Let's learn to grow marigolds from seeds. What plants are best for placing marigolds next to?
Marigolds, or marigolds, are annual or perennial plants that belong to the Asteraceae (Asteraceae) family. The birthplace of the culture is America, where flowers are widespread from the southern American states to Argentina. There are over 50 species of this plant. In decorative floriculture, numerous hybrid varieties. Marigolds have gained popularity due to their attractiveness and ease of care.
Description
Velvet is a compact bush with a branched, erect stem reaching a height of 130 cm. The leaves are openwork, pinnately divided or pinnately dissected, arranged oppositely, sometimes alternately. They are painted in a dark green or light green shade. The root system is fibrous.
Marigold inflorescences are simple or terry baskets. The middle flowers are bisexual, tubular in shape, and the marginal flowers are false-ligulate with five stamens. The color of the petals is bright and catchy. There are marigolds in brown, golden, red, orange, and bright yellow colors.
Flowering is abundant and long-lasting, beginning in June and ending with the first frost. The fruit is a linear achene that tapers towards the base. Flowers reproduce well by self-sowing and retain their viability for 3-4 years. Their characteristic feature- a strong, slightly tart aroma that even the leaves emit. This specific smell repels various pests from the marigold.
Marigold flowers - types and popular varieties, growing from seeds and care in open ground
Types and varieties
There are a large number of species of marigolds, but only three are common in our country:
| View | Description | Varieties |
Marigolds rejected  | A low compact plant no more than 60 cm in length. The branched bush is strewn with a large number of small flowers with a diameter of 8 cm. They can be simple or double with a pronounced disk in the center. The color of the petals can be golden, orange, yellow or two-tone. This species is often used to decorate flower beds, flower beds, and lawns. The plant is grown in containers, flowerpots or planted as a border. |
|
Thin-leaved  | Miniature appearance with original openwork foliage. The height of the bush is 20-40 cm, the inflorescences are small, up to 2 cm in diameter. The petals are yellow, red, orange, golden in color |
|
Erect  | Bush 30-100 cm high. The peculiarity of this species is the luxurious large double flowers of orange, golden, cream, yellow color |
|
Growing through seedlings
Seeds of erect marigolds are planted for seedlings in March, and thin-leaved and rejected types - in early April. For growing, you need to prepare boxes with drainage holes.
Plant the seeds in loose soil consisting of the following components:
- turf soil, humus, peat - 1 part each;
- sand – 0.5 parts.
It is recommended to purchase substrate for growing seedlings in the store. Drainage made of expanded clay, broken brick, pebbles, a mixture of crushed stone and sand is placed at the bottom of the box in a layer of 2-3 cm. The soil and seeds must be disinfected before planting. Planting material is soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Disinfected seeds are placed in a damp cloth and covered with film. They should be kept warm. After three days they germinate. After this, they begin planting:
- Seeds are spread over the entire surface of the compacted soil, but not too often.
- They are sprinkled with a small amount of earth on top.
- Containers are placed in warm room with a temperature not lower than +22 degrees.
The boxes do not need to be covered with film or glass, since marigolds sprout without additional conditions. You need to water the soil with planted seeds as it dries out. The soil should be moderately moist, but not wet. The first shoots appear after 10-14 days, after which the boxes are transferred to a cooler but bright room with a temperature of +15...+18 degrees.
Watering is carried out strictly under the shoots, using a syringe or pipette. If the seedlings have sprouted too densely, they are thinned out, removing the weakest ones.
In May, when the night frosts end, marigolds can be planted in open ground. To do this, the seedlings are carefully lifted with a spatula and transplanted onto permanent place, and there should be a distance of 30-40 cm between specimens. The soil under the bush is lightly compacted.
Marigolds in open ground should be grown in nutritious, mineral-rich loamy or neutral soil. It is recommended to water them regularly and moderately, since lack of moisture negatively affects the further growth and flowering of marigold.
Sowing seeds in open ground
Marigolds can be planted directly in open ground. Seeds can be purchased or collected after flowering.
Harvested in the fall planting material They are stored all winter and planted in the soil in the spring. Optimal time this is mid-May, when the earth has already warmed up enough.
Prepare wide holes 5 cm deep and at a distance of 15 cm from each other. They are moistened, after which the seeds are planted and sprinkled with a small amount of soil on top. Shoots appear quite quickly. If they grow too densely, they are thinned out and continued to be cared for as for adult plants.
Care
Marigolds in open ground do not require special care.You just need to follow simple rules:
- The site for planting is chosen to be open and sunny, but not exposed to scorching rays. These flowers grow well in any light, but if there is a lack of sun, the flowering will not be as abundant and lush.
