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All the secrets about growing marigolds from seeds: when and how to plant, care rules. Features of growing and feeding marigolds for abundant flowering Seedlings of marigolds at home

Marigolds, lights, hats, Chernobrivtsy - so affectionately called Tagetes. This universal favorite grows quickly and is unpretentious in care. Among its varieties are dwarfs and giants. And even beginners can grow seedlings of marigolds with their own hands

Useful properties of marigolds
Tagetes inflorescences have a variety of sizes and shapes from small "carnations" to luxurious "chrysanthemums", and colors from lemon yellow to red-brown. Marigolds are planted in flower beds, in containers, it is convenient to use them to cover places that are bare after the flowering of bulbous crops. Tagetes is suitable not only for decorating the garden. All parts of the plant contain phytoncides that repel pests and inhibit pathogenic fungi, including those living in the soil. Marigolds are planted on strawberries from weevil, on cabbage to scare away the whites, next to asters - from Fusarium, near phloxes and clematis to prevent nematodes. Tagetes is used as medicinal plant and as a spice.

When to sow marigolds for seedlings?
Tagetes propagates by seeds. They can be sown in the ground after the end of frost, and then thinned out or planted seedlings more freely, but immediately after the end of frost, tagetes can be planted with already flowering seedlings.
From germination to flowering of tagetes, it takes from 40 to 50 days, depending on the variety, so it is necessary to sow marigolds for seedlings in the first decade of April. The soil for sowing tagetes should be sufficiently fertile and loose. Such a land mixture is suitable: peat, humus (or compost), washed sand (2: 1: 0.5).

Sowing tagetes for seedlings Tagetes seedlings often die from a black leg. To prevent this from happening, the container filled with soil mixture must be shed in advance with a fungicide solution (Maxim, Vitaros, Fitosporin) or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. Best result gives steaming of the sifted soil mixture in a steamer for an hour. In addition to spores of pathogenic fungi, this will also destroy weed seeds. After lightly compacting the steamed soil mixture, make shallow grooves on the surface. The soil should be slightly damp.

Spread the marigold seeds evenly over the grooves. The easiest way to do this is with a small piece of white paper. If there are too few seeds, you can spread them out with tweezers. Put labels with the name of varieties.

From above, sprinkle the crops with the same soil with a mixture of a layer of about 1 cm. With a smaller sowing, the seed coat remains on the cotyledon leaves during germination, marigold seedlings cannot shed their skin, which prevents their further development.

Moisten crops. Try to do it carefully, without blurring upper layer soil so that the seeds do not end up on its surface.

Cover the crops to keep the soil constantly moist. To do this, it is convenient to use a suitable lid from a food container. You can simply put the container with crops in a clean plastic bag and put it in a bright place. At a temperature of + 15 ... + 20 ° C, shoots of marigolds appear after 5-7 days. The temperature regime is important, because at temperatures below +15°C the seeds germinate poorly, and if it rises above +25°C they do not germinate at all.

After the appearance of the first shoots, daily airing is necessary: ​​at this time, the risk of the appearance of a black leg on seedlings is highest. If you notice the first signs of the disease, immediately remove the lodging seedlings along with the lumps of earth, and sprinkle the holes with fresh soil mixture and re-treat the crops with a fungicide solution.

When friendly shoots appear, the shelter must be removed completely. Water after the soil in the container is completely dry, making sure that water does not accumulate in the pan. Once every two weeks, feed the seedlings with fertilizer for seedlings (Fertika Lux, Agricola, Mortar).

After the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings are ready for picking.

Tagetes pick Tagetes dive at the stage of two true leaves. The seedling can be deepened almost to the cotyledons (lower oblong leaves), but so that they do not touch the soil.

You can pick marigold seedlings simply into a seedling box. Tagetes seedlings tolerate transplanting well even in blooming form- it is not necessary to save the root ball. But it is most convenient to grow marigold seedlings in cassettes. The soil can be used the same composition as for sowing, but without sieving. Add to it 1 tablespoon of mineral fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and 0.5 cups of wood ash for every 5 liters of mixture. In order for fertilizers to be evenly distributed in the soil, it must be thoroughly mixed.
Fill the cassettes with the mixture, compact it a little, make recesses of such a size that the roots fit freely in it. If the roots are too long, they can be shortened a little. When picking, seedlings need to be deepened by 1 cm.

Water carefully. If the soil has settled too much after watering, add potting mix on top. Water regularly after the soil dries out. The golden rule for Tagetes is: it’s better not to add a little than to overfill.

Planting tagetes in the ground Two weeks before planting, begin to gradually accustom the seedlings to fresh air. Marigolds cannot stand even slight frosts, so seedlings can only be planted when their threat has passed. In the middle lane, this is usually the end of the first decade of June. Choose a sunny location. Although tagetes can grow in partial shade, it will bloom much worse there.

Tagetes does not require fertile soil, the main thing is that it be loose and air and water permeable, without stagnant water. Heavy clay soil will help improve peat and sand.

Dig up the soil on a shovel bayonet, apply full mineral fertilizer (nitroamofoska, amofoska) at the rate of 30 g per 1 sq. m, close it into the soil by secondary digging.

Prepare the holes at a distance of 15-30 cm from each other, depending on the future size of the plants. Typically, the seed manufacturer will indicate on the bags the recommended spacing for each variety. Therefore, it is important to keep the seed bags, and supply the seedlings with labels indicating the names of the varieties. So you will know exactly at what distance to plant each marigold variety. Make the depth of the hole in such a way that when planting the stems can be deepened by 1-2 centimeters. Place the root system in the hole.

Carefully fill in the voids around the roots and compact a little.

Water the planted seedlings. Tagetes is not afraid of watering on leaves and rain. Further care consists in weeding and maintaining the soil in a loose state. If you filled the soil with mineral fertilizers, then it is enough to feed the tagetes 1-2 times with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers during the season. These elements contribute to more lush flowering. With an excess of nitrogen, tagetes grows strongly to the detriment of the formation of new buds.

Go to the main article about Tagetes

Hi all! Marigolds - growing from seeds at home in our material. Marigolds are one of the most popular flower bed plants. Bright warm colors of flowers, unpretentiousness and long flowering make them ideal candidates for registration of balconies, city flower beds and country design.

Marigold stems are erect or branched, forming a bush from 20 cm to 130 cm high. Marigold flower baskets of different shades of yellow, brown and orange.

Marigolds bloom very abundantly from June until the first frost. For planting, you can buy already grown seedlings, but it will not be difficult to grow marigolds from seeds.

You just need to know how and when to plant marigolds for seedlings, what kind of care seedlings need and where they are best placed on the site.

Varieties of marigolds photo

In culture, there are many varieties of marigolds, but only four species are popular. The varieties of these species are very diverse: among them there are large-flowered and small-flowered marigolds, terry and densely double, all shades of yellow, orange and brown. The most popular and bright variety is Harlequin.

Anise marigolds

This is perhaps the most amazing view of this plant. Its stem, leaves and flowers exude the smell of tarragon, but it is much more pleasant and stronger. And the taste of the plant is very similar to this green.

