Marigold: White (Tagetes Erecta 'Kilimanjaro')
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Commonly called African marigold, Aztec marigold, American marigold or big marigold, is native to Mexico and Central America. Big marigold may be the best descriptive name because plants are noted for their large flowerheads. They typically grow from 1-4’ tall and feature huge, mostly double-globular flowers (2-4” diameter) in various shades of yellow, orange, and whitish. This variety is unaffected by high summer heat and generally blooms throughout the summer.
Scientific Name: Tagetes Erecta 'Kilimanjaro'
Also Known As: African marigold, Aztec marigold, American marigold or big marigold.
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Bloom): June to Frost.
Light: Full sun
Water: Medium. Evenly moist.
Soil Moisture: Medium. Well drained.
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. The flowers are visited by butterflies and hummingbirds.
Containers?: Yes
Height: 18”
Spacing: 9-12”
Sow Depth: Press into soil lightly
USDA Zone: 2-11
Produces: 3" creamy white flowers
Garden Uses: Beds, edgings, containers
Also Known As: African marigold, Aztec marigold, American marigold or big marigold.
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Bloom): June to Frost.
Light: Full sun
Water: Medium. Evenly moist.
Soil Moisture: Medium. Well drained.
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. The flowers are visited by butterflies and hummingbirds.
Containers?: Yes
Height: 18”
Spacing: 9-12”
Sow Depth: Press into soil lightly
USDA Zone: 2-11
Produces: 3" creamy white flowers
Garden Uses: Beds, edgings, containers
Soil Preparation
Soil Preference:
Soil pH: 5.5-7.0, Ideal 5.8-6.2. Any well drained garden soil will work. It doesn't need to be very rich as this can result in excessive foliage growth and less flowers.
Soil Preparation:
Compost (Nitrogen), 2 inches apart, in top 6" of soil, 1 time: Incorporate compost into the top 6" of soil.
Soil pH: 5.5-7.0, Ideal 5.8-6.2. Any well drained garden soil will work. It doesn't need to be very rich as this can result in excessive foliage growth and less flowers.
Soil Preparation:
Compost (Nitrogen), 2 inches apart, in top 6" of soil, 1 time: Incorporate compost into the top 6" of soil.
Start Indoors
Seed Sowing Depth: 0.0" to 0.25". The seed can be sown on the surface, but is generally covered with ¼” of soil.
Soil temp for germination: 60°F to 90°F, optimal 75°F to 80°F, optimal 75°F
Total weeks to grow transplant: 7 to 8 (Spring/Summer), (Fall/Winter)
Germinate:
2-4 weeks before last frost date: The seed doesn't germinate well in cold soil, so it is often started indoors 4 to 6 weeks before planting out. It transplants well so it can be started in flats. Place seeds 1/4" in deep in soil and keep moist.
Soil temp for germination: 60°F to 90°F, optimal 75°F to 80°F, optimal 75°F
Total weeks to grow transplant: 7 to 8 (Spring/Summer), (Fall/Winter)
Germinate:
2-4 weeks before last frost date: The seed doesn't germinate well in cold soil, so it is often started indoors 4 to 6 weeks before planting out. It transplants well so it can be started in flats. Place seeds 1/4" in deep in soil and keep moist.
Transplant Outdoors
2-4 weeks after last frost date: Plant out 2 to 4 weeks after the last frost, into fairly warm soil.
Warm, Hot: This tropical plant grows naturally in zones 9 to 11, but can be grown in colder climates as an annual.
When outdoor temp: 60°F to 95°F, optimal temp 65°F to 70°F
When min soil temp: 60°F. Don’t plant out until soil is at least 60˚ F, preferably higher.
Spacing: 8"-12", 2 plants per sq ft. Sow seeds 2 - 3" apart. Thin to a final spacing of 8 - 12" apart.
Warm, Hot: This tropical plant grows naturally in zones 9 to 11, but can be grown in colder climates as an annual.
When outdoor temp: 60°F to 95°F, optimal temp 65°F to 70°F
When min soil temp: 60°F. Don’t plant out until soil is at least 60˚ F, preferably higher.
Spacing: 8"-12", 2 plants per sq ft. Sow seeds 2 - 3" apart. Thin to a final spacing of 8 - 12" apart.