- Marigolds require regular and abundant watering during active growth. During the formation of buds and flowering itself, the soil is moistened more moderately.
- It is necessary to periodically loosen the soil around the bushes and remove weeds.
- Marigolds should be fed three times: during active growth, when the first buds appear and at the very beginning of flowering.
- It is necessary to promptly remove faded inflorescences so as not to interfere with the formation of new buds.
- Tall varieties are tied to a support, otherwise the stems will break from strong winds or under their own weight.
- When the first autumn frosts appear, the marigolds are insulated with covering material.
- To prolong flowering in the fall, the bushes are transplanted into containers and brought indoors.
Diseases and pests
Marigolds in open ground are rarely susceptible to disease, and their specific aroma repels many pests.
Thanks to the large amount of phytoncides, marigolds protect not only themselves, but also other crops that surround them.
In rainy and damp summers, the plant is attacked by snails and slugs, which feed on the stems and leaves. To get rid of them, they use traps made of bleach solution, which are placed around the entire perimeter of the site.
In dry summers, marigold can be attacked by spider mites. It should be combated with the help of onion infusion, which is sprayed on the bushes. In order to prevent the appearance of the pest in dry weather, flowers should be sprayed regularly.
Velvet can develop gray rot due to excessive excess moisture. Infected bushes are destroyed to protect healthy plants.
Marigolds are one of gardeners' favorite annual flowers. In almost every area you can find lush bushes with carved foliage and bright flowers, emitting a spicy aroma familiar from childhood. Marigolds bloom almost all summer, delighting with an abundance of inflorescences.
Description of the plant
Marigolds or Tagetes belong to the genus of annual and perennial plants Aster family. Erect branched stems form a bush with a height of 20 to 120 cm. The leaves are pinnate, openwork, the root system is fibrous. Inflorescences - baskets, simple or double, yellow, orange or brown colors. Blooms profusely from mid-summer until frost. The fruit is an achene, 1 g contains up to 700 seeds. The whole plant emits a spicy aroma. It grows best in sunny places, although it can tolerate some shade. The soil should be nutritious and moderately moist.
Marigolds are widely used to create flower groups and flower beds. Low growing varieties beautiful both in borders and in massifs on the lawn. Planted in a pot, they can bloom for a long time indoors. The culture is suitable for growing in balcony boxes and containers. Cut inflorescences stand in water for a long time.
Agrotechnics of cultivation
Tagetes is unpretentious, grows and blooms in almost any conditions, but when good care bushes look much more decorative. It is grown in two ways - seedlings and sowing seeds in the ground.
A non-seedling method for growing marigolds
Marigolds are grown by sowing seeds in the ground at different times:
- Before winter, after the onset of stable minus. They form ridges in advance, make grooves and store some soil in a warm place. Seeds are sown in dry soil and sprinkled with stored soil. The top is mulched with rotted sawdust, compost, and leaf litter. In the spring, when the last frosts have passed, the mulch is raked so that the soil warms up faster.
- In the spring, in mid-April - early May, marigolds are sown on insulated beds or greenhouses. After sowing, the furrows are watered warm water.
In early - mid-May, tagetes are sown directly into the ground in a permanent place. The emerging seedlings are thinned out, leaving at least 10 cm between plants. When several true leaves appear on the seedlings, they are planted at a distance of 30–40 cm.
How to grow marigold seedlings in a greenhouse
Marigolds from seeds are successfully grown in a greenhouse. The planting time comes when weather forecasters no longer promise a drop in night temperatures below –1–3°C. The soil in the greenhouse quickly thaws already in the first warm days of April.
To prevent hatching seedlings from being caught by night frost, use covering material. You can also place containers of water in the greenhouse. It heats up during the day and gradually releases heat at night, maintaining the temperature several degrees higher than outside.
Shoots appear in a week. Caring for marigold seedlings involves regular watering with warm water, loosening and weeding. If the soil has been prepared in advance, young plants do not need separate fertilizing. If necessary (weak growth, yellowing of leaves), foliar spraying with a 1–3% solution is carried out. By mid-May, the seedlings are ready to be transplanted into open ground.
How to grow marigold seedlings at home
Most reliable way get flowering plants V early dates- plant marigolds for seedlings. Like the main seedling crops - peppers and eggplants, they are sown at the end of February - in March. More exact dates depend on the climate and region of residence.
