Big Top Gold (Marigold/African)

(16-20 in/41-51 cm) Massive blooms on a sturdy upright plant creates an impressive display of fully double flowers. Multi-branched habit and fantastic flower quality. Detailed/Coated seed. Pkt contains 25 seeds.

MARIGOLD (Dwarf Double African) Annual

Height 10 in/25 cm Tagetes erecta Approx. 9,000 seeds per oz/28 g Germination: 3 to 7 days at 75 - 80°F/24 - 27°C Sow 1/8 oz/3-5 g of seed for approx. 900 - 1,000 plants

NOTE: To prevent damping off use a fungicide at time of seeding.

EARLY SOWING: Seeds of Grandiflora types must be sown Jan. 10th to Feb. 15th, when day light intensity is low, to provide some blooms 13 or 14 weeks later. If sown after March 1st, plants will grow taller and take 18 weeks to bloom. March sowings usually result in sparse summer blooms and long out-of-bloom periods.

GREENHOUSE: Sow seed 1/4 in/6 mm deep; cover lightly with coarse vermiculite. Germinate at fairly high soil temps, (see above), use bottom heat (electric cable). Transplant Grandifloras further apart in flats than normal types (32 - 36 plants in a standard 11 x 22 in flat). Grow at 60°F/16°?C for quick blooms. One or two applications of B- nine will reduce normal height by 10 to 25%. Spectacular as pot plants.

OUTDOOR USE: You must sow this type indoors between Jan. 10th and Feb. 15th for June blooms. Later indoor spring sowings will not bloom until July or August. Does not grow well from direct sowing this species outdoors. See above for seeding instructions. Transplant outdoors 12 - 14 in/30 - 35 cm apart, when night temps. reach 48?F/9?C. Mature plants can be re-potted in the fall before frost and used as pot plants. Use a systemic spray to prevent red spidermite.