Start Outdoors
When Warm, Hot: This tropical plant grows naturally in zones 9 to 11, but can be grown in colder climates as an annual.
When outdoor temp: 60°F to 95°F, optimal temp 65°F to 70°F
When min soil temp: 60°F. Don’t plant out until soil is at least 60˚ F, preferably higher.
Seed Depth: 0.0"-0.25". The seed can be sown on the surface, but is generally covered with ¼” of soil.
Spacing: 8.0"-12.0", 2 plants per sq ft. Sow seeds 2 - 3" apart. Thin to a final spacing of 8 - 12" apart.
Summer Crop:
2-12 weeks after last frost date: The seed can be direct sown any time after the soil has warmed up to at least 60˚ F. Plant 1/4" deep and keep soil moist during germination.
Support: No
When outdoor temp: 60°F to 95°F, optimal temp 65°F to 70°F
When min soil temp: 60°F. Don’t plant out until soil is at least 60˚ F, preferably higher.
Seed Depth: 0.0"-0.25". The seed can be sown on the surface, but is generally covered with ¼” of soil.
Spacing: 8.0"-12.0", 2 plants per sq ft. Sow seeds 2 - 3" apart. Thin to a final spacing of 8 - 12" apart.
Summer Crop:
2-12 weeks after last frost date: The seed can be direct sown any time after the soil has warmed up to at least 60˚ F. Plant 1/4" deep and keep soil moist during germination.
Support: No
Very easily grown from seed, Marigolds require little attention and are a favorite plant for children to grow.
Water Needs: Low. Marigolds are somewhat drought tolerant, but flower best if the soil is slightly moist (not wet though).
Fertilizer Needs: Light. Marigolds aren't very hungry plants and growing them in rich soil can actually result in lush growth at the expense of flowers.
Support: No
Water Needs: Low. Marigolds are somewhat drought tolerant, but flower best if the soil is slightly moist (not wet though).
Fertilizer Needs: Light. Marigolds aren't very hungry plants and growing them in rich soil can actually result in lush growth at the expense of flowers.
Support: No
Ripening: When and How. Flower, 1-56 days after maturity
When: Cut in the early morning, just as the blossoms begin to open.
How: Using a sharp blade, cut the stem at the desired length (ideally at the base). Immediately put cut marigolds in a container of moderately warm water. After 2 hours, strip the bottom leaves that are submerged in the water from the plant. Arrange flowers in a vase with fresh water. They should last a week.
Deadheading flowers will extend the blossoming period all the way to the first frost.
When: Cut in the early morning, just as the blossoms begin to open.
How: Using a sharp blade, cut the stem at the desired length (ideally at the base). Immediately put cut marigolds in a container of moderately warm water. After 2 hours, strip the bottom leaves that are submerged in the water from the plant. Arrange flowers in a vase with fresh water. They should last a week.
Deadheading flowers will extend the blossoming period all the way to the first frost.
Marigolds produce seed freely (if the faded flowers are left on the plants), though their offspring will be a mix of different characteristics, unless you hand pollinate. The heavy flowering hybrid Marigolds, Triploids are sterile and so don't produce viable seed.
Seed Viability in Years: 2 - 4 years
Seed Viability in Years: 2 - 4 years
The petals of the flowers of some varieties can be eaten. The fresh receptacle is eaten by children. A yellow dye obtained from the flowers can be used as a saffron substitute for colouring and flavouring foods. The plant is used as a condiment. (This probably refers to the use of the flowers as an edible dye)
The whole herb is anthelmintic, aromatic, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, sedative and stomachic. It is used internally in the treatment of indigestion, colic, severe constipation, coughs and dysentery. Externally, it is used to treat sores, ulcers, eczema. sore eyes and rheumatism. The leaves are harvested as required for immediate use during the growing season, whilst the flowering plant can be dried and stored for later use. A paste of the leaves is applied externally to treat boils, carbuncles and earaches. The flowers are carminitive, diuretic and vermifuge. A decoction is used to treat colds, and mumps. It is applied externally to treat skin diseases, conjunctivitis and sore eyes. The root is laxative.
