Garden

[BunSnoop]

Just a fyi:

The marigold plant can be mildly toxic to dogs when ingested and can also cause irritation when contact is made with the fur and skin. Though the effects of this plant are not life-threatening in any way, your pet may experience discomfort with exposure.

[jannabelle1]

@Luvsmyfam, buy the tomato plants, but make sure they can get plenty of sun and a lot of water! As for the marigolds, I agree with the other comments - they sound like they were too dry for awhile.

[Zhills]

I gave up on marigolds because they grew and were beautiful but our afternoon rains soaked the blooms and they were so heavy they broke the stems and died.  Couldn't keep blooms upright!

[Luvsmyfam]

well i dont have to worry about dogs,because i dont own one.i just worry about exsessive water damage for actually all of my flowers

[CJC]

Because our planting season is coming to an end here in the hot and humid South, our big box garden centers are no longer getting truck loads of new plants. Problem is they also are no longer keeping their reduced stock watered and healthy. Guess they don't want to hire part timers to keep the plants watered, a daily necessity in our climate. Sad to see all the pretty annuals just wilting away in our intense sun. 

[tototwo]

Since I can't see your marigolds in their pots, I can't advise on water or if root bound.  Like others said, marigolds are pretty darn hardy and will survive almost anything.  Plant them in lots of sun.

I always plant marigold seeds directly in my garden or big pot.  If you scatter the seeds in March or early April, they will germinate and grow fast when spring weather allows.  They decide the best time to come up.  Besides, marigolds started from seeds will re-seed themselves every year.   Just me, but I like my colorful marigolds in wild drifts.

[gardenman]

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@CJC wrote:

Because our planting season is coming to an end here in the hot and humid South, our big box garden centers are no longer getting truck loads of new plants. Problem is they also are no longer keeping their reduced stock watered and healthy. Guess they don't want to hire part timers to keep the plants watered, a daily necessity in our climate. Sad to see all the pretty annuals just wilting away in our intense sun. 

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It's a problem here in the mid-Atlantic states also. Plants are viewed as stock and not living organisms. My local Walmart kills enough plants a year to fill a good-sized arboretum. And the really sad thing is, it's unnecessary. Technology exists to self-water the plants using flood tables. Put a reservoir under the flood table with a pump in it and have the pump come on twice a day to water the plants. Once a week have someone top off the reservoir and you always have happy, healthy plants ready to be sold. The amount of waste retailers generate is insane.

Retailers talk about the cost of the water. Probably eighty percent of the water my local Walmart uses to water their plants goes down the drain and not into the plants. Some plants get enough water, a whole lot don't. The plants that die, and there are a lot of them, just get trashed. The plant, soil, and plastic pot go to the landfill. The retailers lose money in lost sales and trash disposal costs.

For about $700 per 4'X8' unit, at retail, you can build independent flood tables with a reservoir, solar-powered pump and battery, timer, and stand, that would keep the plants alive, watered, and thriving. Given the buying power of major retailers (Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.) the cost per unit could drop to around $400. It would be a small investment with a potentially enormous return.  

[D Kay]

I live in the south.  Had beautiful marigolds one year  Replanted the next year and they got spider mites. 

[Kabella]

@Luvsmyfam They are probably root bound & root bound plants in small containers dry up quickly. Break up the roots that are round & twisted around the base of the plant before planting. They are tough plants & shoud survive. If not, most stores have a return policy & you will get a new plant at no charge. I think Walmart does have that policy as well as other big box stores like Home Depot & Lowes.

[Lilysmom1]

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@gardenman wrote:

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@Carmie wrote:

Marigolds are super hardy and easy to grow.  They do require lots of  water.  It sounds like your Marigolds are parched.  

They do not like essessive heat and will slow down growth and look pretty wilted.  They will usually bounce back. If the leaves turn black on the edges...replace them.

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I agree. It sounds like yours got a bit thirsty. Water is your friend here.

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And fertilize!  S