Step-By-Step Guide On How To Grow Marigold In Garden Or As Indoor Plants
Introduction
Marigold flowers are a beautiful addition to any garden, ranging from pale yellow to deep orange.
This plant is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to grow and can be grown in any plant pot, basket or other container. Marigold is a flower that can be grown in any vase with a slightly pungent fragrance.
This species is not fussy about soil types or weather conditions. Different species are available for this, but it also requires sunlight. It is an “annual” plant and flowers once a year, and its plants are 10 to 15 inches tall.
Characteristics
(1) The most popular variety is the bright yellow variety, but pale to dark orange varieties are also available.
How to plant Marigold
For this, first of all, you should pay attention to the frost or when the last frost or snowfall in your area.
After the frost has passed, the seeds should be planted outside the house or if you want to plant the seeds in the plant indoors, then the period before the last frost (snowfall) will be ideal.
Another special thing is that the soil of the place you choose should be rich in fertilizer and should get full sunlight.
Choosing a place
As mentioned above, marigold plants do not need much care, but the soil should have the above amount of fertilizer and a mixture of natural fertilizers such as cow dung, dry leaves of trees, etc. will increase the productivity of the soil and as a result, more marigold flowers will be produced.
Here, special attention should be paid to African Marigold because its growth phase and flowering period are long, so it has to wait for the frost to pass.
On the other hand, French Marigold can be planted from spring to mid-summer. Both varieties require watering, but the soil should only be moist, not overwatering.
The best time for this is March-April and the temperature should be 21-24°C (70-75°F) and the seeds should be covered with compost and loose soil.
If there are a large number of seeds, it will be necessary to grow them in a small plant pot or other place like a greenhouse and the temperature should be 10°C there.
How to take care of them?
Marigold plants do not require much care, however, when there is snowfall or storm, a screen or some cloth should be kept on it overnight so that it does not get affected by the snow, and in addition, you can remove the cloth again in the morning to prevent its flowers from falling.
In addition, arrangements should be made to support or support tall varieties such as African marigold varieties so that the weight of the plant does not damage it when it reaches a higher height or when the time comes for flowering and more flowers.
In addition, there should be a water drainage system.
There is a risk of damage to the roots of marigold plants if they are exposed to too much water, so like other flowering plants, 1 inch of water is sufficient for marigold plants. In addition, as mentioned above, it is also necessary to have a proper water drainage system.
How to fertilize
Marigold flowers do not need much fertilizer because they are already capable plants and it should be further stated that the plants that are given more fertilizer will become strong but the production of flowers will be less in that amount, but if you want to fertilize, then you can give general purpose fertilizer once a month and fertilizer should be given as per the suggestions of an experienced person.
As mentioned above, if the soil has the right amount of minerals and salts, then the marigold plants will flower abundantly, but if you want to fertilize, you can give fertilizer rich in phosphorus and generally fertilizer is given through the soil.
If the soil is very alkaline and below the normal fertility level, then fertilizer should be given only if it is very alkaline and below the normal fertility level, otherwise not.
How To Grow Marigolds From Seed: The Ultimate Guide
Sowing from seeds
Growing marigolds through seeds is a very easy task. For this, first of all, the marigold seeds, which are usually 5-7 or 10 centimetre long in appearance, are easily pulled out of the marigold flower, and the germination percentage of marigold seeds is also high, so there is nothing to worry about.
The seeds should be spread loosely on the ground at a distance of every 6 inches.
While smaller species like Signet and French species can be brought closer together, the African marigold species with large flowers has a natural girth of 12 inches, so it should be planted at a distance of 12 inches.
After planting the seeds in a half or 1/3-inch section, it will be appropriate to cover them with a thin layer of soil and then water them gently, after which you will see that the seeds will appear to have germinated after a few days or weeks.
Seed germination
The germination time of each marigold species after sowing the seeds is different, but they germinate in 10-15 days.
The flowering time after germination also varies, such as the fastest flowering period is that of French marigold which gives flowers in a period of 50 to 60 days.
Other marigold species give flowers in a period of 50 to 80 days, while the famous Mexican marigold gives flowers in a period of 70 to 100 days.
Watering
Overwatering this plant can also cause root rot and fungal diseases, so first let the top 1 inch dry, check by inserting your finger into the soil and only then water and water at intervals of a few days.
It is important to remember here that new plants should be watered regularly or daily or you cannot keep them in dry soil for many days without watering.
It is necessary to water regularly, especially at the stage where the seeds have been planted, and once a week after the roots have fully developed.
Pruning
Here, removing the initial tip or the initial flower bud of the marigold plant will result in the remaining flowers blooming faster or the process of new flowers blooming will be accelerated and finally the flowering cycle will be increased or the flowers will continue to bloom even at the end of the season.
Care
As mentioned above, the marigold flower is a very picturesque, attractive and attractive flower of bright yellow color, which is an attractive flower for other garden birds, sparrows, bees, butterflies, etc. and also serves to attract insects that help in pollinating the flowers, such as other useful birds such as kingfishers, etc.
Flowering period
Generally from late spring to autumn, it has the ability to give flowers for a long time in full sunlight and well-fertilized soil or until the first frost.
During the summer season, the flowering process will decrease to some extent, but when the weather becomes cold again, the number of flowers will usually be seen again.
Sunlight
Like other flowers, marigold flowers also need full sunlight during the day. When marigolds get 7 to 8 hours of sunlight a day, marigold plants grow quickly and strongly, while marigold plants that grow in the shade are weak in growth and the number of flowers is also less.
Fertilization
Marigold plants do not usually need much fertilizer, in fact, they can give flowers in good quantities even in low-fertilized soil. In short, the soil should not be too alkaline, with a pH level of 6.0 to 7.0, and there is no need for more natural fertilizers, just watering as needed.
Pests and Diseases
Generally, the general public has the impression that marigolds have a higher resistance to diseases than other flowering plants, but this is not the case.
Many pests are found to infect and damage marigolds, such as thrips, leaf miners, whiteflies, and aphids, which are its biggest enemies. In addition, hot and dry climates or environments also cause serious damage to marigold plants.
Seed extraction process
It is very easy to extract seeds from marigold flowers. When you remove the marigold flower and plant, the seeds inside the flower can be easily pulled out.
After separating the seeds from the flower in this way, it will be appropriate to dry the seeds by keeping them open on dry clothes for a week, after which you can store them in a cool place.
In this way, if you save your marigold seeds for growing in the above-mentioned way, you will not need to buy marigold seeds from the seed sales center because several seeds can easily come out of one marigold flower to sow the next year.
In which the French species, despite being a small species, has attractive orange, red and yellow flowers.
Apart from this, the flowers of marigolds also make their own unique contribution to enhancing the beauty of the garden, and attract other birds like garden birds, sparrows, parrots, pigeons butterflies etc.