Marigold Seeds Latest Prices and Detailed Planting Methods

Marigold, also known as stinking marigold, marigold lantern, and stinking chrysanthemum, is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Tagetes in the Asteraceae family. It originated in Mexico and Central America and is distributed throughout China, mostly growing in roadside meadows. It is usually sown in spring, and because of its large flowers and long flowering period, it is often used for flowerbed landscaping. Let us take a look together at the price of marigold seeds and the planting methods!

How much is a jin of marigold seeds?

The price of marigold seeds is about 600 to 800 yuan per jin, but it varies depending on seed quality, the market where they are purchased, the quantity purchased, and so on. Marigold originated in Mexico and Central America and is cultivated throughout China. Its suitable growing temperature is 15 to 25°C, the suitable temperature during the flowering period is 18 to 20°C, the relative air humidity is 60 to 70%, and the winter temperature should not be lower than 5°C. It likes light, and sufficient sunlight is very beneficial to the growth of marigold, making the plants short and sturdy with brightly colored flowers. It is not strict about soil requirements, and fertile, well-drained sandy loam is best.

What value does marigold have?

1. Ornamental: Marigold has large flowers and a long flowering period, and is often used to decorate flowerbeds, squares, flower borders, and cultivated hedges. Medium and dwarf varieties are suitable as materials for flowerbeds, flower paths, and flower clusters, and can also be grown in pots.

2. Edible: Marigold flowers are a famous dish in floral cuisine. Fresh marigold petals are washed, dried, coated in flour, and deep-fried, and their fragrance is mouthwatering.

3. Environmental protection: Marigold plants have strong resistance to and absorption of gases such as hydrogen fluoride and sulfur dioxide, and can also attract nematodes in the soil.

4. Medicinal: Marigold flowers have effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, and resolving phlegm and relieving cough, and can also be used as an aromatic. The roots can detoxify and reduce swelling, and are used for carbuncles, sores, and swellings. The leaves are used for conditions such as carbuncles, sores, boils, and pustules.

Sowing methods for marigold

1. Seedling raising time: The seedling raising time for marigold can be determined according to the transplanting time. Generally, spring marigold is raised about 40 days before transplanting. For each mu of spring marigold planted, 20 to 25 sq m of seedbed is needed, using about 30 grams of seed.

2. Bed preparation and fertilization: Marigold is not strict about soil requirements. Apply 200 kg of farmyard manure and 2 kg of special chrysanthemum fertilizer to the seedbed. Turn the farmyard manure into the ground, evenly scatter the chemical fertilizer on the bed surface, then hoe it into the ground, and then rake it fine and level it.

3. Select seeds: Before sowing marigold, first select the seeds, remove impurities and shriveled seeds, and ensure the seeds are plump. Then sun-dry the selected seeds to kill pathogens, enhance seed vigor, and increase the germination rate.

4. Soaking and dressing seeds: Before sowing marigold seeds, soak the seeds in warm water at 35 to 40°C for 3 to 4 hours, then remove them, rinse once with clean water, and drain the water before sowing. To prevent seedling-stage diseases, thiophanate-methyl or chlorothalonil can be used for chemical seed dressing.

5. Sowing method: Marigold sowing should be carried out on a windless, sunny day. On the day of sowing, irrigate the seedbed thoroughly, and sow once the water has seeped down. Mix the treated seeds with fine sandy soil and scatter them over the seedbed in 2 to 3 passes. After sowing, cover with sieved soil to 0.7 to 1 cm.

6. Seedbed management: After sowing marigold, the seedlings emerge completely in 6 to 7 days. After the seedlings are uniform, note that the temperature in the seedbed must not exceed 30°C, so as to avoid burning the seedlings and root rot. When the seedlings grow to about 3 cm and the first pair of true leaves unfolds, attention should be paid to ventilation to prevent excessive spindly growth.

Planting methods for marigold

1. Land preparation and fertilization: For marigold, it is advisable to choose a plot with no waterlogging, convenient irrigation and drainage, exposure to the sun, and relatively high organic matter content. In combination with land preparation, apply 30 cubic meters of organic fertilizer, 300 kg of diammonium phosphate, and 100 kg of potash fertilizer per hectare. Transplanting generally begins on May 20 and ends before May 28.

2. Transplanting technique: Before transplanting marigold, water the base thoroughly the day before to facilitate lifting the seedlings. Use 65 to 70 cm, make holes in the ridge and transplant with water. To prevent underground pests, an appropriate amount of phoxim can be added to the water. The plant spacing is 35 to 40 cm, and 2600 to 3000 plants are kept per mu.

3. Fertilizer and water management: If marigold is planted in sunny, loose, and fertile soil, there is no need to apply much fertilizer after planting. If the soil is poor, spray 0.3% urea solution on the leaves 2 to 3 times during peak growing periods such as the bud stage and flowering stage. Apart from watering during especially dry summer periods, watering is generally not necessary.

4. Shaping and pruning: Removing side buds from marigold at the seedling stage helps the terminal buds grow. In summer, plants tend to grow excessively and should be pruned in time to control height. At the same time, because the flowering period is long, plants tend to lodge in the later growth stage and the branches and leaves tend to wither and age, so overly dense stems and leaves and residual flowers should be removed in time.

5. Pest control: Marigold pests include mole crickets, white grubs, red spider mites, aphids, and so on. For mole crickets and white grubs, apply 0.75 to 1 kg per mu of 3% carbofuran or 5% phorate granules into the soil in combination with transplanting. For red spider mites and aphids, use 1.8% abamectin and quick-kill for control.

6. Disease control: Marigold diseases are mainly damping-off, leaf spot, root rot, and so on. The principle of giving priority to prevention and placing emphasis on treatment should be adhered to, and diseases should be controlled in good time. In particular, a fungicide should be applied once during the bud stage (before flowering).

7. Timely harvesting: The harvesting standard for marigold is that the petals are fully unfolded and the stamens are partially open or not open. The yield is relatively high when they reach 80 to 90% ripe. At harvest, the flowers should have no water droplets and no mold or rot, and the flower stalk length should not exceed 1 cm. After harvesting, send them immediately to the flower factory.