With the start of the holiday season, the demand for yellow and orange marigold flowers significantly increases. These flowers are used to decorate everywhere—from front doors to altars and temples. As demand grows, so do prices, forcing people to often buy expensive flowers. However, you can avoid these expenses if you have a marigold plant growing on your balcony or roof, as you can get many flowers from it without needing to buy expensive fertilizer or take special measures.
Often, people plant marigolds, but they produce few flowers. The plant becomes tall, but the branches develop weakly. If your marigold plant looks like this, don't worry. Here we will tell you about a gardener's trick that will help you get a large number of flowers on the plant. This method helps the plant become bushier and start producing more branches.
Increasing the number of branches, in turn, leads to the appearance of a greater number of buds.
If your marigold plant is growing tall but flowering little, slightly trim the topmost new shoot. In gardening, this is called pinching. During pinching, the top growing part of the plant is cut off, which prompts it to form new side branches instead of growing upwards, making it gradually denser.
When the plant has more branches, the chances of flowering automatically increase. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that pinching should not be done on very small, weak, or diseased plants.
Pinching can be performed when the marigold plant reaches approximately 6–8 inches in height and has 4 to 6 sets of leaves. To do this, cut about 1–2 inches of the topmost new shoot with clean scissors or secateurs. If the top shoot of the plant is very delicate, you can simply remove its tip with your fingers.
It is best to perform this procedure in the morning or evening. It is important to ensure that the scissors are clean to avoid the risk of infecting the plant. After pinching, you need to give the plant some time to develop new branches.
The advantage of pinching marigolds is that new side branches can appear from the cut part. This makes the plant spread out in all directions instead of just growing upwards, making it look bushier.
When these new branches grow a little, they can also be pinched if necessary. This can help the plant form even more branches. However, it should be noted that too frequent pruning can slow down flowering. Therefore, pinching should be done based on the plant's growth and weather conditions.
Sometimes, the first buds appear on young marigold plants. In this case, instead of waiting for early flowering, you should focus on the plant's growth. If the plant is still small and weak, it is better to remove its initial bud. This allows the plant to focus on growth rather than flowering, promoting the appearance of new branches and leaves.
However, it is not necessary to remove buds from every plant. If the plant is well-developed and has many branches, leave the buds so it can prepare for flowering.
After pinching, it is important to provide proper care for the marigold plant. It should be placed in a location where it receives about 5–6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Sufficient light helps the plant grow and flower.
Caution should also be exercised when watering. Water only when the soil in the pot feels dry. Constant moisture in the soil can lead to root rot. Furthermore, the pot must have a drainage hole for water to escape.
To make the plant dense and healthy, you can add manure fertilizer or vermicompost to the soil, depending on the plant's needs and the soil condition. A normal way is to apply fertilizer every 15 days, but the amount should not accumulate excessive nutrients in the soil.
Some people also use a solution made from mustard mash. If you decide to use it, let it ferment well and dilute it in enough water before applying. A very thick solution or excess fertilizer can damage the plant's roots.
If you want to decorate your home with potted marigold flowers for Diwali, you need to prune the plant in time, provide it with enough sun, and apply the correct amount of water and fertilizer. This will lead to the formation of more branches and an increase in the number of flowers.
It should be remembered that the number of flowers depends on the plant variety, its age, the weather, and the quality of care. When buds start to appear on the plant...