The soil for sowing marigolds is prepared in the following proportions:
- 1 part compost;
- 1 part
- 1 part of garden land;
- 0.5 parts sand.
A layer of drainage is poured onto the bottom of the container - broken brick, expanded clay, coarse sand. Then - the prepared soil mixture. It is lightly compacted and watered. You can add a drug against fungal diseases to the water for irrigation, since Tagetes seedlings often suffer from blackleg. After a few days, when the soil settles and is evenly saturated with moisture, make grooves and place marigold seeds in them.
Sprinkle soil on top and moisten a little more. The pots are covered with glass or film and placed in a warm, bright place. The covering is regularly removed for ventilation. After the first shoots appear, the film is removed and the containers are moved to a sunny place. Until the seedlings have their first true leaves, water very sparingly to prevent blackleg disease.
Caring for seedlings at home is no different from the agricultural technology of growing seedlings in open ground: timely watering, fertilizing and good lighting will allow you to get the first marigold flowers in June.
Planting seedlings in open ground
The optimal distance between plants when planting marigold seedlings in open ground is 0.4–0.5 m for upright varieties. Low-growing ones can be planted a little more often. The place should be sunny, without stagnant air.
Plants are transplanted together with a lump of earth. Before planting, marigolds should be watered so that the roots do not dry out during transplantation. It is advisable to prepare the place for the future flower bed in the fall - add ash and dig it up. When planting seedlings in the ground, add compost, urea or saltpeter under each root. But you shouldn’t be overzealous with nitrogen so that the plants don’t get fat, that is, they don’t build up green mass to the detriment of flowering. Marigolds will greatly benefit from spraying with a solution of microfertilizers for flowers. This is done after the plants have taken root, started to grow and begin to form buds.
Caring for tagetes in open ground
Marigolds are moisture-loving, but do not like prolonged stagnation of water. Therefore, watering should be moderate. After watering, the soil must be loosened. For abundant flowering Several times a season the flowers are fed with infusion of mullein or liquid and other weeds.
To maintain high decorative value, faded inflorescences are torn off. Crowded areas can be easily thinned out by pruning, using cut flowers for bouquets.
Diseases, treatment and prevention
Due to the content of phytoncides, marigolds are less susceptible to diseases than other crops. However, unsuitable conditions for them can cause gray mold and spider mite infestation. Specimens infected with rot are destroyed, healthy ones are reduced in watering, and sprayed with anti-fungal preparations. 
For spider mites, Tagetes are treated with an infusion of garlic, wormwood, red pepper or tobacco dust. In case of severe damage, plants are sprayed with solutions of the preparations “Aktellik”, “Fufanon”, “Antiklesch”, “Fitoverm”.
Plant marigolds in sunny, airy places without thickening them, and the plants will bloom more abundantly and suffer less.
How to collect and save marigold seeds
With good care in open ground, marigolds planted in May-June will form faded and dried achenes filled with seeds by mid-August. They are quite large and resemble an arrow with a black tip and light plumage. The largest specimens are collected for seeds. The collected achenes are dried in a dry place and cleaned, freeing them from the husk.
Seeds are collected only from varietal marigolds; hybrids are not suitable for this, since they inherit the characteristics of only one of the parents.
Well-dried seeds are poured into fabric bags and stored at a temperature of 1–5 ° C and a humidity of 50–60%. Under such conditions, planting material does not lose its viability for several years.
Application in medicine
A bouquet of cut marigolds improves the air in the room and repels flies. Dried petals are used as a seasoning in some countries. In the Caucasus it is known as Imeretian saffron. The leaves treat constipation, fever, and are used as a diuretic and diaphoretic. In large doses, marigold leaves act as an emetic. Lutein contained in flowers reduces the likelihood of developing cataracts and improves visual acuity. Baths with tagetes infusion relax and relieve anxiety. They are recommended to be taken before bedtime for depression and neuroses. The tincture of the plant copes well with stomatitis and skin diseases.
IN industrial scale Marigolds are grown for their essential oil.
The raw material for it is the entire above-ground part of plants. The oil has a sweet fruity aroma with a light citrus note. It has a sedative, antifungal, hypotensive, antiseptic effect. It softens the skin well, while at the same time repelling flying flies and mosquitoes. Helps heal cuts, scratches, softens calluses.
Marigold oil is a popular ingredient in many French perfumes.