Project Purity Seeds can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Allies: Marigolds have acquired a large body of companion gardening lore surrounding their reputed insect repelling qualities. Companion gardeners suggest planting them with cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and roses, insisting that the pungently scented plants control aphids, cabbage loopers, imported cabbageworms, Mexican bean beetles, and nematodes. Only a few of the claims are backed up by scientific research, and sometimes the results are contradictory. In addition, marigolds appear to have an allelopathic effect on some neighbors. In one study, French marigolds (Tagetes patula) repelled Mexican bean beetles, but the growth of the beans was stunted, apparently by the presence of the marigolds. One study on cabbageworm counts found that marigolds had no effect; in another, the number of worms was reduced but so was the size of the heads (apparently because of an allelopathic substance from the marigolds). Nematode studies are more definitive, showing a decrease in population in at least five species of nematodes. Early studies focused on the resistance of marigolds to nematodes and found that the plants contain a potent nematocide that controlled meadow and root know nematodes on infested land. Later studies showed that potato root nematodes were unaffected or only slightly reduced by the toxin. Spectacular nematode control resulted when marigolds were interplanted with tomatoes, and similar results were shown with tobacco. Gardeners in India row marigolds between beds of tomato family vegetables such as potatoes, chili peppers, and eggplants, changing the layout year by year so that the whole garden area receives a dose of marigold nematocide.
Companions: Due to the possible allelopathic effects, it’s probably best to plant marigolds and vegetables in separate beds. Grow the marigolds as a cover crop and turn them into the soil at the end of the season. The brightly colored flowers are always welcome in ornamental plantings.
Enemies: Marigolds appear to be allelopathic to beans and vegetables of the cabbage family.
Companions: Due to the possible allelopathic effects, it’s probably best to plant marigolds and vegetables in separate beds. Grow the marigolds as a cover crop and turn them into the soil at the end of the season. The brightly colored flowers are always welcome in ornamental plantings.
Enemies: Marigolds appear to be allelopathic to beans and vegetables of the cabbage family.
Secretions from the roots of growing plants have an insecticidal effect on the soil, effective against nematodes and to some extent against keeled slugs. These secretions are produced about 3 - 4 months after sowing. The flower petals also have nematacidal properties. The growing plant is also said to repel insects and can be grown amongst crops such as potatoes and tomatoes. A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers.
Suggested Varieties
Cabbage: Early Jersey Wakefield (Heirloom) (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
$1.00 - $5.60
The first Early Jersey Wakefield cabbages were raised in 1840 by a man named Francis Brill of Jersey City, New Jersey. Thirty years later, seed companies all over the region offered this seed for sale; growers appreciated its early harvest and small, tender heads.
Cabbage: Late Flat Dutch (Heirloom) (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
$1.00 - $5.60
Late Flat Dutch cabbage can be traced back to 1840, when the earliest mention of this variety is found in the seed records of the Netherlands. German immigrants carried the seed with them to America, where it spread; by 1924, it could be found in local seed catalogs such as D. M. Ferry & Company.
Cabbage: Red Acre (Heirloom) (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
$1.00 - $5.60
Cabbage is considered one of the oldest cultivated vegetables, since historians trace it back to 4,000 BC in China. The Romans also cultivated it and praised it for its healing qualities; philosophers Pythagoras and Cato both made the lowly cabbage the subject of a book. Jacques Cartier brought the first cabbage to America in 1536. Cabbages were quite popular in colonial America, being pickled and preserved in every possible way to provide food for the winter.
Cabbage, Chinese: Pak Choi (Heirloom) (Brassica rapa var. chinensis)
$1.00 - $5.60
Chinese cabbage dates back to the 15th century in China, when a pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty considered it nutritionally beneficial. Later it became the main ingredient in kim chi, the national dish of Korea; Japanese soldiers also discovered Chinese cabbage and took it home with them after the war. Americans became familiar with this vegetable in the late 19th century.
Tomato: Amana Orange (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
The Amana Orange tomato is an Iowa heirloom obtained from Gary Staley of Brandon, Florida, who named it for the Amana Colonies of Amana, Iowa. The Amana Colonies, a National Historic Landmark since 1965, were completely self sufficient German Pietist communities. The Colonies imported with them their traditions and handcrafts from Germany, including heirloom vegetables such as Amana Orange.
