Marigold,
Diseases, Pests and Treatment
Introduction: Mary
Gold is also called Gul-e-Ashrafi. It is one of the oldest flowers. It is easy
to cultivate. It is a hardy annual plant. Its flowers bloom throughout the
summer and are less likely to be attacked by insects and diseases.
Height of Marigold Plant: Different
types of plants have different heights. It ranges in height from 6 inches to 3
feet.
Flower color: Marigold flowers
are yellow, golden and orange in color. Some new varieties have striped, bi-colored
or creamy white flowers.
Flower size: Marigold
flower is about the size of a Daisy (Chrysanthemum) flower.
Types of flowers: There
are two major types of flower grown in homes and gardens.
1.
French
Marigold (Tagetes Patula) 2. African
Marigold (Tagetes Erecta)
French Marigold: French
Marigold flowers are small, up to 2 inches in size. The plant is shrub-like and
only one flower blooms on each branch. The French Marigold plant grows to a
height of 6 to 18 inches. It does not need any support in hurricane/wind than
African Marigold.
African Marigold: African
Marigold flowers are large and double in size and bloom two flowers on each
twig. They bloom from mid-summer until the onset of severe cold. The African
Marigold plant grows up to 3 feet in height. African Marigold is also commonly
called American Marigold.
Single and Double Flowers: Marigold flowers
are single and double. Single means that only one flower blooms on each twig
and double means that two flowers bloom on each twig.
Single-Flower Varieties: Lemon
Queen, Orange King and Radio are Single Flower Varieties.
Double-Flower Variety: There
is only one double-flower variety that is called New Art Shade.
Effect of Temperature on Marigold
Flowers: When temperature rises, the double-flowered
variety stops flowering. In fact, it is a cold weather plant, so it stops
flowering at very high temperatures.
Flower Plucking: Flower
plucking should be done before the end of the flowering age, i.e. before
withering, because if it is delayed and the flower petals start to wither, the
disadvantage is that either plants produce single and small flowers or stop to produce
flowers. However, withered flowers should be plucked immediately as it is
necessary to separate the withered flowers from the plant in order to bring
continuous flowering on the plant.
Age of Marigold Flowers in the
Vase: The age in the vase of Marigold flowers is 6 to 10 days.
Half-open buds are broken off to increase the lifespan of the flower in the
vase.
Plant color:
Marigold plants are dark green in color and have a strong aroma.
Methods to Grow Marigold
Plants: There are two methods to grow Marigold Plants.
The first method is to prepare seedlings (Paneeri) by sowing its seeds and then
transplant the seedlings in beds or pots. The other method is to buy seedlings from
a nursery and transplant it in beds or pots.
Planting Season of Marigold:
Marigold seeds
are sown in September, October or late Spring, i.e. March and April. The seeds
start to germinate in about seven to ten days. The optimum temperature for seed
germination is 21 oC. About ten days after seed germination, the seedlings
are transplanted in beds or pots.
Distance between Plants in
Beds: French Marigold plants are planted at the distance of 8 to
10 inches and African Marigold plants are planted at the distance of 12 to 16
inches.
Need of Water for Marigold Plants:
When seedlings are transplanted in beds or pots, they
need to be watered regularly. Moisture should be present in the soil for the
first two weeks after the transplantation of seedlings so that the plants can
take roots. This should be followed by about an inch of water at weekly intervals.
If the bed soil looks dry before a week, then it can be watered before a week.
Pinching (Toak) of Marigold Plants:
When Marigold plants get a little bigger, their shoots are pinched so that more branches come
on the plants.
Need of Support for Marigold
Plants: African marigold plants need support to
protect them from falling during storms and hurricanes because they can grow up
to 3 feet in height but French Marigold plants do not need any support.
Diseases and Pests Attack on
Marigold Plants: Marigold plants are attacked by Aphidoidea(Tela) which makes the plant ugly. Spider
mites, slugs, leaf miners, aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and caterpillars can
also damage plants in hot dry weather. There is also an attack of fungi, grey
mold and viral diseases. Viral diseases are caused by whiteflies, thrips and
aphids.
Treatment: Infected
plants should be sprayed with Nogas and Melathian.
Ray Blight: This
disease is caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella Ligulicola
Due to the initial stage
infection, the buds can be misshaped and flowers are damaged.
Treatment: The
following medicines are effective for spraying leaves
Tiger Brand Daconil
Concentrate
Bonide Mancozeb Flowable with
Zinc Concentrate
Compiled By : Ikram Saeed
WhatsApp : +92-348-1633298
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