The French Marigold seeds were sowed today in a bed where tomatoes grew last summer all the way through the new year. However, when the heirloom plants were finally pulled, the roots were so swollen and distorted that Knot Root Nematodes seemed to be the culprit.
UC Davis recommends planting the marigolds in rows 7” apart with plants/seeds spaced every 7”. Fine. That worked alright for the 1st row. During the 2nd row planting, I realized that my back could not hold out; so I opened both of the 2g packages and scattered the seeds over the bed. The well composted soil was gently raked over the seeds followed by a nice shower of water. Good. The seeds should germinate in about 5 days; but I suspect it could be sooner with all the warm sun we’ve been experiencing.
This bed will remain in marigolds for the summer with hopes of starving those nematodes.
All the tools, clogs, and gloves were sprayed with a bleach water solution then dried in the sun to prevent the spread of these extremely wee beasties.
Compact, bushy plants loaded with bright yellow, gold, orange and bicolor crested blooms. Great for patio containers, mass plantings or mixed with other summer flowering annuals. Fast growing, easy-to-grow plants are relatively maintenance-free and bloom quickly from seed.
For best results plant in full sun. Sow directly in the garden where plants are to grow after danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Seed may be started indoors 4 weeks before planting outdoors. Transplant carefully so as not to disturb the roots.
Au revoir, Nematodes. *kiss kiss*
1 comment:
Well at least the marigolds should provide you with plenty of summer color. Sorry about your nematode problem...those roots look pretty scary!
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