Retired Ball technical services manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to discuss the ins and outs of finished African marigold production as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.

Will says African marigolds and French marigolds are like oranges and grapefruits when it comes to production protocols—meaning they’re similar (like the two citrus fruits) but very different in many ways. He takes you from plug transplant to shipping, with a particular focus on iron toxicity related to phosphorous deficiencies, tips for minimizing stretch to avoid the need for too many PGRs, nutrition to keep them growing strong and how to avoid Botrytis in the flower heads. Will has worked with many growers dealing with leaf spots and his advice on phosphorous is based on hundreds of crops and decades of experience.

Will also spends plenty of time on fall production of African marigolds for Day of the Dead sales, which is certainly a growing market and newer sales opportunity for many of you.

WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/nfA66OczRQM