GardenBanter.co.uk - New gardener, I need information!

First of all, make sure the pot is at least 8" deep and 8-10" wide for the
marigolds to have space for the roots and tops. My favorite mixture is to
mix half composted cow manure and half potting mix. Both of these are sold
in Home Depot or Lowes. Make sure the potting mix is not the cheap dirt
(sand) sold as potting "soil". It should contain peat and
perlite/vermiculite. Another option is to buy Miracle Gro Potting Soil -
even though I think it's way overpriced when you can mix your own.

Fill the pot and leave about 2" of space at the top of the pot. Sprinkle
some marigold seeds on top of the soil. Then cover the soil with 1/4" of
more potting soil. I press it gently down with my hand so the seeds make
good contact with the soil. With a very gentle spray from your hose or a
watering can, wet the soil till it's saturated. Put the pot in a very sunny
spot and wait for the little seedlings to emerge. It usually takes a few
days. Make sure to check the soil at the end of the day to keep it moist
for the seeds to germinate. I usually take a piece of clear saran wrap and
cover the top of the pot to keep it moist until the seedlings pop up. Once
they do, take the plastic off so they don't get fried from the heat. I then
start to fertilize the flowers once a week with 1/2 strength of fish
emulsion until they get bigger (about 1-2"), then full strength. Keep
watering the plants when the soil dries out too. In a small pot, this
should be once a day (especially in full sun). If you decide to, you can
also grow them in half day sun/half day shade and they'll be o.k. Please
don't make the mistake of keeping the soil constantly wet, as many people
do. They're afraid to allow the soil to dry out between waterings. The
roots and stems of the plants need some dry time to prosper; otherwise the
plants will rot and start to deteriorate by having several brown leaves and
flowers.

Once the flowers are happily growing, you have the choice of feeding them
with a liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks or you can use a slow release pellet
form that you put around the edges of the pot (cover with just a little soil
to bury them). The advantage of using a slow release is that it feeds the
plant slowly every time you water and you don't have to remember to mix up a
liquid solution. My favorite is Osmocote 14-14-14 for annuals.

You can grow just about any flower/herb by following these instructions.
Just read the back of the package and it will tell you how deep to plant the
seeds and how tall the flowers will get. The taller the flower, the deeper
the pot.

Plants are very much like us; they need food, water, oxygen, and a little
TLC to prosper. I own a flower planting service in Raleigh, NC and I've had
a few customers that get so worried about the plants drying out, they
actually unintentionally kill the plants by overwatering them. Plants are
not that hard to grow if you learn to relax a little and enjoy them. One
last tip. When the marigolds develop brown flowers, snip them off with
scissors just below the bloom and the plant will have more energy to direct
into developing new flowers for you.

Good luck.

Penny
Flowers By The Yard
Zone 7b - North Carolina
"Playrite1" wrote in message
...
I have some marigold seeds I won. But I don't know how to plant them. In a
pot
how deep should the seeds go? What kind of dirt do I need? Do they need a
lot
of sun? I am in Florida. Water? Thank you!