Benefits for the garden
In order for marigolds to fully demonstrate their phytoncidal properties, they are planted along the perimeter of the site, along paths, and the beginning and end of the beds are marked with separate bushes. Tagetes planted next to cabbage beds repel the cruciferous flea beetle. One or two flowering bushes in a greenhouse can significantly reduce the likelihood of late blight and various rots. In autumn, the whole plant is used as green manure - it is crushed and the soil is dug up along with the resulting green mass. This will repel nematodes and wireworms and enrich the soil with organic matter.
Marigold bushes can be left throughout the winter. Planted in rows, they will serve as a windbreak and retain snow on the site.
In the spring, after the snow melts, dried bushes are pulled out and burned, or sent to compost.
Types of tagetes
Marigolds grow in summer cottages different heights, differing in flowering time, size and color of flowers. Seeds of the variety and type you like can be bought in almost any specialized store.
Tagetes erecta
Based on the shape of the inflorescences, they are divided into two groups:
- Carnation-flowered - this group has many ligulate flowers in the inflorescences, with few tubular flowers in the center;
- chrysanthemum-flowered - the entire inflorescence consists of tubular flowers, along the edge there is one row of reed flowers.
Upright varieties of Tagetes are among the tallest. Among them are many beautiful ones, with large spherical inflorescences of yellow and orange flowers.
Antigua– low bushes strewn with many yellow-orange flowers up to 10 cm in diameter. 
Yellow stone– a plant up to 70 cm high looks like a chrysanthemum with large light yellow spherical flowers. 
Gold dollar – tall bushes with large dark green leaves beautifully set off by red-orange odorless terry balls. 
golden light– compact plants of medium height topped with bright orange lights. The variety is late, blooms from late June until frost. 
Lemon Prince– from the beginning of summer until cold weather, it will delight with the combination of lemon-yellow inflorescences with dark emerald carved foliage. Variety 80 cm high. 
Shaggy Robin– the soft yellow heads really look shaggy due to the tubular flowers of different lengths. They look beautiful and unusual when cut. 
Rejected marigolds (Tagetes patula)
This species has an average height of 20–40 cm. The flowers may not be double, but no less beautiful, often two-colored.
golden head– low, heavily leafy bushes covered with many yellow inflorescences with red edges. The outer petals are wavy and bent down. The variety is recommended for growing in containers, pots, flower beds and garden beds. 
Golden ball– spreading branchy bushes will delight exquisite combination golden center with a red-brown edging. Blooms from early summer. The variety is good for cutting. 
Queen Sofia– red-brown shades of terracotta, cinnamon and bronze fade slightly in the sun, acquiring almost chocolate tones. The inflorescences are not double, but large. 
Lemon Jewel– the name of the variety speaks for itself. Compact, heavily leafy bushes firmly hold a scattering of double bright yellow flowers. 
orange flame– the variety will not leave anyone indifferent thanks to its two-color spherical inflorescences with a bright orange center in a red-brown design. 
Tagetes tenuifolia,
Thin-leaved varieties have thin, heavily cut foliage and small single flowers of yellow, orange or red. Flowering bushes resemble openwork balls dotted with many bright lights.
Golden ring- a plant of medium height with fragile shoots and small light green leaves. Blooms from early June with bright yellow small flowers with dark orange border. 
Dwarf- similar to the previous variety, but differs from it in its small height. Therefore, it is recommended for decorating the edges of flower beds and ridges. Beautiful and convenient for growing in pots and boxes. 
Lulu– the variety is distinguished by abundant flowering. The spreading bush forms a green ball strewn with bright yellow stars. 
Paprika– many fiery red flowers with a yellow center will not go unnoticed in any flower bed. The variety repels pests with a strong aroma. 
With such a variety of varieties, you can create an elegant one using only marigolds, alternating various colors. Tall ones are placed in the center of the flower bed large-flowered varieties, framing them with low-growing varieties of contrasting shades. Landed in balcony boxes Marigolds will fill the apartment with a subtle spicy aroma all summer long.
The most important thing about marigolds - video
For most vegetable and garden plants, it is the key to a rich harvest. If you know what to plant marigolds next to, you can get good harvest grown plants. This flower has unique property– crops that grow next to it are not attacked by insect pests and do not get sick.
A few words about flowers
Chernobrivtsi, marigolds, Aksamitians, Tagetes, Turkish cloves- these are all the names of one not only beautiful and unpretentious flower to grow, but also an excellent protector of many garden and vegetable plants.
Marigolds are an annual and perennial representative of the Asteraceae (Asteraceae) family. It originally grew only in the area from Arizona and New Mexico to Argentina. And only in the 16th century did it first come from there to Spain, and then settle throughout Europe and Asia.