The aroma of anise marigolds is felt even at a sufficient distance. They bloom profusely throughout the summer months and are well suited for flower beds of any type, even with a limited amount of soil.

The plant is unpretentious, drought-resistant, but at the same time loves heat very much. Even in flowering form, it can easily transfer a transplant. The most popular and bright variety is Harlequin.

Marigolds erect or African

They are giants of the genus, their height is from 30 to 100 cm. Inflorescences, as a rule, are monophonic and double, reach 15 cm in diameter.

Among the most popular varieties marigolds "Vanilla" - 70 cm tall with creamy white terry inflorescences 12 cm in diameter; marigolds "Kilimanjaro" 60-70 cm tall with densely double spherical inflorescences; marigolds "Antigua" - low, up to 25 cm tall, but erect, with large flowers- up to 15 cm in diameter, golden, lemon yellow, orange and bright yellow in color.

Marigolds are undersized, rejected or French

They rarely grow above 60 cm. They are compact bushes with many double and non-double inflorescences, the diameter of which rarely exceeds 8 cm. These marigolds are also called sprawling.

Flower growers are in demand varieties of the Bonanza series up to 30 cm high (Bonanza Bolero, Bonanza Orange, Bonanza Flame, etc.), which have a high decorative effect of terry inflorescences bright colors 5-6 cm in diameter and long duration flowering.

The marigolds of Carmen are very beautiful, decorating the flower garden with terry inflorescences with corrugated petals of red-brown along the edges and orange-yellow in the middle of the shades.

Marigolds thin-leaved or Mexican

different from all other species. Firstly, they have very beautiful openwork-lace leaves, they seem to float in the air, exuding a delicate aroma. Secondly, their small inflorescences are so numerous that they resemble fireworks of red-orange, golden yellow and golden-orange lights.

They have been cultivated since 1795. Today there are about 70 varieties. They grow no higher than 40 cm, have a powerful root system and adventitious roots on the lower part of the stems.

Of greatest interest are the varieties "Ursula" (golden-orange inflorescences), "Golden Jam", "Gnome", "Lulu" (golden-yellow inflorescences), "Paprika" (red-orange inflorescences).

Marigold varieties photo

Marigold growing from seeds

Growing, planting and caring for marigolds is not difficult even for a beginner, since these flowers are completely unpretentious.

Marigolds growing from seeds for seedlings

When to plant marigolds for seedlings? The sooner you sow marigolds for seedlings (even in early spring), the faster they will bloom. If you grow different species, then know that upright marigolds are sown earlier than others (in mid-March), stunted and small-leaved marigolds are sown in early April, and then all three species will bloom in June.

Growing seedlings of marigolds is a simple process, but there are moments that should not be missed. Prepare a mixture of soil: humus, peat, sod, sand (1; 1; 1; 0.5) and disinfect by spilling disinfectant solution fungicide or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Make sure that at the bottom of the container is drainage layer from crushed stone, sand or expanded clay 3 cm high, apply fertilizer to the soil (any organic matter, except for fresh manure). At a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other, make grooves, spread the seeds in them and sprinkle with a small layer of soil. You need to water very carefully so that the water does not wash the seeds out of the soil.

After the appearance of the first two true leaves, marigold seedlings are transplanted into larger containers. It is better to take separate pots, but you can plant seedlings in big boxes, according to the scheme 7x7 cm. When planting, the sprouts are buried to the cotyledon leaves so that the plants grow strong and have a powerful root system.

Tall varieties of upright marigolds, picked in common boxes, it is advisable to transplant one more time when the leaves begin to overlap each other.

Marigold seedlings are unpretentious, but can get sick with a black leg if watering is too plentiful, and the soil temperature is low or the soil is too heavy. It is recommended not to put boxes directly on a cold window sill, but to put them under the bottoms insulating materials. These can be pieces of foam or cuts of tourist foam rugs.

A week before planting in a permanent place, you need to start hardening the plants. To do this, seedlings of marigolds are taken out to the balcony during the daytime or moved to a greenhouse. Initially, hardening lasts a couple of hours, gradually increasing the time.

Seedlings prepared in this way will not be burned by the sun after transplantation and will not freeze during short-term drops in temperature to + 5 ° C.

Marigolds planting seedlings in open ground

When to plant marigolds open ground? In the Urals, seedlings of marigolds are planted in open ground in early June, when the danger of morning frosts has passed. Soils are preferred neutral in acidity, light loam or sandy loam.

You can not plant marigolds in a low place where water can stagnate during heavy rains, they will rot there. Water the plants 1-2 hours before transplanting. Seedlings are placed at a distance of 15 cm to 50 cm from each other.

If you plant marigolds thicker, it will grow dense blooming carpet or thick curbs. With a sparse planting, the bushes turn into lush flowering balls. Low-growing varieties are planted more often than tall ones.

Marigold seedlings are carefully removed from seedling pots, trying not to damage the earthen clod, and placed in wells previously spilled with water. Then the earth around the flower is compacted and watered.

Marigold cultivation in open ground

If there is no time, place or desire to grow seedlings, then you can buy ready-made - in 95% it will be accepted and will delight you with long flowering. Or you can just sow marigold seeds directly into the open ground.

Sowing seeds directly into the soil in the Urals begins in early June, when the soil warms up enough and the danger of return frosts passes.

Marigolds do not impose high requirements on the seat, they will feel quite comfortable both in shallow shade and in partial shade, but the bushes will reach the peak of decorativeness only in an open area, under bright sunlight.

Soils are preferred light, fertile, moderately moist. It is not necessary to apply fertilizer before planting: this will provoke too active plant growth and delay flowering. To control the density of sowing, it is advisable to germinate marigold seeds in advance. To do this, line a flat plate with a damp cloth and lay out the seeds on it. The plate is packed in a plastic bag and placed in heat.

After a couple of days, the seeds will hatch and be ready for sowing. Before sowing, a furrow 2–2.5 cm deep is cut in the dug up soil, it is spilled with warm water, the seeds are laid out and covered with earth.

Marigold Care

Marigolds love bright light, and although they tolerate partial shade and even shade well, they bloom most magnificently in the strongest sun.

During growth, watering should be sufficient, but as soon as inflorescences begin to form, watering should be reduced so that moisture does not stagnate: plants rot and do not bloom from this.

It is not necessary to fertilize the marigolds, but if you feed them, the marigolds will respond with gratitude. You need to feed complex fertilizers when the seedlings reach a height of 10 cm, then when the first buds appear, and finally at the very beginning of flowering.

Marigolds need regular weeding and loosening of the soil, otherwise it is difficult for them to breathe. In the summer, if the marigolds have grown, prune to form beautiful bushes. Remove faded buds and the plants will bloom even more.

The peculiar aroma of marigolds and the phytoncides contained in them serve as protection against fungal diseases not only for the plants themselves, but also for those that grow in the neighborhood. It is not for nothing that many flower growers frame the entire garden plot with plantings of marigolds.

But, if the summer is too wet, then snails and slugs may appear. The smell of bleach placed in jars between plants can scare them away. Sometimes it still appears on leaves and stems gray rot. In this case, the affected plants will have to be destroyed so that they do not infect the rest of the marigolds.

