(Tagetes erecta var. ‘Spark Mix’)
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Sparky Marigold is an compact annual flower that is native to Mexico but can be commonly found growing on banks and slopes throughout the central and eastern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 9-12” and features divided green foliage and aromatic orange and yellow flower heads which have wide, wavy petals. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and ladybugs, repels bean beetles, cabbage loopers, and nematodes, is both edible and medicinal, and can be used as a trap crop for aphids.
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Tagetes
Species: erecta
Variety: Sparky Marigold
Native to: Guatemala, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest.
Introduced into: Alabama, Andaman Is., Angola, Arkansas, Assam, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bulgaria, California, Cameroon, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Caroline Is., Cayman Is., Chad, Colombia, Connecticut, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Aegean Is., East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Florida, France, Galápagos, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Illinois, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jawa, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Korea, Krym, Laccadive Is., Laos, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Madeira, Marianas, Marshall Is., Maryland, Massachusetts, Mauritius, Missouri, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, New York, Nicaragua, Nicobar Is., Niue, North Carolina, North Caucasus, Northern Provinces, Norway, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pakistan, Panamá, Pennsylvania, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Puerto Rico, Rodrigues, Romania, Réunion, Sicilia, South Carolina, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Transcaucasus, Trinidad-Tobago, Tubuai Is., Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Utah, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vermont, Vietnam, Virginia, Windward Is., Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Ease of Growing: Easy.
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Blooms): Summer to Fall
Light: Full Sun
Water: Medium
Soil Moisture: Medium
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes.
Containers?: Yes
Height: 9-12"
Spacing: 8-12”
Sow Depth: 1/8"
Produces: divided green foliage and aromatic orange and yellow flower heads which have wide, wavy petals.
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
Genus: Tagetes
Species: erecta
Variety: Sparky Marigold
Native to: Guatemala, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest.
Introduced into: Alabama, Andaman Is., Angola, Arkansas, Assam, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bulgaria, California, Cameroon, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Caroline Is., Cayman Is., Chad, Colombia, Connecticut, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Aegean Is., East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Florida, France, Galápagos, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Illinois, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jawa, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Korea, Krym, Laccadive Is., Laos, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Madeira, Marianas, Marshall Is., Maryland, Massachusetts, Mauritius, Missouri, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, New York, Nicaragua, Nicobar Is., Niue, North Carolina, North Caucasus, Northern Provinces, Norway, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pakistan, Panamá, Pennsylvania, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Puerto Rico, Rodrigues, Romania, Réunion, Sicilia, South Carolina, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Transcaucasus, Trinidad-Tobago, Tubuai Is., Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Utah, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vermont, Vietnam, Virginia, Windward Is., Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Ease of Growing: Easy.
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Blooms): Summer to Fall
Light: Full Sun
Water: Medium
Soil Moisture: Medium
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes.
Containers?: Yes
Height: 9-12"
Spacing: 8-12”
Sow Depth: 1/8"
Produces: divided green foliage and aromatic orange and yellow flower heads which have wide, wavy petals.
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
Marigold seeds are best started indoors, in a controlled environment for the best success rate. Sow in Soil Blocks, 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last frost. Do not bury the seeds as they will need a bit of direct sunlight to properly Germinate. Marigold seeds typically take about 7 to 14 days to germinate if the proper conditions are met. Water the seeds daily with a spray bottle or mist setting until germination has occurred.
Marigold plants thrive in an area of full sunlight, with temperatures of around 70F or higher. They prefer a dry climate and don't require much moisture. The soil can be average, but should be well drained as well. Transplant entire pots into the garden, or direct sow when the weather is warm and all danger of frost has passed. The plants will grow to a mature height of roughly 12 to 14 inches tall and can be spaced about 8 to 12 inches apart from one another.
Marigold flowers are a delightful addition to any spring time flower arrangement or bouquet. If you'd like to do just that, here's how. Start by preparing yourself with a sharp blade and a container full of moderately warm water. Cut early in the morning just as the blossoms begin to open. Immediately set the stems in your container full of warm water. After two hours, strip the lower end of the stems of the marigold flowers. You do not have to remove all of the leaves; only those that would be submerged in water—potentially fouling the water. Finally, arrange the flowers in a vase with fresh water; they should live for at least a week if properly maintained.
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
Edible parts of French Marigold: The flowers are used in refreshing drinks. The leaves are used as a food flavoring. No further details are given. The essential oil is used as a food flavoring, though it is inferior to the oil obtained from T. minuta. The dried flowers are an adulterant of saffron(Crocus sativus), used for coloring foods yellow.
Taste:
Some cultivars have pleasant tasting flowers that are a nice addition to salads. Taste the flowers to see if they are worth eating.
Culinary Use:
The flowers of some types of Marigolds are edible. Basically, if it tastes good, you can use it.
Taste:
Some cultivars have pleasant tasting flowers that are a nice addition to salads. Taste the flowers to see if they are worth eating.
Culinary Use:
The flowers of some types of Marigolds are edible. Basically, if it tastes good, you can use it.
The whole herb is aromatic, digestive, diuretic and sedative. It is used internally in the treatment of indigestion, colic, severe constipation, coughs and dysentery. Externally, it is used to treat 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.
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.
Suggested Varieties
Cabbage: Early Jersey Wakefield (Heirloom) (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
$1.00 - $5.60
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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: 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: Black Krim (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Black tomatoes originated in Russia, and first reached the United States with solders returning home from the Crimean War. Black Krim, considered one of the best of the black tomatoes, comes from the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea. Lars Olov Rosenstrom of Sweden found this excellent variety in Krim, Russia in 1990.
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: Hillbilly (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
This multicolored heirloom tomato originates in the mountains of West Virginia. Ohio gardener Jerry Lee Bosner introduced this seed to Seed Savers Exchange for commercial use in 1994.
Tomato: Italian Roma (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Tomatoes first arrived in Italy with the return of European explorers from South America, bringing with them the unknown "tomatl," a member of the nightshade family that was considered poisonous for centuries and only used for decoration. Though Italians didn't discover the merits of tomatoes as a vegetable until the 18th century, they quickly became a staple ingredient in Italian sauces and pasta. The Roma tomato, also called an Italian plum tomato, performs excellently for sauces because of its low water content.
Tomato: Purple Cherokee (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Craig LeHoullier, a Seed Savers Exchange member, PhD chemist, and gardening enthusiast, received the seeds of Cherokee Purple in the mail from J. D. Green of Tennessee. Mr. Green stated that his neighbor had obtained the seed from Cherokee Indians in the area, who had developed this variety and grown it for generations. LeHoullier, being greatly impressed with the purple tomatoes, sent them to Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Johnny's Seeds, who both began to produce them commercially in 1991. Cherokee Purple, in addition to the famous Brandywine tomatoes, caused the popularity of old fashioned heirloom varieties of tomato.
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: 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.
Pepper, Hot: Anaheim Chili (Heirloom) (Capsicum annuum)
$1.00 - $5.60
An extremely popular hot pepper in Southern California and New Mexico, the Anaheim has been cultivated in New Mexico for centuries. In 1896, a entrepreneur named Emilio Ortega came to Anaheim, California to start a cannery; with him came his prize pepper variety, which soon became known and loved as the Anaheim pepper.
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.
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: 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: 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: 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.