There are 59 known species of it. Their color palette is amazing in its diversity. The flowers range in color from dark orange and wine to lemon. Some species have colors mixed in several shades.
Their main application is landscape design. But in many countries they are used as a seasoning for fish and meat dishes, added to salads and sauces. The healing properties of the plant are used in folk medicine as a means to improve digestion and strengthen the immune system. In ancient times they were used to predict the future.
Why should marigolds be planted in the garden and vegetable garden?
We are all accustomed to the fact that flowers are planted in order to enjoy their beauty and aroma. And they didn’t even think about the fact that in addition to aesthetic pleasure, they bring considerable benefits.
Marigolds deserve love for 2 reasons. The first is due to the fact that they bloom all summer, delighting with their beauty until frost. They are also unpretentious to grow. Flowers grow equally well in a lighted area and in the shade, are undemanding to the composition of the soil, and do not need frequent watering, very rarely themselves are exposed to diseases. You won’t have to worry about growing their seedlings either. Flowers sprout beautifully from seeds that have excellent germination.
The second reason is their pleasant, delicate smell, which repels many pests that cause enormous damage to the crop. Marigolds saturate the soil with useful elements and heal it, preventing infection with diseases.
In their place, corn, barley and sage grow well. Flowers are harmful to some weeds. Thiophene secreted by their roots has a detrimental effect on horsetail, creeping wheatgrass. This property plants will save summer residents from weeding their plots.
It is noted that if marigolds grow on the site, moles will not appear on it and the entire harvest will be preserved.
The effect of flowers on insect pests
It has long been noticed that if next to plantings of vegetable and fruit and berry crops If you plant marigold bushes, then there will not be a single pest on these crops. Flowers planted interspersed between rows or along the perimeter of the entire plot repel the grown plants from:
- wireworm;
- Colorado potato beetle;
- nematodes;
- scoops;
- mole crickets;
- cabbage whites;
- weevil;
- ants;
- onion fly;
If you plant low-growing marigolds next to the potato planting or after 7-9 rows, you don’t have to worry about the safety of the potatoes. Colorado potato beetle it won't be on it for sure.
Nematodes don't like their scent. These insects often infect beds with strawberries and victoria, and areas with potatoes. It is also useful to plant flowers in their row spaces. A flower growing in a garden suppresses the development and spread of these pests at a distance of up to 60 cm. In a similar way, these crops can be protected from wireworms and weevils.
Marigolds will help save cucumbers from aphids. If next to cucumber beds plant these flowers, they are able to deter the attacks of these insects. They will also drive away cabbage fly, cutworm, and onion fly from cabbage and onions.
The plant can protect other flowers from insects. Roses, phlox, and gladioli will grow and bloom well when low-growing marigolds grow next to them.
To enhance the effect of marigolds on soil pests, you can embed the crushed plant in the beds prepared for planting. Leave them in this state for a month, and only then plant any crop.
Advice! To disinfect beds in this way, marigolds should be grown as seedlings in advance in a greenhouse or on a windowsill. Moreover, the plant must bloom.
You can try a slightly different method of killing soil insects. In the fall, there is no need to remove plantings from the garden. It remains on the root until cultivation in the spring.
Advice! After planting flowers in the soil in this way, plant vegetable crop need it right away.
What are the benefits of marigold infusion?
An infusion prepared from marigolds will save cultivated plants from diseases and insect pests. To prepare the solution, you can use all its parts: stems, flowers, roots, leaves. You can chop them all with a knife or pruning shears. Fill a bucket (10 l) halfway with the prepared raw materials, add warm (50°C) water, cover with a lid and leave for 2 days.
The finished strained infusion is then added laundry soap(40). It is necessary to improve the adhesion of the infusion to the treated plant. Spraying is best done in the morning. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated after 3-4 days.
To get results, you must adhere to the consumption of this infusion for each type of crop:
- vegetables – 2.5-3 l. for 10 sq. m;
- For berry bushes or seedlings (up to 5 years) - 3-4 liters for each;
- for mature trees – 7-7.5 l. for one.
You can spray the berries with the infusion, but only before they begin to ripen. It will also rid all crops of aphids, bedbugs, and flea beetles.
If you reduce the concentration in the infusion (fill the bucket only 1/3 with marigold raw materials, 2/3 with water), then you can use it to treat indoor flowers and water the soil underneath them. The window sill on which the flowers and glass stand should also be wiped. Flowers must be treated until all pests are completely gone.
