profundity of 6 inches . repair the filth with 2 to 4 in of compost , desegregate good into the top of the turd .
Plant the marigold seeds . Bury the seeds 1/4 inch below the soil open , say expert at West Virginia University . Spacing depart according to the specific marigold salmagundi . For example , French marigolds are often dwarf in size of it while African marigold can spread as far as a couple feet . North Carolina State University suggest spacing the seeds asunder by 10 to 12 inch .
Water the seeded seeds . Apply wet twice daily or as necessary to keep the country moist . The seeds will typically germinate within a workweek .
Tip
Marigold seminal fluid can be collected from an subsist marigold plant , accord to North Dakota State University . swerve off a marigold flush after it has wilted and place it in a theme bag . Allow the blossom to dry thoroughly until it is crisp to the mite . bump the flower psyche open and take away the black seeds indoors , which are slight and oblong in frame . Plant the germ or put in them in an airtight container until you ’re quick to sow them .
Warning
marigold should only be plant after the last frost particular date in your region , as they are very cold sore .
How to Save Marigold Seeds
Collecting and Storing Seeds
crimp off bushed marigold flowers when the flower petal commence to dry . marigold are one of the few flowers that do not produce a seed pod disjoined from the bloom . seminal fluid are form in the loving cup - like formation under the bloom petals .
Tear spent marigold flowers asunder with your fingers on an old screen or a sieve . Seeds consist of three colored sections – the dyed remnant of the flower petal , a white tubular objet d’art connect to the black seed at the bottom .
Allow a few twenty-four hours to dry out on the screen . The flower petals and white part will keep on to wilt and disintegrate , allow the black cum .
depot semen in label envelopes in a glass jar or other container with a soused lid .
Facts About the Dwarf Marigold Flower
Dwarf French marigolds ( Tagetes patula ) are compact , bushy plant life which reach up to 12 inches and have flowers 1 to 2 inches in diameter . The flowers may be single , two-fold , crest or tufted , and come in shades of chickenhearted , gold , orangish and Venetian red - violent . The atomic number 83 - colors , which have contrasting colors on the edges , are sometimes called " brocades " .
Marigolds ask moist well - debilitate soil and full sun . implant the dwarf marigold varieties 6 inches aside . Keep plants deadheaded to further new rosiness .
History
Marigolds are native to Mexico . The Gallic marigold is so called because the French develop new hybrid of Tagetes patula .
Cultivars
The Disco series is 8 - 10 inches and free - anthesis . The Little Hero serial is an early blooming crested - eccentric with large ( up to 2 1/2 inches ) flowers .
Uses
Marigolds are useful as bedding flora and for container . The dwarf mixed bag in special make excellent edging plants . When planted in masses they provide brilliant coloring material .
Problems
marigold suffer few problem from pests or disease . In fact , French marigold are often planted near vegetable to resist off root - knot nematode worm .
How Much Water Do Marigold Flowers Need?
marigold are middling drought tolerant , but produce more blooms if kept evenly moist , especially during hot atmospheric condition . They ask well - drained stain that is not soggy .
Considerations
marigold grow in containers dry out more quickly than those in flower beds or vegetable gardens . Clay and plastic pots , especially , dry out out quickly . These plants may want daily tearing during hot conditions . A wet meter inserted in the soil chop-chop alerts gardener to dry out soil conditions .
Growing Needs
In add-on to unconstipated waterings , marigolds thrive in full sunshine . They are not at all cold stalwart and are planted either from seed or glasshouse purchased plants after the last frost . They may also be start out indoors six to eight week before the last Robert Frost . They blossom 45 to 50 solar day after plant , harmonise to West Virginia University Extension Service .
How to Plant Marigolds in Vegetable Gardens
Sow vegetables seeds in the disposed garden bed . Plant veg seedling in your garden bed , leaving an empty space every two plants .
Sow marigold seed , two to three , in the empty spaces between veggie seedlings . pass over the semen with soil and lightly tamp it down . Sow the remaining marigold source along the borders of the veg garden .
Water and fertilize marigolds the same meter you irrigate and care for your veggie garden . Remove spent salad days to promote continuous blooms during the originate season .