In a dry summer, plants may be attacked by a spider mite, which will have to be fought by spraying with infusion of onions, yarrow, red hot pepper. But to prevent this from happening, try to increase the level of humidity in the air by spraying water around the marigolds several times a day.

Marigold diseases and pests

Marigolds are little susceptible to attacks by insects and infections, but they also have enemies:

naked slugs

Slugs really like tagetes, especially young seedlings. To protect the plants, the soil is sprinkled with granules containing iron phosphate. This substance is not dangerous for humans, and completely decomposes in the soil into iron and phosphate.

It also does not harm bees and earthworms, and causes dehydration in slugs. The consumption of granules is 5 g per 1 sq. m. Another way to fight is to install bait-traps in the form of saucers or special containers with beer installed at ground level next to the plants.

The slugs crawl into the trap, attracted by the smell, and drown. An even greater effect is given by the bait sold in stores, developed according to a special formula. It is suitable for all varieties of slugs, one serving mixed with water is enough for 3 weeks.

spider mite

He likes to eat leaves of marigolds and spider mites. Especially often plants are affected by these insects in hot weather. Treatment of plants and the soil surface with acaricides (actellik, neostomazan, omayt or demitan) will help against the tick.

For reliability, you need to carry out 3-4 sprayings at weekly intervals. If the lesion is small, then there will be enough biological products, such as phytoverma. Can also be used natural remedies: infusions of hot pepper, onion, garlic or yarrow, tansy.

Blackleg

With a combination of factors such as low temperature soil, waterlogging and a dense crust on the surface, marigold seedlings can get sick with a black leg. A symptom of the disease will be the appearance of light spots in the lower part of the stem, which will gradually turn black and rot.

In this case, the plant is difficult to save, it must be removed so as not to spread the disease to neighboring areas. It is best to transplant the remaining healthy seedlings into a new disinfected soil, or at least sprinkle the soil with ash and revise the watering schedule downwards.

It is necessary to water only when the top layer of soil dries out by 1–1.5 cm.

root rot

This disease is caused by the same factors as the blackleg. But it is already characteristic of adult marigold plants. Recognized root rot yellowing of stems and leaves. If you notice these signs in time, then there is a chance to save the plant.

The first aid will be loosening the soil and reducing watering. If the bush grows in a low place or in too heavy ground, you can try to save it by transplanting it into a more suitable conditions: Well-drained light substrate in a high place or on a slope.

Where to buy marigold seeds

The Scientific and Production Association "Gardens of Russia" has been implementing the latest achievements in vegetable, fruit, berry and vegetable breeding for 30 years. ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening.

In the work of the association, the most modern technologies are used, a unique laboratory of microclonal propagation of plants has been created.

The main task of the NGO "Gardens of Russia" is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material of popular varieties of various garden plants and novelties of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, bulbs, seedlings) is carried out by Russian post.

We are waiting for you for shopping at the NGO "Gardens of Russia".

Marigolds are one of gardeners' favorite annual flowers. In almost every area you can find lush bushes with carved foliage and bright flowers, publishing a spicy aroma familiar from childhood. Marigolds bloom almost all summer, delighting with an abundance of inflorescences.

plant description

Marigolds or tagetes, belong to the genus of annual and perennial plants of the Aster family. Upright 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. 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. Grows best in full sun, although it tolerates some shade. The soil should be nutritious, moderately moist.

Marigolds are widely used to create flower groups, rabatok. Low-growing varieties are beautiful both in borders and in arrays, on the lawn. Planted in a pot, they can bloom for a long time in the room. The culture is suitable for cultivation in balcony boxes, containers. Cut inflorescences stand in water for a long time.

Agrotechnics of cultivation

Tagetes is unpretentious, grows and blooms in almost any conditions, but with good care bushes look much more decorative. It is grown in two ways - seedlings and sowing seeds in the ground.

A seedless way to grow marigolds

Marigolds are grown by sowing seeds in the ground at different times:

1. Before winter, after the onset of a steady minus. Ridges are formed in advance, grooves are made and some earth is stored in a warm place. Seeds are sown in dry soil and sprinkled with stored soil. Mulch from above with rotted sawdust, compost, leaf litter. In the spring, when the last frosts have passed, the mulch is raked so that the soil warms up faster.
2. In the spring, in mid-April - early May, marigolds are sown on insulated ridges or greenhouses. After sowing, the furrows are shed warm water.

In early - mid-May, tagetes are sown directly into the ground in a permanent place. The seedlings that have appeared are thinned out, leaving at least 10 cm between the plants. When several true leaves appear on the seedlings, they are seated at a distance of 30–40 cm.

How to grow marigold seedlings in a greenhouse

Marigolds from seeds are successfully grown in a greenhouse. Planting dates come when weather forecasters no longer promise a decrease in night temperatures below -1 -3 ° С. The soil in the greenhouse quickly thaws already in the first warm April days.

To prevent hatching seedlings from being caught by night frost, use covering material. You can also put water containers in the greenhouse. During the day, it heats up and at night it gradually gives off heat, maintaining the temperature several degrees higher than outside.

Shoots appear in a week. Care for seedlings of marigolds consists in regular watering with warm water, loosening and weeding. If the soil has been prepared in advance, young plants do not need separate dressings. If necessary (weak growth, yellowing of the leaves), foliar spraying is carried out with a 1-3% urea solution. By mid-May, seedlings are ready for transplanting into open ground.

How to grow marigold seedlings at home

Most reliable way get flowering plants in the early stages - 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 peat;
• 1 part of garden land;
• 0.5 parts of sand.

A layer of drainage is poured at the bottom of the tank - broken brick, expanded clay, coarse sand. Then - the prepared soil mixture. It is slightly compacted and watered. You can add a drug for fungal diseases to the water for irrigation, since tagetes seedlings often suffer from a black leg. A few days later, when the earth settles and is evenly saturated with moisture, grooves are made and marigold seeds are laid out in them.

Sprinkle with earth on top and moisten a little more. The pots are covered with glass or film and placed in a warm, bright place. The cover is regularly removed for ventilation. After the appearance of the first shoots, the film is removed and the containers are rearranged in a sunny place. Water very sparingly until the seedlings have their first true leaves to prevent blackleg disease.

Caring for seedlings at home is no different from the agricultural technology of growing seedlings in the open field: timely watering, top dressing 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. Undersized can be planted a little more often. The place should be sunny, without stagnation of air.

Plants are transplanted along with a clod of earth. Before planting, marigolds should be watered so that the roots do not dry out during transplantation. It is advisable to prepare a place for a future flower bed in the fall - apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, ash and dig. When planting seedlings in the ground, compost, urea or saltpeter are added under each root. But you should not be zealous with nitrogen so that the plants do not grow fat, that is, they do not increase their green mass to the detriment of flowering. Great benefit velvet will bring spraying with a solution of microfertilizers for flowers. They do this after the plants have taken root, started to grow and began to pick up buds.

Tagetes care in the open field

Marigolds are moisture-loving, but do not like prolonged stagnation of water. Therefore, watering should be moderate. After watering, the earth must be loosened. For abundant flowering several times a season, flowers are fed with infusion of mullein or liquid fertilizer from nettles and other weeds.