An infusion of garlic, wormwood, and marigold will save strawberries and raspberries from weevils. The recipe is simple:
- pour boiling water over wormwood (200 g) and leave for 2 hours. 200 g of dried flowers leave for 3 hours. cold water, and mince 200 g of garlic. Then all components are mixed and their volume is brought to 10 liters with water.
- Pour boiling water over the tansy and leave for 2 hours. Separately, marigolds are infused in cold water, and the garlic is finely chopped. All components are mixed, their volume is brought to 10 liters. water.
The prepared infusion can be used to treat raspberries before budding. You can dip the roots of seedlings and seedlings of asters and roses into it for 3-4 hours.
Biological substances that remain active even after preparing the infusion will disinfect the soil and cope with diseases and insects.
The effect of marigolds on diseases
Marigolds have healing properties in relation to many vegetables and garden crops. Planting them in the garden saves nearby plants from certain diseases.
Planting flowers next to fruit trees and shrubs, you can be sure that bacterial diseases such as gray mold, black leg and root rot will be avoided:
- grape;
- apple tree;
- raspberries;
- pear;
- Victoria;
- cabbage;
- pumpkin;
- tomatoes.
The phytoncides secreted by the roots will reduce the damage to other plants by fusarium. This fungus will not be harmful to tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflowers, peas, soybeans, and corn if marigolds are planted next to them.
An infusion of marigolds can be used against diseases. Spraying asters, peonies and leftovers with it will protect against blackleg. This product is suitable for disinfecting gladiolus bulbs from fungal infection.
You can prevent the appearance of late blight on potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes if you add dry crushed parts of marigolds to the soil before planting them. The same straw can be laid under crop bushes in June. It will not allow fungal spores to escape from the soil.
Marigolds, being a decoration for any flower bed and garden, help other plants growing in it to delight us with their beauty and give a good harvest.
What crops cannot be planted with?
Knowing what to plant marigolds next to, it’s worth knowing which plants you shouldn’t do this with. Flowers are an allelopathic plant. Allelopathy is the release by a plant of special chemical compounds, inhibiting growth, suppressing the development of others. These flowers should be planted in the garden with caution, especially next to:
- peas;
- beans;
- radishes;
- radish;
- cabbage
On the one hand, marigolds protect them from insects and diseases, and on the other hand, they inhibit their growth.
Advice! If you still plant flowers next to these plants, then large quantities.
By planting a plot of marigolds, gardeners give it not only beauty. They know that in this way the crops they grow will be almost 100% free from diseases and pests. This is much better than using it to fight them chemicals.
Representatives from the Aster family. Their homeland is America: they are found from the southern United States to Argentina. Marigolds were brought to Europe around the 16th century. They are loved by flower growers for their decorative properties, unusually bright colors and ease of care. So they quickly spread throughout the continent.
The marigold plant, or its other name “tales”, has a very attractive appearance. Erect branched herbaceous stems form a neat compact or spreading bush.
The lush greenery of the pinnately dissected leaves is a worthy frame for inflorescences of different shades of yellow, orange and scarlet, but the bright sunny petals with brown strokes look especially impressive (you can learn more about marigold flowers). Marigolds bloom profusely from June until autumn frosts.
Photo
Lighting
Marigolds can grow in shade or partial shade, but will bloom more luxuriantly in the sunniest locations.
Temperature
At the moment when marigolds are just sprouting from seeds or gaining their first leaves, it is important to preserve temperature regime 22 – 25 degrees.
In the summer, outside, marigolds are not picky about temperature. However, It is important to protect plants from cold drafts. The main enemy of marigolds is frost.
Watering
During growth, watering should be moderate, and later it will need to be reduced so that there is no stagnation of moisture, which causes the plants to get sick, rot and not bloom. IN summer heat It is better to water in the evenings.
Fertilizer
Marigolds can easily live without feeding, but they will respond very gratefully to them. Fertilizers are applied three times: when the seedlings grow to 10 cm, when the first buds appear and at the beginning of flowering. For feeding you can use:
- Ready-made complex mineral fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The most common fertilizer among gardeners in this case is Akrokola-7. The solution is prepared in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
- Urea. ¼ teaspoon is diluted in 2.5 liters of warm water.
- Nitrophoska. The solution is mixed in a proportion of 30 grams of the drug per 10 liters of water.
- Herbal infusions. Grind the grass (nettle) and fill it with water. Leave in the sun for a couple of days to allow the product to ferment. After a while received grass fertilizer You can water the marigolds.
- Wood ash.
Important! Do not use manure as fertilizer. It might burn root system plants.
In order for the plant to absorb as much as possible nutrients When fertilizing, it is necessary to thoroughly moisten the soil before the procedure.
