Dead heading. Most people know there are certain plants you dead head to make them look better. This is not going to be news to old time gardeners on here, they've learned to think like a plant. Marigolds are one of those flowers you dead head. It makes new flowers come on, and thicker flowers. Because a plant doesn't make flowers to impress you or to be pretty. A plant doesn't care if it's pretty, it has one job..to survive to reproduce. It's in the plants genetic code. So when you pinch off all the wilted flowers the plant panics somewhere in it's plant DNA and starts to realize "OMG! I don't have any seeds!" The plant hurries to produce more potential offspring and plenty of them. The more you pinch, the more it makes, until you have some pretty amazing flower displays. If you don't pinch off the wilted heads, the plant thinks it's done it's job and stays puny and usually punks out. That's why you see some people's Marigold beds all dead and dried up in fall and other people still have a kick ass display.*
And as far as I know, Marigolds only pollinate with Marigolds, so the seeds you save off them are just as good as any you can buy. You will get some mixes, like variegated colors and stripes, but, I like that. Zinnia's are the same way. They like dead heading and the seeds are always Zinnias. Why pay for new ones?
And as far as I know, Marigolds only pollinate with Marigolds, so the seeds you save off them are just as good as any you can buy. You will get some mixes, like variegated colors and stripes, but, I like that. Zinnia's are the same way. They like dead heading and the seeds are always Zinnias. Why pay for new ones?
6 comments:
Awwww, when you humanize them I feel kind of bad for putting them through all that hard work...
Yeah, I do too and that's why I leave them alone with their "babies" when first frost is coming. Hey, it's the only dream they have. LOL!
Awww, I never thought of the posies that way.
I think like a plant every day.
You're my gardening guru. I can't wait until we move and I can start my own flower/veg/fruit gardens. I'm going to come back to your archives for all my info. I'll probably email you here and there also. Gardening for dummies! :)
To save seeds do you have to let one head remain on the plant until it's decrepit or can you just save a dead head and get seeds from that? I have a gaillardia that is prolific and gorgeous and has been going great guns all summer long. I recommend it to everyone: Beautiful red/orange/yellow flowers and it's a perennial! I want to save some seeds and spread that party all over the place.
Lu
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