To maintain a high decorative effect, wilted inflorescences are cut off. Thickened areas are easy to thin out with pruning, using cut flowers for bouquets.

Diseases, treatment and prevention

Due to the content of phytoncides, marigolds are less susceptible to disease than other crops. However, unsuitable conditions for them can cause gray mold disease and spider mite invasion. Infected with rot specimens are destroyed, in healthy ones, watering is reduced, sprayed with drugs against the fungus.
From spider mites, tagetes is treated with an infusion of garlic, wormwood, red pepper or tobacco dust. In case of severe damage, the plants are sprayed with solutions of the preparations "Aktellik", "Fufanon", "Antiklesch", "Fitoverm".

Plant marigolds in sunny, ventilated places without thickening, and the plants will bloom more profusely and get sick less.

How to collect and save marigold seeds

With good care in the open field, marigolds planted in May-June 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 seeds are dried in a dry place and cleaned, freeing from the husk.

Seeds are collected only from varietal marigolds, hybrids are not suitable for this, as they inherit the characteristics of only one of the parents.

Well-dried seeds are poured into cloth bags and stored at a temperature of 1–5 ° C and a humidity of 50–60%. Under such conditions planting material does not lose viability for several years.

Application in medicine

A bouquet of cut marigolds heals the air in the room, repels flies. Dried petals are used as a condiment in some countries. In the Caucasus, it is known as Imeretian saffron. Leaves treat constipation, fever, used as a diuretic and diaphoretic. In large doses, marigold leaves act as an emetic. The lutein contained in the flowers reduces the likelihood of developing cataracts and improves visual acuity. Baths with tagetes infusion relax, relieve anxiety. They are recommended to be taken at bedtime for depression and neurosis. The tincture of the plant copes well with stomatitis and skin diseases.

IN industrial scale marigolds are grown for essential oil.

The raw material for it is the entire above-ground part of plants. The oil has a sweet fruity aroma with a slight citrus note. It has a sedative, antifungal, hypotensive, antiseptic effect. It softens the skin well, 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 the marigolds to fully show their phytoncidal properties, they are planted along the perimeter of the site, along the paths, the beginning and end of the beds are marked with separate bushes. Tagetes, planted next to cabbage beds, scares cruciferous flea. One or two flowering bushes in a greenhouse can significantly reduce the likelihood of late blight and various rots on tomatoes. In autumn, the whole plant is used as green manure - they crush and dig up the ground along with the resulting green mass. This will scare away the nematode, wireworm and enrich the soil with organic matter.

Marigold bushes can be left for the whole winter. Planted in rows, they will serve as wind protection and hold 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

On summer cottages marigolds of different heights grow, differing in flowering time, size and color of flowers. Seeds of the variety and type you like can be bought at almost any specialized store.

Marigolds erect (Tagetes erecta)

The shape of the inflorescence is divided into two groups:

• clove-flowering - this group has many reed flowers in the inflorescences, few tubular ones in the center;
• chrysanthemum-flowered - the entire inflorescence consists of tubular flowers, along the edge there is one row of reeds.

Upright varieties of tagetes are among the highest. Among them are many beautiful, with large spherical inflorescences of yellow and orange flowers.

Antigua- low bushes are strewn with many flowers with a diameter of up to 10 cm of yellow-orange color.

yellow stone- a plant up to 70 cm high looks like a chrysanthemum with large light yellow spherical flowers.

golden dollar – tall bushes with large dark green leaves beautifully set off red-orange odorless terry balls.

golden light- compact plants of medium height are crowned with bright orange lights. Late variety, blooms from late June until frost.

lemon prince- from the beginning of summer to cold weather, it will delight with a combination of lemon-yellow inflorescences with a dark emerald of carved foliage. Variety 80 cm high.

Shaggy Robin- pale yellow heads really look shaggy due to tubular flowers of different lengths. Cut beautifully and unusually.

Marigolds rejected (Tagetes patula)

This type of medium height is 20–40 cm. The flowers may not be double, but no less beautiful, often two-colored.

golden head- low strongly leafy bushes are covered with many yellow inflorescences with red edges. The outer petals are wavy and bent down. The grade is recommended for cultivation in containers, pots, for beds and rabatok.

golden ball- sprawling branched bushes will delight with an exquisite combination of a golden center in a red-brown border. 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 strongly leafy bushes firmly hold a scattering of double bright yellow flowers.

orange flame- the variety will not leave anyone indifferent thanks to two-color spherical inflorescences with a bright orange center in a red-brown design.

Thin-leaved marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia),

Thin-leaved varieties have thin, strongly cut foliage and small non-double 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 bright yellow small flowers with dark orange trim.

Dwarf- similar to the previous variety, but differs from it in small height. Therefore, it is recommended for decorating the edges of flower beds, rabatok. Nice and easy to grow in pots and boxes.

Lulu- the variety is characterized by abundant flowering. A sprawling bush forms a green ball strewn with bright yellow stars.

Paprika- a lot of 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 make an elegant and long-flowering flower bed only from marigolds alone, alternating various colors. High large-flowered varieties are placed in the center of the flower bed, framing them with undersized varieties of a contrasting shade. Landed in balcony boxes velvet fabrics will fill the apartment with a delicate spicy aroma all summer long.

The most important thing about marigolds - video

Marigolds or tagetes are perennial unpretentious plants that are loved by many flower growers for their long flowering, endurance and attractive appearance. They can be found almost everywhere - in city flower beds, household plots and even balconies.

The two most common methods of reproduction of marigolds are planting seeds in open ground and growing seedlings. From the article you will learn how to properly plant and grow marigolds at home.

plant description

Among the people, marigolds (tagetes) received many names - Chernobrivtsy, lights or velvet. From a botanical point of view, these are perennial and annual plants belonging to the numerous Aster or Compositae family.

The birthplace of the flower is South and Central America, where they are still found in the wild today. The plant came to Europe in the 16th century, in Russia they are considered the first foreign flowers.

The marigolds were the first to describe in detail K. Linnaeus, who gave the name to the flowers in honor of the Roman demigod. Today, there are more than 40 varieties of Tagetes, widely cultivated around the world.

The plant is represented by an upright or branched bush up to 130 cm high. The root system is powerful, fibrous type. Flower baskets are painted in various shades of yellow, brown and orange.

Flowering is plentiful, lasts from June until the first frost. The fruit is a linear achene, the seeds remain viable for up to 4 years. Unlike many others ornamental plants, a strong smell exude not flowers, but leaves.

When to sow marigolds for seedlings

The sowing time directly depends on two factors - the climatic conditions in your area, as well as the planned date of flowering of the flower bed. When choosing a planting date, keep in mind that marigolds begin to bloom 1.5-2 months after sowing.

The optimal time to plant seeds for seedlings is the end of February or the beginning of March. Low-growing and small varieties are best sown in mid-April or even early May.

In open ground conditions, planting material is sown after spring frosts usually in early to mid May. Planting time may vary in different regions by 1-2 weeks. For example, in the conditions of Siberia, tagetes are planted from the end of March (relative to seedlings) or at the beginning of June (in open ground).