Tomato: Beefsteak (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Seed expert Peter Henderson introduced this tomato in 1894, naming it "Henderson's Crimson Cushion." Later renamed Beefsteak, it became a favorite of gardeners in the Northeast. It was developed for resistance to fusarium wilt and nematodes, as well as meaty flesh for eating fresh or cooking.
Tomato: Green Zebra (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Seed expert Tom Wagner of Everett, Washington bred Green Zebra from several green tomato varieties, including Evergreen. Since he was young, Tom had been fascinated with green tomatoes, but was disappointed with their tendency to crack. He set out to create a new green tomato, and Green Zebra was the result; he first offered it for sale in his seed catalog in 1983.
Tomato: Sweetie Cherry (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
The Heirloom Sweetie Cherry Tomato has a firm texture and was produced for commercial sale in 1980. These succulent fruits can grow up to 1" in diameter, and even though they aren't very big, they still have incredibly high sugar content.
Tomato: Yellow Pear (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
History well documents the Yellow Pear tomato, indicating the presence of this variety in Europe as early as the 17th century. The earliest known reference to this heirloom in North America comes from the sale records of the Hudson Bay Company in Vancouver, Canada. Numerous heirloom seed companies in the United States still offer Yellow Pear as an unusual, delicious little tomato.
Pepper, Hot: Habanero (Heirloom) (Capsicum chinense)
$1.00 - $5.60
Though this greatest quantities of Habanero peppers are now grown in the Yucatan in Mexico, they once played an important part in the industry of "La Habana," or Havana, from which they receive their name. Habanero peppers spread so far so quickly that they also became called Chinese peppers, since some believed that was their place of origin. Habanero peppers are the hottest open pollinated pepper available.
Pepper, Hot: Hungarian Yellow Hot Wax (Heirloom) (Capsicum annuum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Hungarian Yellow Hot Wax pepper is an heirloom that is very popular for canning and pickling. Excellent for short season areas. It sets fruit over a long season. The light yellow fruit are medium to very hot.
Pepper, Hot: Jalapeno (Organic) (Capsicum annuum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Jalapenos are the most well-known chili pepper in Mexico and the United States. Use them in everything from nachos and pizza to Mexican cuisine. Green conical fruits get hotter as they mature to a deep red on upright plants. They are also known as 'chipotle' chilies when dried and mesquite-smoked.
Pepper, Hot: Long Red Cayenne (Organic) (Capsicum annuum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Cayenne peppers were found growing on a bush near the town of Cayenne in French Guiana, South America. Records show that this pepper is among those discovered by Christopher Columbus in his travels and taken back to Europe, where they immediately established themselves in European cuisine.
Pepper, Hot: Serrano (Heirloom) (Capsicum annuum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Heirloom Serrano Peppers are known for their unusual combination of intense heat and flavor. Named for the Spanish word meaning "from the mountains", these chiles are originally native to the mountains in the Mexican states of Puebla and Hidalgo. Growing in popularity in the United States, they are a cultural tradition in Mexico.
Pepper, Hot: Tabasco (Heirloom) (Capsicum annuum)
$1.00 - $5.60
This fiery pepper was first known near Tabasco, Mexico in the 1840s and imported in 1848 to Louisiana. Edmund McIlhenny, a native of Avery Island, Louisiana, began brewing his famous Tabasco pepper sauce in 1868 using these peppers. Since then, Tabasco pepper sauce has become the most loved and well known hot sauce available.
Eggplant: Black Beauty (Heirloom) (Solanum melongena var. esculentum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Eggplants date back to medieval times where they were called mad apples. A staple of regions of Asia, known as the "king of vegetables". Eggplant comes in all shapes colors and sizes. Black Beauty is one of the earliest and dates back to the early 1900's.
Eggplant: Long Purple (Heirloom) (Solanum melongena)
$1.00 - $5.60
This Italian heirloom eggplant, Long Purple, produces dark purple cucumber-shaped fruit with firm, mild flesh. Good yields, especially in northern climates! Plants will typically produce 4 or more 8-10" fruits with harvest beginning in 70 to 80 days. Average water needs. Some parts of plant are poisonous if ingested.