GORGEOUS MARIGOLDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22398, 20 October 1934, Page 21

GORGEOUS MARIGOLDS

A VARIED RACE All the true marigolds, or tagetes, to distinguish them from the totally unrelated calendulas, with which they are often confused, are natives of Mexico. It goes without saying, therefore, that unlimited sunshine will be their chief demand. Difficult of culture they are not. Any garden can grow them, but, if they are to be completely at home, a sunny bed or border must be chosen for them. It is all to the good, too, if the soil is inclined to be on the dry side. Once the plants have got a root-hold, drought holds few terrors for them, instead will encourage free blooming. Marigolds are easily raised from seed, especially if a greenhouse and the means for providing a little bottom heat are at hand. Where the proper facilities are not available, purchase the plants towards the end of October. These will be hardened off ready for planting out, and should give first-class results. SEED SOWING. The end of August or early September is quite time enough to think of sowing. Either boxes or pans can be used, and any good light compost will suit. Sow thinly, and do not cover the seeds with more than a sprinkling of compost. A temperature of 65deg to 70deg must be maintained until germination is completed, after which it should be slowly decreased until, by the time they are ready for pricking off, the seedlings are more or less inured to a normal temperature of round about 60deg. The simplest method of doing this is to move the ijpxes at intervals of a day or so to cooler parts of the house and closer to the glass. Pricking off must be undertaken as soon as the seedlings have developed their first pair of true leaves. A good compost should be used, but no strong manure is advisable at this early stage. A bottom layer of very mild manure, such ns hops, however, will serve a useful purpose in helping to entice the roots downwards. The process of hardening off should Commence just as soon as the seedlings have recovered from the check imposed by transplanting. It cannot be too strongly urged that the more gradual this process can be made the better. Many a needless disappointment with marigolds has been caused by injudicious haste. The foliage of the plants cannot adjust itself to too sudden a change in atmosphere and temperature. Though the plants may survive being rushed from a warm house to a cold frame and ruthless exposure only a week or so before planting time, they must inevitably suffer later on. Move them gradually to the coolest and airiest parts of the house. Then, when they do go outside to the frame, which should be at least a fortnight or three weeks before planting time, keep it as close as possible for three or four days. Then, and not before, inure them gradually to the effects of light and air. Do not plant until the frame lights have been removed for at least a week.

Watering must be attended to carefully while the plants are still in boxes, and a word of caution is especially needful with the African varieties. These sorts form a perfect mat of roots, and great care must be taken to see that the water percolates right down through the soil. All danger of frost must be past before planting, and the last fortnight of October will be as early as is consistent with safety in most districts. Up to this point the treatment demanded by all types of marigolds is identical, but their tastes in the matter of soil differ widely. The large African varieties require a rich, well-manured bed before they will acquit themselves with credit. The French sorts, on the other hand, are most at home in poor, dry soil. Planted on rich land,' they will grow luxuriantly, but the greater part of the foliage growth will be made at the expense of the flowers, which will be anything but freely produced. The majority of gardens have a dry-sun-baked corner where few plants will grow. This is the ideal place for French marigolds, and, once the plants have got a root-hold, no fears need be entertained for their safety. Probably the most useful and certainly the beet-known of the French varieties are the dwarf bedding sorts. There are few bedding schemes of any pretensions which do not find a place for the single, yellow and brown flowers of Legion of I Honour, an old favourite, but still in the forefront. The maroon and yellow-striped flowers of Star of India and Diadem, a chestnut-brown, with a neat yellow edging, are other good sorts; but it is to bo doubted if any other variety quite comes up to the standard set by Legion of Honour in respect of habit and floriferousness. Another type which is finding great favour is the dwarf French Golden Ball. In this variety are combined the habit of the dwarf French sorts, with a perfect miniature flower of the African type, rich orange in colour. One of the species, Tagetes signata pumila, and its variety Golden Gem, are also first-rate garden plants, their foothigh, rounded bushes literally covering themselves with golden-yellow, single flowers from early August onwards. SORTS TO GROW. The tall French varieties are available in many kinds of markings, and in both

double and single form. None of them can be depended upon to come perfectly true to name, but, as the colour scheme is in every case confined to shades of yellow and chestnut-brown, no fears need be entertained as to, the results. Perhaps the best of this type is the old exhibitor’s tall striped double. A good strain should yield a large percentage of well-formed, fully double flowers. The tall African marigolds are quite easily the most imposing members of the family. The large globular flowers often measure four inches across, and, under exhibition culture, that is not more than three blooms on eacli plant, attain huge proportions. Blooms six inches or more in diameter are by no means out of the question. Prince of Orange and Lemon Queen are the best of the exhibition types. The latter is never quite so'large as the orange variety, but it is even finer in quality and texture. Golden Beauty is a novelty of the season in African marigolds, presenting a new colour m soft golden-yellow; it is very double. Of recent years we have also had from America African marigolds producing a phenomenally high percentage of double flowers. All Double and the newer Guinea Gold are two prominent varieties with this trait, but it must be confessed that the blooms fall far short of the standard set by the older strains. Compared with them, they are coarse of petal, and many only yield semi-double flowers.—D. T. ( M., in Amateur Gardening. ____________