What you need to grow

To grow marigold seedlings at home, you will need:

• planting material (can be purchased at the store or use seeds from last year's flowers);
• substrate and material for drainage;
• planting containers (seedling boxes, peat pots or cassettes);
• sources of additional lighting;
• covering material for containers (glass or polyethylene film);
• complex top dressing for ornamental plants.

All of the above items can be bought at any specialized flower shop or prepared on your own.

Soil for sowing seeds

To grow marigold seedlings, it is necessary to purchase or prepare a light substrate with an average level of fertility.

You can buy it at the store or prepare it yourself. To do this, mix humus, peat or sod in equal proportions, and then disinfect the soil with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. At the bottom of the container, it is desirable to lay a drainage layer of sand, crushed stone or expanded clay up to 3 cm high.

Capacity Requirements

Sowing is carried out in seedling boxes or containers. Some flower growers practice sowing seeds in peat pots or cassettes to avoid subsequent picking, but marigolds tolerate transplanting well.

The optimal solution is a small square or rectangular container up to 7 cm high, there are no material requirements. At the bottom, be sure to make holes for draining excess water. The seedling container is filled with prepared substrate 3/4 of the height, and then grooves are made up to 1 cm deep.

Seed preparation

Three days before planting, the seeds should be laid out on a saucer and added warm water, to enhance the effect, you can cover the container with a damp cotton cloth. Then the saucer must be put in a warm and wet place without direct sunlight. Subject to technology, by the end of the second day they will begin to germinate.

Sowing seeds

You can sow marigolds for seedlings according to the following scheme:

1. On the surface of the soil, grooves are made up to 1 cm deep, at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other.
2. Seeds are recommended to be sown in the soil at a distance of up to 2 cm from each other, and then sprinkled with earth.
3. The soil should be watered abundantly with settled water. room temperature. Some flower growers recommend adding a complex mineral fertilizer for ornamental plants.
4. The container should be covered with glass or film, placed in a warm place.
5. At least once a day, the covering material must be removed to ventilate the seedlings, remove condensate and water as needed.

When using individual containers for seedlings, for example, peat pots, seeds are placed in 2 pieces per container. Then the strongest and healthiest plant is left, and the weak one is removed. In favorable conditions, the first shoots appear after 4-7 days.

Germination conditions

After germination, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the container with seedlings to reduce the risk of blackleg development. After all shoots appear on the surface, the film must be completely removed. Once every two weeks, it is necessary to water the marigolds with a special fertilizer for seedlings of ornamental plants (Agricola, Fertika Lux and others).

It is desirable to place the container in a warm and well-lit place with humidity up to 85%. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight, which can be detrimental to young plants.

Seedling Care

The condition of seedlings and the health of each seedling directly depends on compliance with the rules for care. Below we will consider key points to consider when growing marigolds at home.

Temperature

The optimum temperature before the appearance of the first shoots is 24-26 ° C, after the appearance of the first leaves it must be lowered to 18-20 ° C. You can control the temperature conditions using a special lamp. In its absence, you can use the most common incandescent light bulb, which will act as an additional light source.

Lighting

Marigolds love sunlight, which is why they are planted in well-lit places where they show the most lush flowering and rarely get sick.

At all stages of growing seedlings, additional lighting is necessary up to 13 hours a day. It is desirable to carry out the procedure during the day, because at night the flowers need rest. For illumination, it is desirable to use fluorescent lamps or phytolamps, any other devices for lighting plants are also suitable.

Watering

Tagetes do not like abundant watering. In adulthood, they can do without moisture for a long time without any damage to health. It is necessary to water the seedlings as the top layer of soil dries out, as a rule, the procedure is carried out 1 time per week. Watering should be moderate, it is desirable to pre-defend the water and heat it to room temperature.

Pinching

If pinching is not carried out in time, the marigolds begin to actively grow up, which can lead to the fall of the plant. The procedure is carried out when 3-4 leaves are formed on the seedlings. Cut off the upper parts of the shoots by 1-2 cm.

Some hybrid varieties initially form a lush and compact bush. As a rule, these are undersized and large-flowered varieties of marigolds. Before proceeding with the pruning procedure, you need to carefully check the description of the variety and the photo on the package.

picking

After the formation of 2-3 healthy leaves, you can pick up into a more spacious container. Marigolds do not need a spacious box, but the landing step should be increased.

The next pick is carried out only after a month in individual pots or immediately in open ground, weather permitting. Before transplanting plants, stop watering completely two days in advance, and also make sure that each flower is healthy and has no signs of disease.

Transplantation in open ground

A dive to a permanent place is carried out when there is no threat of night frosts. Seedlings are planted in shallow holes at a distance of at least 15 cm from each other for undersized varieties, up to 40 cm for high marigolds.

You can plant plants not only in a flower bed, these flowers are often transplanted into beds, since the smell of leaves repels many pests and insects.

Diseases and pests

The greatest danger to seedlings and adult plants is black leg and root rot, which develop due to non-compliance with the rules for care and cultivation. As a rule, such diseases appear due to excessive watering or planting in wet soil.

Marigold leaves exude an odor that repels most harmful insects. The most dangerous for these flowers are spider mites, slugs and snails, as well as thrips, aphids and caterpillars.

When the first signs of infection appear, it is necessary to treat the planting with a complex fungicide or insecticide. Prevention is carried out only in disadvantaged areas.

Further care

Subsequent care for adult marigolds is not difficult even for beginner gardeners. They are unpretentious, can be stored for a long time without watering and top dressing. In addition to traditional procedures (watering, weeding and removing faded buds), mulching is necessary for tagetes.

Treatment for pests and diseases is carried out only when characteristic features infection, because this plant has good health and resistance to many diseases.

Marigolds are unique flowers. These are hardy and unpretentious plants that bloom almost all summer. At right choice varieties and observance of agricultural techniques for growing seeds, problems usually do not arise.

Today, many videos have been created that talk in detail about the features of marigolds, so if you have questions, you can easily find them.

Useful properties of marigolds
Tagetes inflorescences have a variety of sizes and shapes from small "carnations" to luxurious "chrysanthemums", and colors from lemon yellow to red-brown. Marigolds are planted on, in, they are convenient to use to cover places exposed after flowering. Tagetes is suitable not only for decorating the garden. All parts of the plant contain, which repel pests and inhibit pathogenic fungi, including those living in the soil. Marigolds are planted on strawberries from, on cabbage to scare away whites, next to asters - from fusarium, near phloxes and clematis to prevent nematodes. Tagetes is used as a medicinal plant and as a spice.

When to sow marigolds for seedlings?
Tagetes propagates by seeds. They can be sown in the ground after the end of frost, and then thinned out or planted seedlings more freely, but immediately after the end of frost, tagetes can be planted with already flowering seedlings.
From germination to flowering of tagetes, it takes from 40 to 50 days, depending on the variety, so it is necessary to sow marigolds for seedlings in the first decade of April. The soil for sowing tagetes should be sufficiently fertile and loose. Such a land mixture is suitable: humus (or), washed sand (2: 1: 0.5).