Things Needed
Marigold & Companion Plants
Importance
Many gardeners are looking for solution to garden pest job that are non - toxic and earth - friendly . Marigold is a long - established familiar industrial plant that does no harm to children and pets . It mitigate many garden problems without causing scathe to the target plant or other plants . Marigold imparts no perniciousness to intellectual nourishment crops .
Toxicity
Marigold contains thiopene , a chemical toxic to many grease - borne pests . Thiopene gives marigold its typical smell and flavor , which makes it much resistant to garden pest problems .
Parasites
Nematodes , a dirt - borne parasite causing works decay and death in many vegetable and ornamental plants are rebuff by the thiopene that marigold emits into the soil through its roots .
Insects
Insects are repelled by the warm , chemical aroma of marigold . Soft - incarnate , sucking insects , like aphid , are particularly adverse to the chemical substance flavour and sapidity of marigold . Marigold is very good against carrot base fly .
Deer
Deer hate the smell and flavor of marigold . Vegetables and ornamentals implant near marigolds are less potential to be eaten by cervid .
Use
Plant marigold in rows in the vegetable garden as a roadblock to nematodes and other ground - borne parasites . Plant near tomato plant and settle vegetables . Thiopene will diffuse the land , realize surrounding areas less susceptible . marigold planted near roses will help oneself repel aphids , which associate marigold ’s odor with its unpalatable flavor .
How Long Does it Take for a Marigold Seed to Sprout?
There are many unlike type of marigold that range from 6 to 36 inches improbable . The colour varieties include yellow , orange , red , white and multi - biased .
Preparation
Plant marigold seeds in seed trays make full with moist , good - drain soil . Spray the soil with room temperature piddle before planting .
Marigold seeds do not want light to sprout . Sprinkle the ejaculate on top of the dirt and cover with vermiculite or sand . Place the ejaculate in a ardent area and keep moist .
Fertilize the marigold seedling once they grow true leave-taking . Dilute 15 - 0 - 15 water - soluble plant food to billet strength and use twice a week .
Time Frame
computer storage seeds from one twelvemonth to another in a cool , dark area . Keep the seeds juiceless or they may unexpectedly shoot . Protect them from insects and rodent .
The Lowest Temperature of Marigold Plants
The common marigold ( Tagetes erecta or Tagetes patula ) spring up where night temperatures do not drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit . In colder parts of the United States , marigolds are grown as an annual works .
How to Care for Marigold
marigold be intimate soil rich with organic matter . Mix compost into your beds 6 to 10 inches late prior to planting showtime . select a positioning with good drainage and full sun . Leave 6 to 9 inches between Gallic marigold varieties and up to 18 inches between the large African hybrids .
Marigold seed are some of the well-fixed one-year flowers to start yourself . Sow seeds indoors as ahead of time as eight weeks before the last frost day of the month . Germinate by sowing seeds in soil , covering lightly and observe moist for up to two weeks . When seedling are sturdy , graft after all peril of frost is past .
Marigolds ask footling maintenance aside from deadheading old heyday . Pinch spend blooms just below the bud to encourage new growth and more flowers . marvellous varieties can be staked with garden dowels or canes and link up loosely with string to prevent warp or drop during storms .
Is an Orange Marigold Flower Poisonous?
marigold are eatable but have a acerbic flavor . The signet marigold can be harmful if eaten in large amounts . marigold are used as an herbal remedy for skin excitation .
Marigold Plant Information
Features
menage gardeners can prefer from a kind of marigold mintage , ranging in size from 6 to 48 in magniloquent with a similar bedspread . Abundant flowers come along in shades of orange , maroon , cream and yellow . Foliage is lacy and dark green .
The four canonical species of marigolds are : African , French , triploid and signet . Each of these species consists of many hybrids with variation in colouring and size of it .
Habitat
Moist , loamy soil produces the practiced flush . marigold prefer full sun but will grow in partial shade . They are tender tropical plants killed by frost , but maturate just about anyway as annuals .
Stake grandiloquent specie such as African or Aztec marigolds to prevent damage from wind . abstract off spent flowers from all types to promote additional efflorescence .
In hot , juiceless weather , wanderer mites may attack marigolds . Garden slugs also like to eat the plants .
