Expert: C.L. Fornari - 5/28/2007

Question

"Thank you for taking time to read my questions.   Most of my flower
beds have a mixture of top soil and compost with a little peet moss.  I
live in Mississppi where it is getting hot and theres not much rain.
I have marigolds that I started from seeds.  They are growing and most
of tem are about 6-12"high but there are no blooms yet. Is this
normal?  What should i do?

Thank you so much!Jamie"

Answer
Jamie,
If you are growing large marigolds that will be at least two feet high, then it's normal not to have flowers yet.  The larger ones grow to close to their mature size before starting to flower.  Once they do get a flower, be sure to cut it off as soon as it fades because this will prompt the plant to bush out and develop many more.  Many gardeners just go ahead and cut this flower off in bud form as soon as the bud develops, not waiting until it opens and fades to encourage this bushy growth.  Up to you.

If they are smaller marigolds, you should have flower buds by now.  If you don't, make sure they are in at least 5 to 6 hours of dead-on sun that includes the noon hour; marigolds like full sun, so they won't bloom if they are in too much shade.

If you continue to see problems with your plants, you might have a soil pH test done - most cooperative extensions and many garden centers test for pH, and if you tell them what you are growing, they'll let you know if you need to correct the acidity or alkalinity, and how to to that.

In general, the plant works to create a good deep root system before it starts to flower - see other email.

I hope this helps!

C.L.
www.gardenlady.com