French Marigold

This little beauty goes by the name of: Tagetes erecta, T. patula, Jaguar. Why it is commonly called French Marigold is beyond me.

The seed was planted on 1/23/09, and this photo was taken on 3/14/09. When selecting flower seeds I look for small plants trying not exceed 12" in height. This plant was ideal, as it is very compact, with this specimen presently being no taller than 6". Marigolds, it seems, will tolerate a wide variety of growing conditions, and I really took no special care of this plant. This plant is being grown in the same ebb and flow system as the lettuce; same nutrients, same lights.

This is just another example of modern fluorescent lights being able to produce more than simply vegetative growth.