Sowing tagetes for seedlings
Tagetes seedlings often die from. To prevent this from happening, the container filled with soil mixture must be shed in advance with a fungicide solution ( Maxim, Vitaros, Fitosporin) or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. The best result is steaming the sifted soil mixture in a double boiler for an hour. In addition to spores of pathogenic fungi, this will also destroy weed seeds. After lightly compacting the steamed soil mixture, make shallow grooves on the surface. The soil should be slightly damp.

Spread the marigold seeds evenly over the grooves. The easiest way to do this is with a small piece of white paper. If there are too few seeds, you can spread them out with tweezers. Put labels with the name of varieties.

From above, sprinkle the crops with the same soil with a mixture of a layer of about 1 cm. With a smaller sowing, the seed coat remains on the cotyledon leaves during germination, marigold seedlings cannot shed their skin, which prevents their further development.

Moisten crops. Try to do this carefully, without washing away the top layer of soil so that the seeds do not end up on its surface.

Cover the crops to keep the soil constantly moist. To do this, it is convenient to use a suitable lid from a food container. You can simply put the container with crops in a clean plastic bag and put it in a bright place. At a temperature of +15...+20°C shoots of marigolds appear in 5-7 days. The temperature regime is important, because at temperatures below +15°C the seeds germinate poorly, and if it rises above +25°C they do not germinate at all.

After the appearance of the first shoots, daily airing is necessary: ​​at this time, the risk of the appearance of a black leg on seedlings is highest. If you notice the first signs of the disease, immediately remove the lodging seedlings along with the lumps of earth, and sprinkle the holes with fresh soil mixture and re-treat the crops with a fungicide solution.

When friendly shoots appear, the shelter must be removed completely. Water after the soil in the container is completely dry, making sure that water does not accumulate in the pan. Feed the seedlings once every two weeks ( Fertika Lux, Agricola, Mortar).

After the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings are ready for picking.

Tagetes pick
Tagetes dive at the stage of two true leaves. The seedling can be deepened almost to the cotyledons (lower oblong leaves), but so that they do not touch the soil.

You can pick marigold seedlings simply into a seedling box. Tagetes seedlings tolerate transplanting well, even in flowering form - it is not necessary to preserve the root ball. But it is most convenient to grow marigold seedlings in cassettes. The soil can be used the same composition as for sowing, but without sieving. Add 1 tablespoon of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to it, and 0.5 cup for every 5 liters of mixture. In order for fertilizers to be evenly distributed in the soil, it must be thoroughly mixed.
Fill the cassettes with the mixture, compact it a little, make recesses of such a size that the roots fit freely in it. If the roots are too long, they can be shortened a little. When picking, seedlings need to be deepened by 1 cm.

Water carefully. If the soil has settled too much after watering, add potting mix on top. Water regularly after the soil dries out. The golden rule for Tagetes is: it’s better not to add a little than to overfill.

Planting tagetes in the ground
Two weeks before planting, begin to gradually accustom the seedlings to fresh air. Marigolds cannot stand even slight frosts, so seedlings can only be planted when their threat has passed. In the middle lane, this is usually the end of the first decade of June. Choose a sunny location. Although tagetes can grow in partial shade, it will bloom much worse there.

Tagetes does not require fertile soil, the main thing is that it be loose and air and water permeable, without stagnant water. Peat and sand will help improve heavy.
Dig up the soil on a shovel bayonet, apply full mineral fertilizer (nitroamofoska, amofoska) at the rate of 30 g per 1 sq. m, close it into the soil by secondary digging.

Prepare the holes at a distance of 15-30 cm from each other, depending on the future size of the plants. Typically, the seed manufacturer will indicate on the bags the recommended spacing for each variety. Therefore, it is important to keep the seed bags, and supply the seedlings with labels indicating the names of the varieties. So you will know exactly at what distance to plant each marigold variety. Make the depth of the hole in such a way that when planting the stems can be deepened by 1-2 centimeters. Place the root system in the hole.

Carefully fill in the voids around the roots and compact a little.

Water the planted seedlings. Tagetes is not afraid of watering on leaves and rain. Further care consists in weeding and maintaining the soil in a loose state. If you filled the soil with mineral fertilizers, then it is enough to feed the tagetes 1-2 times with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers during the season. These elements contribute to more lush flowering. With an excess of nitrogen, tagetes grows strongly to the detriment of the formation of new buds.

These bright annuals are valued by amateur flower growers and professionals involved in landscape design, for a magnificent combination of unpretentiousness and excellent decorative qualities. Knowing when to sow marigolds for seedlings, you can admire their flowering from spring to the first frost. A run in time will allow you to shift the flowering period of tagetes (this is the botanical name of this plant).

Sowing dates

You can sow marigolds both before winter and in spring. Sowing in central Russia is carried out when the threat of return frosts disappears - from late May to early June. Shelter nonwoven fabric will allow to postpone these dates for another 2 weeks - by the beginning of May. In more southern regions, sowing in the ground can be carried out starting from the end of March.

Sowing seedlings depends on the following factors:

• terms for establishing frost-free weather for planting;
• desired timing of flowering marigolds.

Flowering of tagetes occurs 1.5-2 months after germination. Consequently, planting marigolds for seedlings falls on the period from March 15 to April 10. Additional illumination of annual crops in the winter months will allow for a short time to bring the flowering time closer. To obtain flowering plants already in April-May, seeds are sown at home in January-February.

Soil preparation

A fungal disease, colloquially called "black leg", can completely destroy young marigold seedlings. To prevent this from happening, the land for sowing should be carefully prepared. There are several ways to disinfect it.

1. A container with an earthen mixture for sowing seeds is spilled with a solution of a fungicide - Fitosporin, Vitaros, Maxim or any other is suitable in accordance with the instructions.
2. The soil is shed with a solution of dark pink manganese.
3. The earth is steamed in a double boiler or in a water bath for 0.5-1 hour.
4. The earth mixture is processed in microwave oven for 10 minutes in the "Medium power" mode.

Place a drainage layer of expanded clay or crushed stone on the bottom of the seedling box with a layer of at least 2-3 cm.

The composition of the mixture for sowing can be as follows:

• humus - 1 part;
• garden or garden land - 2 parts;
• peat - 1 part;
• coarse river sand - 1 part.

At the bottom of the container or box there should be holes for water to drain. Before planting seeds, the soil must be shed in advance and left for a day at a temperature of +18 to +21⁰С.

Sowing seeds

On the surface of the prepared substrate, every 3-4 cm, grooves are made with a depth of at least 1 cm, into which tagetes seeds are sown at a distance of 1.5 cm from one another. The grooves are sprinkled with a mixture of earth and sifted sand in a ratio of 1: 1. Sowing is carried out not only with dry, but also with swollen and pre-soaked seeds. They are kept in wet wipe And plastic bag within 3 days.

A little sifted oven ash can be added to the mixture for falling asleep grooves. This measure will additional prevention the appearance of the "black leg".

If you plan to grow seedlings of several varieties, crops must be labeled with the name of the variety. At home, it is convenient to use thick foil on which the name of the variety is squeezed out. Such a label does not get wet and does not fade from sunlight.

