Zinnias have a few disease problems — primarily leaf spots caused by fungus and bacteria , flower and petal blight, and powdery mildew. Like marigolds, these problems can be greatly reduced and plant performance can be improved with a late summer or fall planting compared with a spring planting.
The traditional older zinnia varieties we grew up with are the Zinnia elegans varieties. Some of these varieties are good for cut flowers, like the Benary Giant series, while other varieties are better as short-growing bedding plants, such as the large-flowering but smaller-growing Dreamland series. A wide range of flower colors is available in these zinnias.
The Magellan series is an industry standard. Yellow Flame zinnia is an All-America Selection winner. Narrowleaf zinnias include the Profusion and Zahara series. Marigolds also look so much better after deadheading. Deadheading marigolds is very simple. When a blossom starts to go bad, pinch cut its stem back to the nearest set of leaves.
Annuals are very heavy feeders and will respond well. Marigolds have few pests or problems overall, but spider mites and aphids sometimes infest the plants.
Usually a spray of water or the application of an insecticidal soap, repeated every other day for a week or two, will solve the problem. Occasionally, marigolds will be affected by fungal diseases such as powdery mildew if conditions are too wet. Farmers and gardeners have long known that marigolds make important companion plants all over the garden.
Marigolds come in a range of colors—from creamy white to golden orange—and sizes. French Marigolds. The flowers of Tagetes marigolds are not edible, but those of Calendula are. The bright petals of Calendula add color and a spicy tang to salads and other summer dishes. Here in New Zealand, I sow marigolds French in the autumn and have had no trouble with them surviving through the winter to give a great show right through the season and beyond into winter.
I took the cue by observing what happened when my marigolds were left to self seed, and noticed that the seedlings germinated naturally in the autumn. The transplanted seedlings from in between the flagstones have always done well over winter without any special care apart from a little liquid fertiliser when transplanted I have been growing these for years. They have a lot of different colors and look so pretty in the garden. Mine grow like weeds. I let them die in the fall and then harvest the seeds.
I try to harvest by color. I put them on a paper plate indoors to dry completely. Before harvesting the seeds, I write the color on the plate. When dry, I put them in a ziplock bag and plant when the weather starts warming. I over seed so I have masses of flowers. The marigolds planted by seed are very hardy.
I planted from a nursery once before and they were eaten so fast and died that I never did that again. I've never had problems with them around vegetables. I've planted by broccoli, kale tomatoes, etc. If some get eaten, it's not noticeable because I plant so many. I just scatter the seed on ground that I've scratched with a hand rake and just cover with a little soil and sprinkle with water. They sprout within a few weeks and grow pretty fast.
I've grown in sun and part sun and both do fine. I have lots of trees so there's not really very many full sun places. They look pretty with vegetable plants.
So don't give up. I've pretty much given up on marigolds. The earwigs strip the plants so all I have left are stems. I always used to plant them with my tomatoes. I miss them. Without the marigolds, the earwigs move onto other plants at night. You can go out with a bucket of hot soapy water and knock the gathered masses into it to help reduce the overall population. I always take an opportunity to spread the word about calendula, which seem to be under-represented in gardens, at least near me!
I didn't know much about them myself until a few years ago. At a gas station in late October, I saw flowers still blooming along a divider strip. I yanked a few out of the ground, took them to my yard, shoved them in the soil, watered daily. They perked up, grew until the first freeze, set seed, all in about 3 weeks, at the very end of the season. When spring arrived, I had new plants coming in like crazy mid-April. They started to bloom early June and they go until frost.
They are, in fact, the very last bloom in my garden every year now. I had to thin them out as they spread so easily but they come right out and are easy to control. They are also easy to move fully established plants - pull up, get the roots, water for a week every day and they will take.
Of course, you can also just sprinkle seeds anytime during the season and they'll sprout almost immediately. They have a unique, spicy scent and come in a range of colors from cream and all shades of yellow to gold, orange and rusty red. Choose a sunny location for marigolds. They need at least six hours of sunlight per day for best bloom, and they are well-suited for garden hotspots where other flowers wilt in the sun.
Marigolds prefer average soil that drains well. Marigolds are generally easy to grow from seed. To do so, prepare the soil by turning it with a side and loosening it with a garden rake to a depth of about 6 inches. If soil is very poor, consider adding fertilizer; otherwise, you can mulch with compost once seedlings emerge.
Sow seeds about a half-inch deep and 2 inches apart. Short varieties are perfect for planting in neat rows along a path or at the front of a border.
You can pinch off spent flowers to encourage and prolong blooms. Some taller varieties, such as African marigolds, often require staking, especially during storms. Some common pests and disease to watch for include spittle bugs, spider mites and aster yellows and wilts. Based in Indiana, Molly Allman holds a B. She works as both a writer and author and enjoys writing articles on many different topics. She specializes in topics concerning health, crafts, family and lifestyles.
By Molly Allman Updated December 14,
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