Marigold

beauty of heaven descends on earth where marigolds are in full bloom during spring. Spring and marigold seem synonymous to me. No other flower has the ability to single-handedly take charge of the entire festival. Whether it is the Rangoli in Deewali or colours of Holi, wedding or haldi, in home or temple, no Indian festival can ever be celebrated without marigold petals.

Get to Know Me

These bright coloured flowers have a strong heady fragrance. Some insects and pets stay away from marigolds due to their pungent smell. While butterflies and bees are quite attracted to them help in pollination. Somewhat sweet somewhat pungent their smell attracts many while others have to develop taste for them. That is why… Sasural Genda Phool!!

Varieties

Three varieties of marigolds are quite popular. One has small flowers in deep contrasting colours like maroon, orange and yellow. This is French marigold. These colours create a good contrast. Plants are small and bushy. They can grow from 6 inches to 2 feet tall.

Secondly, there are African marigolds which we commonly know as Hazara. As the name suggests, these big sized flowers have thousands of petals. Colors of the flowers are cream, mustard or orange. Plants are not as dense as French marigolds and can grow upto 4 feet height.

The third relatively less popular variety is Signet marigold. It has small flowers with petals arranged in single layer. The plant attains maximum one foot height. These are planted along the edges of gardens or to fill the empty spaces around a large plant.

According to your space and choice, choose the right variety for your Paudhayan. If you need lots of petals for making rangoli or for spreading somewhere or if you like big round single colour flowers, plant Hazara or African marigold. Use French marigolds for abundant bloom of bright contrasting flowers. Signet marigolds are ideal for edging or creating a dense flowerbed.

How To Grow

Marigold plants are grown from seeds. African Marigold takes quite long time to grow, so in case of limited time and space, buy their saplings from a nursery. Other varieties may be grown easily by sowing seeds. For this, sow the seeds at a depth of about 1 inch in moist, loose soil. when germinated seedlings grow about 2-3 inches in height, plant them at a distance of 6 inches to 1 foot, depending on the variety.

Pinch the heads off when plants have established themselves. It will encourage them to grow bushier and produce more flowers.

Sun and Shadow

Grow marigolds in places with ample sunlight. These may be planted in pots or in the ground. In shade and humid areas the plants are prone to powdery mildew. This will affect plants' growth and blooming capacity.

Soil

Use loamy soil for healthy plants full of flowers. If the soil is not available, prepare it by mixing some sand to the clay. Soil must has excellent drainage.

In case of infertile poor soil, use fertilizers regularly.

Food and Water

When you intend to grow plants from seeds and the soil is not very fertile, add some manure to it before sprinkling the seeds. After that, fertilize the plant when it is ready to flower. Fertilizing during the growth period, plant will become dense with foliage at the expense of flowers. The fertilizer should have a bit more phosphorous content is good for flowering plants. Any fertilizer with NPK ratio 1:2:1 will work. In market, fertilizers are available specially for flowering plants; they may also be used.

Marigolds are drought tolerant, so water the accordingly. Water it thoroughly every 2-3 days or when the soil is completely dry.

French Marigolds like more humidity. Water it on alternate days is sufficient.

Make sure to water only near the roots. Do not water the foliage and flowers. Accumulation of water over the leaves may cause powdery mildew which damages the plant. Flowers rot in case of prolonged humidity.

How To Care

Pluck wilting and dying flowers regularly. When the bloom starts looking bad, just pinch the stem back to the nearest set of leaves. It will encourage the plant for producing more flowers extending the flowering season. The plant also looks much better with fresh flowers.

For seeds, pluck some large and almost dried healthy flowers from the plant and hang them upside down by making a garland of them. When dried well, separate the seeds and keep them in a cool, dry and dark place. Grow new plants from them in the next season.  

Insects and Infections

Usually these plants do not need special care. Still they may get infected by spider mites or aphids sometimes. To get rid of them, wash them thoroughly with soap water. Use a mild insecticide if the problem persists.  

Epilogue

Ornate your Paudhayan in Gold, Copper and Brass with majestic Marigolds. Bees and butterflies playing around the flowers with their fragrance melting in the air will bring the spring to your heart.

So friends, prepare your plants for spring this year with very little care.

Please share any other information about these plants or ask more questions about them in the comments below. Waiting for your suggestions…

Yours Paudhayan