Read about how to feed marigolds for abundant flowering.
When choosing soil, pay attention to acidity. The ground must be neutral. You can use land from your garden plot, adding a little deoxidized peat and river sand. To avoid mistakes, you can purchase a ready-made substrate at a flower shop.
Before planting, disinfect the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. or bake it in the oven. The seeds are placed in shallow grooves at a distance of 3-4 centimeters from each other. Lightly sprinkle with earth. Then pour it carefully so as not to smear upper layer soil.
Optimal room temperature growing 20-22 degrees. The first shoots appear on the third or fourth day. When marigolds produce 2-3 true leaves, it is necessary to pick up the plantings. In a new place, the plant is buried down to the seven-lobed leaves. This will allow you to get a plant with a powerful root system in the future.
This procedure is a serious impetus for plant growth. After just a week, it will have enough power to grow outside, in a permanent place.
We wrote about how to plant marigolds with seeds.
Planting in a flowerbed
Marigolds are planted in the ground in a flowerbed at a distance:
- low-growing varieties - 10-15 cm from each other;
- medium height – 20 cm;
- tall - 30-40 cm.
It is written about how to properly plant marigolds in open ground
Possible problems
They don't bloom
What to do? Firstly, it is worth checking the flowering time of the variety you have chosen. The flowering period for each variety is different.
Secondly, pay attention to the place where the marigolds were planted. They don't like shade. Flowers tolerate partial shade or diffused light well, provided that they are fully illuminated for at least a few hours a day. To solve this problem, it is enough to replant the plant.
Third, The problem may lie in the watering mode. Marigolds love moisture, and if watering is greatly reduced during bud set, this will affect flowering. However, there is also back side medals, if you overwater the flowers, they too will not begin to form buds and bloom.
And finally, do not forget about fertilizing and periodically loosening the soil. This will benefit the marigolds.
Marigolds most often attack initial stage black leg, and when the plant becomes mature - root rot.
Blackleg
This is a disease of still young, immature plants. Dark spots of rot appear on still thin stems, then they turn into constrictions. As a result, the plant withers and dies. For preventive purposes, seeds are treated with a solution of fungicide or potassium permanganate before planting.
Observe the watering regime of the plantings; do not fill the tray and allow water to stagnate.
What to do if the marigolds still get sick? First, reduce watering. Secondly, loosen the ground around and sprinkle with wood ash. However, if these methods do not help, then it is necessary to transplant the seedlings into new steamed soil As soon as possible.
Root rot
Due to unfavorable conditions, adult plants outdoors are susceptible to root rot. If you notice that: the plant is stunted, stunted, the stem and leaves turn yellow, then pay attention to these symptoms.
Ignoring such changes will lead to the death of the plant. For prevention, periodically loosen the soil around it and do not allow water to stagnate.
Reference. Do not plant marigolds in areas where infected plants sat last season.
You should also not feed marigolds with manure to protect against root rot.
Viral diseases
In summer, on the shoots of adult marigolds, you can observe the appearance of yellow to dark brown spots on the leaves and stem. Also, the plant may have formed buds and cannot open them. This means that these plants have been exposed to viral diseases, and these diseases cannot be treated. Therefore, as soon as plants with such signs are discovered, they should be immediately removed and burned.
You can find out more information about diseases and pests of marigolds, and how to deal with spider mite on the flowers you can read in this.
Useful video
Marigold. Growing and care:
Main conclusions
plants are quite unpretentious to care for. You can sow marigolds as seedlings in an apartment or on summer cottage under cover. They should be planted in a well-lit place, provide regular watering so that the soil is constantly moist, but do not allow stagnation of water.
The main enemy of marigolds is frost. It is necessary to fertilize marigolds three times during the entire period of growth and flowering. Mineral fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus or urea, wood ash are suitable for this. The main pests and diseases that attack marigolds are black leg, root rot and viral diseases. It's not difficult to fight them.
We hope that our simple tips will help you achieve lush flowering healthy marigolds and they will delight you throughout the summer.
Marigolds (Tagetes) are annual and perennial flowers that belong to the Asteraceae or Asteraceae family. The flowers got their name Tagetes in honor of the Etruscan demigod Tages, who became famous for his beauty and his gift of fortune-telling. Until now, in some countries of the world, marigolds are called tagetes. The homeland of marigolds is considered to be South and Central America, where they are widespread and grow in large quantities in wildlife. Flowers were brought to European countries and Russia back in the 16th century.
