Marigold Varieties
 

The picture below is "New World Strawberry Blonde" from Harris seeds:
[url]https://www.harrisseeds.com/collections/marigold?page=2[/url]

It's my first marigold variety I have grown. I liked growing it. I am interested in finding other varieties to grow for sale as container plants, so compact-growing or dwarf would be best. Recommendations are appreciated, thanks.

How about Lemon Gem? I got seeds from Canadian seed exchange, and really loved them, compact and blooms all the way to frost with no issues. So I sent in seeds I saved last year as well.
I could save more this year if anyone wants them. Not sure if the original ones were hybrid, but saved seeds performs well.

Dwarf French Marigold is one of my favorites. I did find out this year that spider mites like them too.

[QUOTE=AlittleSalt;658163]Dwarf French Marigold is one of my favorites. I did find out this year that spider mites like them too.[/QUOTE]

Yep, kept them off my tomatoes. I did not have any planted in the same bed the watermelon are planted and it got spider mites.

[url]http://www.graines-baumaux.fr/167333-tagetes-signata-pumila-gem-mix.html?search_query=Tagetes&results=5[/url]

I am growing these and they are compact plants with hundreds of small flowers. So beautiful!

Bambino is a pretty one w lots of flowers, handles dry conditions well

[QUOTE=charline;658165][url]http://www.graines-baumaux.fr/167333-tagetes-signata-pumila-gem-mix.html?search_query=Tagetes&results=5[/url]

I am growing these and they are compact plants with hundreds of small flowers. So beautiful![/QUOTE]

I am taking a lot of seeds from them. Does anyone know if they breed true?

Alumia cream.

[QUOTE=clkeiper;658447]Alumia cream.[/QUOTE]

Those are gorgeous! I bet they would sell pretty well at market.

What about Little Duck Yellow or Little Duck Orange? I've never grown them, but they look adorable!

I second Salt's recommendation for French Marigold, Naughty Marietta especially. Bees love the single flowers.

[url]http://www.southernexposure.com/french-marigold-naughty-marietta-05-g-p-1523.html[/url]

Tashkent is really nice.
[url]http://www.southernexposure.com/french-marigold-tashkent-1-05-g-p-854.html[/url]

[QUOTE=bower;658594]Tashkent is really nice.
[url]http://www.southernexposure.com/french-marigold-tashkent-1-05-g-p-854.html[/url][/QUOTE]

Those are very pretty, but I am certain they are not dwarf at 24- 30 inches.

Cole, there are few others I have grown, but they don't fit your needs or in a gallon pot. I'm only suggesting this one because it is beautiful and if you ever choose to sell some larger potted plants in a two gallon pot [URL]http://www.johnnyseeds.com/flowers/marigold/giant-yellow-marigold-seed-1884.html[/URL] but they grew about 3.5' tall for us.

There are some others sold locally that look pretty good [URL]http://www.rareseeds.com/crackerjack-mix-marigold-african/[/URL] not my favorite, but I see a lot of people growing them.

I understand you are growing for market. Repeat customers tend to spend more. A lot of people do not pot-up or plant in ground, so pot/container size is important. I don't know what grows best in Illinois, zone 6, but in Texas zone 8 - the three I've mentioned in this thread would sell. You could also sell some organic miticide. Price mark-up could be at your discretion [URL]https://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&q=miticide&oq=mitecide&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i10k1l4.4513.4513.0.9480.1.1.0.0.0.0.165.165.0j1.1.0....0...1..64.psy-ab..0.1.163.wWUU7sI3Ytg[/URL] The first link might sell your miticide without saying a word.

:)

Thank you, everyone, for the recommendations. I will be researching marigolds until I order seeds next spring. I never knew there were so many kinds.

What about petunias or pansies? Do you think those would sell for you and be profitable?

Honestly, I really don't know, Imp. I am a total novice in the flower biz. I see a lot of flowers sold in 6-packs in the spring at market for $1.50. For tomatoes, I try to avoid selling 6-packs for that reason, because I can get $2 for a slightly larger plant in a 4" pot. I need to scope out the flower market in the spring so I can try to have something different than the other vendors at market.

Cole, I can tell you there's a distinct market difference between annuals and perennials.
I think the two sides of annuals market are the sixpacks for transplanting and the large pots where they'll be left all season and then chucked.
Perennials you can really grow up and pot up into larger sizes for a bigger dollar.
Anything propagated by roots for the most part is easy to multiply and commands a good price.
If you have a big one that you didn't sell one season, you can always divide it to make more for next year. Peonies, Lilies, Daylilies, Irises for example.

I have seeds from these if you want some?

[IMG]http://plants.bachmanslandscaping.com/Content/Images/Photos/F709-10.jpg[/IMG]

Do you need to sell potted flowers? If you want to sell cut flowers in the spring, now is the time to get ready to plant so you can harvest in the spring. There's even a book called "Cool Flowers" by Lisa Mason Zeigler that can you walk you through planting in the fall for cut flowers in the spring.

The reason I thought of petunias was that they like hotweather as well as a bit cooler and are easy to grow, look real pretty in a pot.

And pansies, at least down here, are a winter/early spring color plant and also easy to grow, etc..

Just wanted to suggest them.

[QUOTE=Spike2;659076]I have seeds from these if you want some?

[IMG]http://plants.bachmanslandscaping.com/Content/Images/Photos/F709-10.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

Those are pretty spike!

There are other vendors selling cut flowers, plus I am not talented at all at making arrangements.

Those are pretty, Spike. Are they compact growing, or do they get tall?

Bower, that is a good idea. Some of my mums are patented, though, so I'm supposed to pay a license fee for every cutting I root, no joke. But not all of them are patented; I'll have to check again to see which ones are.

[QUOTE=Cole_Robbie;659089]

Those are pretty, Spike. Are they compact growing, or do they get tall?

[/QUOTE]

The ones I have growing right now maxed out between 6 to 8 inches tall. PM me an address and I will mail you some seeds.

Spike, those look like they are jumping off the screen. great picture. pretty 'golds too.

Spike, can I steal your picture? I want to use it as a screen saver.

[QUOTE=imp;659148]Spike, can I steal your picture? I want to use it as a screen saver.[/QUOTE]

Steal away!

Cole, what if you provided something different in the spring like potted ranunculus or anemones? People LOVE those flowers and it might be something interesting to try. There's a little more investment on the front end with the corms, and ranunculus are a little fussy in the cold, but I think it would be interesting to try and see the response you get at market.

[QUOTE=adewilliams;659193]Cole, what if you provided something different in the spring like potted ranunculus or anemones? People LOVE those flowers and it might be something interesting to try. There's a little more investment on the front end with the corms, and ranunculus are a little fussy in the cold, but I think it would be interesting to try and see the response you get at market.[/QUOTE]
yes and yes... different. petunias and pansies I grow/sell... petunias in cell packs and hanging baskets and they might do well for you, but pansies just don't move very well for me, maybe they would for you if you have a market that early in the year, I don't- just a roadside stand with not much else available then. and they sell cheap... way too cheap to fuss over them for the return on your investment.

[QUOTE=adewilliams;659193]Cole, what if you provided something different in the spring like potted ranunculus or anemones? People LOVE those flowers and it might be something interesting to try. There's a little more investment on the front end with the corms, and ranunculus are a little fussy in the cold, but I think it would be interesting to try and see the response you get at market.[/QUOTE]

I looked up pics, and they are indeed pretty. Are they usually grown from plugs and not seed? It's a challenge to learn the difference between the stuff I should buy in plug form, versus flowers that grow easily from seed.