Commercial Floriculture

Pinching of Marigold plants

• In tall varieties of Tagetes erecta, emergence of side branches and their flowering is influenced by the presence of apical dominance.
• Due to which the plants of marigold grow straight upwards to their final height and develop into terminal flower bud.
• However the apical portion of the shoot is removed at the early stage to get more number of axillaries which in turn produces more flowers.
• Pinching the plants at 40 days after transplanting enabled the plants to yield more flowers.

Flowering
In summer season crop, - commences by the middle of May with maximum intensity in the month of June and continues till the onset of rains.
Rainy season crop - by the middle of September and the flowering will continue till December.
Flowering in winter crop - by the middle of January and will continue till March.