Summer, its on its way, on the bottom(last year)..... the picture on the top, is in fall(as well as the bottom of this post)..but, just wanted you to see the "hedge" of Marigolds even in fall.....This has been fun, I have received several SASE's for the seeds, am sending them out....
I hope all enjoy them, you will have enough for the rest of your gardening days, as you save from year to year.
Marigolds are not fussy about the soil they are in, they likie water though...from my experience, they really dont need much fertilizer, if any, and my tall ones get up to 38 inches tall, with some blossoms as big as 4 inches across.......
they make wonderful "living" fences...I use them for a border around my garden to keep "pets and Grandsweeties", from thinking the garden is to play in.
They are al WONDERFUL bu repellent, planted IN my potatoe patch, they repel all kinds of nasty bugs that love my potatoes. The Colorado Potatoe Beetle seems to be th sorst here, and last year werenot too bad, dont really know if it is because of the Marigolds planted n and amongst the plants or just because it was a small year for them, but, at any rate, there were few. So, I will plant the Marigolds in the potatoes and everywhere else again this year.
I pick the largest and prettiest heads inthe summer after they are just about bone dry(I leave them whole and break apart AFTER they are dry)....put them in small paper lunch sacks and put them in my greenhouse(its hot in there and htey dry wel...), if not, put them up on top of your refrigerator, in PAPER, never plastic, they will rot, or laying on something paper....this absorbs the moisture and allows the air to dry it.
Label them as to color(at the time you pick them, if your anything like me, by the time I remember to label, I have forgotten(grin)and height....that is why I use small paper lunch sacks....
I store mine in 5 gallon buckets, with lids, the mice in the winter love to eat them, when stored in my Greenhouse.
Next spring, as soon as you have the last frost, I use a hoe to run a small furrow along the sides and front and back of my garden, and sprinkle a few seeds in(before this, break apart the heads), cover, water and wait for about 10 to 12 days, you will see small, almost "Palm Tree" looking sticks with jagged looking leaves on them, sit back and enjoy them................
they really are easy and fun, PLEASE share with all of those around, make them your "Friendship" seeds......
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