Marigold, African Marigold, French Marigold, Genda

Marigold (Hindi Name - Genda गेंदा)

Species: Tagetes erecta, Tagetes patula

Marigold are among the very popular flowers commonly found in India and other countries. They can be easily cultivated, are widely adaptable to varying soils and climatic conditions and have a good flowering duration. This bushy plant with around 20 to 30 species, have a long flowering period and the colours range from orange, yellow, gold, cream to apricot. They are very much used in making garlands. Make excellent beds and pot decorations.

African Marigold

There's nothing subtle about an African marigold, and thank goodness for that! It's a big, flamboyant, colorful punch of color for the sunny bed, border, or large container. Most are yellow, orange, or cream. Plants get up to 3 feet tall and produce huge 3-inch puffball blooms while dwarf varieties get just 1 foot tall. The mounded dark green foliage is always clean, fresh, and tidy. Grow them in a warm, sunny spot with moist, well-drained soil all summer long.

Growing Marigold

Light:                           Sun

Type:                           Annual

Height:                         1 to 3 feet

Width:                          1 - 2 feet wide

Flower Color:              Orange, Yellow, Cream

Seasonal Features:     Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom

Problem Solvers:        Drought Tolerant, Groundcover

Propagation:                Seed

Special Features:        Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance  

French Marigold

Just as you'd expect from something called French, these marigolds are the fancy ones. French marigolds tend to be frilly and some boast a distinctive "crested eye." They grow roughly 8-12 inches high with a chic, neat, little growth habit and elegant dark green foliage.

They do best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil and will flower all summer long. They may reseed, coming back year after year, in spots where they're happy. 

Marigolds Care

Planting
Sow them directly into the garden once the soil is warm, or start seeds indoors about a month to 6 weeks before the last spring-frost date.

The seeds germinate easily, but watch out for damping off if you start them inside.
Separate seedlings when they are about 2 inches tall. Plant them in flats of loose soil, or transplant them into the garden.

Space tall marigolds 2 to 3 feet apart; lower-growing ones about a foot apart.
If planting in containers, use a soil-based potting mix; during growing season, water freely and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer weekly.

Light & Soil
Marigolds need lots of sunshine (at least six hours of direct sunlight) and do well with year round warm to hot weather.
Though they grow in almost any soil, marigolds thrive in moderately fertile, well-drained soil.

Watering
Water marigolds the first 10 to 12 days after transplanting bedding plants into the garden. Thereafter, water the plants once every week without rainfall. Water deeply to saturate the roots and then allow the soil to dry before watering again. Marigolds are drought-tolerant plants that may develop rot, mildew or other diseases in soggy soil.

Fertilizing
Avoid fertilizing the plants. Marigolds thrive in poor soil and fertilizer often creates lush, rich foliage with few blooms.

Deadheading
Pinch off, or deadhead marigold blooms as soon as they fade to encourage continued blooming. Otherwise, the plants go to seed early and blooming rapidly decreases. To deadhead marigolds, remove the bloom, along with the stem down to the next branching stem, bud or leaf.

Hope you enjoy the beauty!!

Happy Gardening and Always Live your Passion!!

Shared with ABC Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Today's flower, Floral Flower Fotos, Ruby Tuesday Too and Outdoor Wednesday.

Dahlia, Dahlias

Dahlia, Dahlias

Nothing beats a dahlia for spring color. Native to Mexico, where they grow wild on hillsides, these tender bulbs bloom in many colors from spring until autumn. They are one of the major attractions in our annual garden, though they belong to a separate group (Bulb). There are many varieties available now, consists of the major groups, namely; pompon dahlia small and medium cactus dahlia small and medium decorative dahlia and large decorative dahlia. Dahlia flower comes in different color and shapes. The size of the flowers varies from 2 inches to 10 inches in diameter. The petals also vary from single to honeycomb type. Their sunlight requirement is very high. So plant it, where you can get sunlight throughout the day, or at least six hours in a day.    

Growing Dahlias in Containers

Dahlias can be planted in containers. If you choose to grow dahlias in containers hybrid varieties of dahlias work best. Container size should not be smaller than 12” x 12” per tuber/seedling. Use 2 parts garden soil, 1 part cow manure and 1 part compost. They will need water to get growing for you. Please make sure to keep your soil slightly damp - or cool to the touch. After plants are 12” high, potted dahlias will require extra watering and fertilizing to promote proper blooming.

Dahlias make excellent cut flowers, which will typically last about a week in the house.

Light:               Full Sun

Type:               Bulb

Height:             From 1 to 6 feet

Width:              2 feet wide, depending on type

Flower Color:  Blue, Pink, Red, White, Orange, Yellow, Purple

Foliage Color:  Chartreuse/Gold

Seasonal Features: Spring Bloom

Problem Solvers: Drought Tolerant, Ground cover

Special Features: Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance

Dahlia Plant Care

Staking

I recommend staking any dahlias that will reach 3 feet or taller. Any staking product will work, please check your local garden shop - i.e.: metal rods, or bamboo stakes. 

Fertilizer
Dahlias require a low nitrogen fertilizer, such as used for vegetables. I recommend high percentage potassium and phosphorus fertilizers such as a 5-10-10, 10-20-20, or 0-20-20. First applications should be within 30 days of planting and repeated again approx. 3-4 weeks later. One of the biggest mistakes made with dahlias is over feeding them. Avoid high nitrogen compost and high nitrogen water soluble types as they promote weak stems, small blooms, or no blooms, and tubers that rot or shrivel in storage.

Watering
After dahlias are established, a deep watering 2-3 times a week for at least 30 minutes with a sprinkler, more required during warmer dryer weather. Hotter climates will need to water more often as conditions require. Proper watering promotes proper blooming.
Topping or Pinching
To promote shorter, bushier plants with better stems for cutting, pinch or cut the center shoot just above the third set of leaves, or plant height of about 18-20” tall.  

Hope you enjoy the beauty and instructions!!

Happy Gardening and Always Live your Passion!! 

Shared with ABC Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Today's flower, Floral Flower Fotos, Ruby Tuesday Too ,and Outdoor Wednesday