The seedling box is placed in a warm place (from +22 to +25⁰С), covered plastic lid, plastic wrap or a layer of plexiglass. Before germination, this mini-greenhouse should be regularly ventilated. Shoots at this temperature regime will appear after 4-6 days. The container with seedlings is transferred to a cooler place, reducing the temperature to + 18⁰С.

Dive

This operation is carried out when the seedlings will have at least 2 true leaves. The soil for placing the picked plants has the same composition as for sowing seeds. Growing an annual will be more successful if you add 1 tbsp to the soil. l. full mineral fertilizer and half a glass of ash for every 5 liters of soil mixture. The pickled plants are placed 7 cm apart. It is even better to do a pick using small or seedling cassettes.

When transplanting, you need to pinch off the central root of the seedling in half. If this technique is carried out correctly, then the root system of the tagetes will be fibrous, and the seedlings will be strong and stocky.

Prepared plants are planted in a recess in a pot or cassette to the cotyledon leaves, the roots are straightened and gently sprinkled with earth. Then the pickled seedlings are carefully watered with warm water, trying not to wash the ground from the roots. When it settles, add a fresh mixture. If mineral fertilizer was not applied before picking, after 10 days the plants need to be fed with any. It is convenient to do this by timing top dressing for the next watering.

Tagetes seedlings are grown with infrequent watering. It will be correct to water it only after the top layer has dried.

If seedlings are cultivated in February or early March, they need to be illuminated for 2-3 hours a day, increasing daylight hours to normal. At home, it is convenient to use fluorescent fluorescent lamps.

Soil preparation for transplanting into open ground

The brightest and most beautiful specimens of tagetes can only be grown in a sunny place. It is not necessary to select exclusively fertile soil for transplanting marigolds to a permanent place. For this unpretentious plant, it is enough to observe simple conditions:

• loose, breathable soil;
• permeable earthen substrate without stagnant water.

In the dug up earth, before planting seedlings in it, you need to make a complete mineral fertilizer (30 g per 1 sq. M.) And close it up.

The improvement of heavy clay soil is facilitated by the introduction of sand and peat.

Planting in open ground

It is necessary to transfer seedlings to a flower garden in order to continue growing them there in a certain sequence.

1. Seedling holes are prepared in advance. They need to be done at a distance provided by the characteristics of the variety, from 15 to 35 cm from each other.
2. The root system is placed in a hole, the plant should be planted so that the roots begin 1-2 cm deeper than the surface of the earth.
3. The landing hole is sprinkled with earth, the soil is compacted.
4. The plant is watered over the leaves or under the root.

Marigold Care

Further cultivation of this annual is not difficult even for inexperienced gardeners. This unpretentious plant wilts only during severe drought. Tagetes needs regular watering, weeding, one-time top dressing for lush flowering. An excess of nitrogen can cause marigolds to build up vegetative mass at the expense of flowering.

Mulch the soil around the plants to retain moisture during the dry season.

Marigolds can very rarely be affected by pests, most often aphids. The pest is washed off with a stream of water when watering or the marigolds are treated with a systemic pesticide for ornamental plants.

Subject to all the subtleties of growing seedlings and systematic care, marigolds will delight with their flowering and bright greenery throughout the season. This unpretentious plant recovers very quickly after transplanting and diving. With careful selection of the timing of sowing seedlings, you can significantly extend the flowering season for this annual.

Marigolds are considered gardeners' favorite annuals. Terry bushes with bright and fragrant flowers are found everywhere. Such love for it garden flower is not accidental. Marigolds begin to bloom from the end of spring and are pumped in at the beginning of autumn. They do well in flower groups. With their help, you can make flower borders, or use as container floriculture. For earlier flowering, it is desirable to plant marigolds grown from seeds through seedlings.

There are types of perennial and annual marigolds (tagetes). These plants have a height of 22 to 120 cm. decorative effect have baskets-inflorescences and openwork leaves. Inflorescences are painted in yellow, brown and orange shades.

Marigolds rejected Marigolds erect Marigolds thin-leaved

Tagetes are divided into:

The best places to grow marigolds are sunny places. These flowers love nutritious and moist soil.

Methods for growing marigolds

Ways to grow marigolds from seeds Consider each of them in more detail.

seedless way

With this method, marigold seeds are planted in open ground. It can be done:

In both cases, transplanting seedlings is carried out after the plants have several permanent leaves. At a permanent place between the bushes should be at least 30 cm.

Greenhouse method

If you want to get bushes ready for planting in open ground earlier, then you can use the help of a greenhouse for this. Marigolds from seeds planted in a greenhouse will help to get bushes ready for flowering in May. Planting seeds in closed ground held at a time when the air temperature does not fall below minus 3 degrees. This usually happens in early April.

If there is a risk that marigold sprouts breaking through the soil can beat frosts, you can use a covering cloth or mulch to protect them. Some gardeners use the following secret. They leave a container of water in the greenhouse. During the day, the warm rays of the sun heat the water, and at night the water gives off its temperature to the air around it.

With proper planting, seedlings should appear in a week. In order for plants to develop quickly, care is needed for the bushes. It is necessary to loosen the soil and water the bushes with warm water. As a rule, young marigolds do not need additional feeding. But if the seedlings show weak growth, then the formation of seedlings can be accelerated with a solution of urea. With this method of obtaining seedlings, it is ready for transplanting into a flower garden in mid-May.

At home

If the place at home allows you to plant a sufficient number of seedlings, then it is better to use this method. Firstly, this way you can completely eliminate the risk of damage to seedlings by frost, and secondly, you can get seedlings even earlier. You can plant marigold seeds at home as early as the end of February.

The soil mixture for seedlings is prepared from the following ingredients:

Broken brick or expanded clay is poured into the container for seedlings. Its layer should be no more than 3-4 cm. After that, the soil mixture is poured. It is compacted and spilled with water with the addition of remedies for black leg and other fungal diseases. Planting seeds occurs 2-3 days after the preparation of containers. To do this, grooves are made into which marigold seeds are laid out.

After planting the seeds, the grooves are covered with earth from above and moistened with a spray gun. It is not necessary to pour water into the container, this may wash the seeds to the surface of the soil.

Marigold seedlings are rarely watered. You can increase watering only after real leaves appear on the bushes. This is done in order to reduce the risk of disease of marigold seedlings with a black leg.

Video "Tagetes growing from seedlings"

Planting seedlings in open ground

After the seedlings from the seeds have been obtained, you can start planting them in open ground. The distance between the bushes depends on the variety of marigolds. For upright species of this plant, 40 cm should be left between the marigold bushes. Choose a sunny, well-ventilated spot in your flower garden.

Plants are transplanted into prepared holes with a clod of earth. So that the roots do not dry out, the plants are watered before transplanting. The marigold planting site is prepared in the fall. To do this, phosphate and potash fertilizers are introduced into the flower bed.

Before planting in the ground, carefully dig up and add compost and carbamide under each plant. good effect can be achieved if at first the marigolds are sprayed with a solution of special fertilizers. This is especially important before bud formation begins.

Outdoor flower care

These flowers love moisture, but when watering them, avoid stagnant water. After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the earth. A good effect is given by feeding with mullein and nettle infusion. The introduction of these fertilizers contributes to abundant flowering.