Today, flowers have about 40 varieties and are widely cultivated in many countries. Among gardeners, such flowers are very popular due to their unpretentiousness. Therefore, even a novice florist, maybe without special effort start growing marigolds on your plot. In addition, they have very important properties, firstly, their the smell they emit repels many insect pests. And secondly, flowers have medicinal properties.
Description
The height of flowers can reach from 20 to 130 centimeters, depending on the variety. The leaves of the plant are pinnately divided and have various shades of green. The flowers also come in different colors: yellow, orange, brown. Flowering begins in early summer (June) and continues until late autumn, until the first frost.
Although flowers have great amount varieties, the most popular are only a few.
- Erect (African) marigolds. Representatives of this species grow gigantic in size up to one meter. Large double inflorescences can reach up to 15 centimeters in diameter.
- Low growing (French) marigolds. The plants are small bushes that can grow no more than 60 centimeters in height. The inflorescences of low-growing representatives can be double or non-double, and their diameter does not exceed 8 centimeters.
- Thin-leaved (Mexican) marigolds. The height of plants of this species does not exceed 40 centimeters. Thin-leaved flowers are very different from all other types with their lacy leaves and inflorescences, which look like bright red-orange fireworks.
Marigold
How to plant marigolds with seeds
Despite the fact that the flowers are unpretentious, you should still know the answers to very important questions, firstly, how to plant correctly. Secondly, novice gardeners must know when to plant seedlings so that they grow stronger. And of course, when to plant marigolds in open ground.
Growing marigolds from seeds occurs in two ways:
- Plant seeds in advance to obtain marigold seedlings. Usually this method is chosen so that the flowers bloom as early as possible, so you should sow seeds for seedlings in early spring(from mid-March to April). Of course, it is best to prepare the seeds for planting in advance. And to do this, you need to spread the existing seeds on a plate and cover wet cloth, so they will germinate in three days.
- Planting seeds directly in open ground. Those gardeners who do not want to bother with seedlings can sow marigold seeds directly into open ground. The only condition is that the soil must be well warmed up, and this will not happen before May.
Growing marigold seedlings from seeds
In order to grow large marigold seedlings, you don’t need any extra knowledge or skills. Even a novice gardener can easily cope with planting seedlings from seeds. As they say, experts the most important task is to calculate correct timing for sowing seeds. To obtain the fastest results, planting seeds for seedlings is carried out in the second half of March. But some types of marigolds, for example, French ones, due to the fact that they grow quickly, can be planted even in the first half of April.
To grow seedlings, you will need to find a suitable box with holes in the bottom in advance. You must first place 3 centimeters of small stones in the prepared container. Then pour in the substrate, which you can buy at a specialty store or prepare yourself. Pre-sprouted seeds are planted at a distance of three centimeters from each other.
In the box, the seedlings will grow and get stronger until the weather settles and the soil warms up, then they can be planted in open ground, usually this happens at the end of May. If you plant seedlings earlier, the seedlings may die due to night frosts. No care is required for the seedlings; the main thing is to monitor the moisture in the soil and room.
Planting seeds in open ground
In the second half of May, when you no longer need to be afraid of night frosts, and the ground has warmed up well, you can begin to sow seeds in open ground. The plot of land where sowing will take place will need to be dug up. If the soil is not fertile, then it is worth adding a nutrient substrate to it. When the area is prepared, you need to make beds or holes no more than 5 centimeters deep. The beds or holes are watered abundantly, then the seeds are sown. Since not all seeds may germinate, it is better to sow more often, and then, when the seedlings sprout, they can be pulled up if necessary. Growing flowers planted from seeds directly into open ground is even easier than caring for seedlings.
Growing plants includes standard care: timely watering, weeding, loosening and fertilizing. You should be very careful about watering, as there are periods when the plant needs a lot of moisture, for example, before flowering. So, due to lack of moisture, flowering may suffer and will not be as abundant. During the flowering period, on the contrary, you should not water frequently, so that waterlogging does not lead to fungal infections and the formation of rot.
Weeding and loosening the soil Bushes also need it to make them look healthy. It is also popular among gardeners to trim a bush to give it a specific shape, for example, a square, a ball, etc.
Another flower care item is fertilization, which is not mandatory for marigolds, since they get along just fine without it. But if you have the opportunity and desire to feed the flowers, then this is only a plus for the plants. Experts advise, if possible, to carry out three feedings. The first fertilizing is applied when the planted seedlings are at least 12 centimeters in height. The next two are carried out before flowering begins. Fertilizers for flowers, which can be found in any specialty store, are perfect for feeding marigolds.