You can prolong the flowering of marigolds with the help of a constant breakage of faded buds. This procedure will promote the ovaries of new buds.

Growing marigolds from seedlings at home is quite simple. Even novice gardeners can handle these flowers. At correct selection varieties can ensure the flowering of these plants from early spring to late autumn. We hope that from this article you have revealed for yourself all the secrets of growing marigolds. Happy flowering.

Marigolds harmoniously decorate gardens, repel pests. If you plant them among the cabbage, you can protect it from scoops and whites, flowers protect strawberries from the attack of the weevil, and onions - from onion fly. In order for the plant to grow well, it is important to know how to feed marigolds for abundant flowering. You also need to know how the cultivation and reproduction of flowers is carried out, as well as what types they are.

Varieties of marigolds

Marigolds come in different types and varieties. This allows you to choose a more suitable option for decorating the garden. Main types of flowers:

• erect - a bush with large terry inflorescences of a single shade. Flowers in diameter reach 12 centimeters. The height of dense and stable shoots can be 1 meter;
• antigua marigolds bloom in rich yellow or orange hues. In diameter, each inflorescence is 10 centimeters. A bush grows up to only 20 centimeters above ground level;
• in small-flowered marigolds, the height of the bush reaches 35 - 50 centimeters. It blooms in July and pleases with flowering until the first frost. Some inflorescences may bloom in two-tone shades. Often such plants are planted near the curbs;
• in thin-leaved marigolds, the height is not more than 40 centimeters. Lush compact bush has greenish, dissected leaves and inflorescences in the form of baskets. This type of plant grows best in good light and in warmth. Often it is used for cooking in the form of seasoning;
• marigolds rejected lush bushes With big amount inflorescences. The shrub reaches a height of 20 - 40 centimeters. You can also meet dwarf variety up to 20 centimeters. blooms different shades, monophonic or combined two-color;
• To annual plants include marigolds of the tangerine variety. Their height is only 25 centimeters. It blooms with rich orange, double flowers. This variety blooms profusely and before the onset of the first frost.

Upright varieties include white marigolds, which in turn are divided into subspecies such as Kilimanjaro, Eskimo and Vanilla.

Bushes of the Kilimanjaro variety grow up to 70 centimeters, bloom with double, spherical, white or beige inflorescences.

Bushes of the Eskimo variety grow up to only 35 centimeters. The color of the inflorescences is somewhat reminiscent of the color of vanilla. The height of the Vanilla bushes is 70 centimeters. They bloom with cream or white flowers, with a diameter of 12 centimeters.

Marigolds are grown for use in cooking, protecting roses, phloxes, strawberries and vegetables from pests. They attract beneficial insects. The cultivation of marigolds is carried out using seedlings or directly by planting immediately in the beds.

Read also: Growing a New Zealand delphinium in a summer cottage

Take fresh flower seeds. They have a 2 year shelf life. Soaked or dry seeds are planted in the soil. Planting material is sown directly into open ground after constant heat has been established.

Seedlings are planted at home in early spring in small containers. Two months after sowing, marigolds will already begin to bloom profusely.

If you want to get a flowering bush of marigolds in May, sow the seeds in March, providing them additional lighting. At temperatures above 22 degrees Celsius, the first shoots will appear in a week. The sprouts are strong and stable. When two carved leaves appear on each sprout, you can pick marigolds.

Plants tolerate transplanting into open ground well, as they have strong stems and a root system. Planting marigolds in the ground is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. high varieties are planted at a distance of 40X40 centimeters from each other;
2. medium varieties - 30x30 centimeters;
3. undersized varieties and dwarfs - 20x20 centimeters.

After planting marigolds in the ground, it is necessary to pour them abundantly with warm water.

Features of flower care

In order for marigolds to bloom profusely, it is necessary to carry out the following care: water regularly, feed three times a season, weed and loosen the soil, remove faded flowers, and thin out thickened plantings. Seeds can be collected to propagate flowers.

Providing lighting

Marigolds grow better and bloom more abundantly in well-lit, sunny areas. If there is no such place in the garden, you can plant them in partial shade. But in this case, you need to take better care of the bushes so that they bloom profusely. It is also important to protect flowers from strong winds and drafts. Germination of marigold sprouts is recommended at a temperature of 22 - 25 degrees.

Irrigation Features

During the period of active growth of marigolds, it is important to regularly water the flowers. Watering should be moderate and even. When overflowing, the roots may begin to rot, and the bushes themselves will not bloom. IN summer period watering marigolds is recommended in the evenings.

The frequency of feeding marigolds experienced gardeners determine themselves. Often the procedure is carried out three times per season. When sowing seeds, picking and planting in open ground, it is not necessary to apply fertilizers to the soil. The first time they are introduced a couple of weeks after planting in open ground, when the plants have already taken root and got stronger.

Read also: Planting and caring for Chinese callistefus

You need to feed marigolds so that they grow well and bloom profusely. Top dressing is carried out three times per season:

• When seedlings reach a height of 10 centimeters: two weeks after planting in open ground. Top dressing is carried out with urea diluted with water in the proportion of a quarter of a tablespoon of fertilizer per 2.5 liters of liquid.
• When the first buds appear. Top dressing is carried out with an aqueous solution of superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
• At the beginning of flowering, flowers are fed with nitrophoska (30 grams) diluted in water (10 liters).

Before applying fertilizer to the soil, it must be moistened or top dressing is carried out after the last rain. It must be remembered that marigolds perfectly tolerate all types of fertilizers, except for humus. But, it is best to feed them with complex fertilizers.

The following fertilizers can be used as top dressing for marigolds:

1. universal multicomponent fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The most famous fertilizer is Agricola-7;
2. gardeners, along with Agricola, use potassium sulfate, superphosphate, urea. It is important to use the funds strictly according to the instructions, diluting them in the right amount of water so as not to harm the flowers;
3. often the bushes are fertilized with herbal infusions. Grind the grass (nettle) and fill it with water. Leave in the sun for a couple of days to ferment the product. After a while, the resulting herbal fertilizer can be watered with marigolds or other plants;
4. you can and even need to fertilize marigolds with wood ash.

Herbal infusion and wood ash can successfully replace mineral fertilizers. Under each bush, add half a glass of wood ash and 500 milliliters of herbal infusion. But, before watering the bushes, it is recommended to dilute the infusion with water in a ratio of 1: 5.

Protection against diseases and pests

Marigolds emit a strong, specific aroma that protects them from Fusarium and other diseases that are caused by fungi. If the flowers are planted around the perimeter of the site, you can protect all the plants in the garden from the attack of the fungus.

Marigold protection rules:

• In dry climates and lack of moisture, flowers can suffer from spider mites. To prevent its occurrence, it is necessary to water the bushes with plenty of water. To improve marigolds, its leaves and stems can be sprayed with water.
• If you overdo it with watering, fungus can occur. To combat it, stop flooding the plant, or transplant it to a new place, better lit by the sun.
• If the bushes are attacked by slugs or snails, simply manually collect them and destroy them. It is not recommended to use special chemicals so as not to harm the inflorescences.
• Due to low temperatures, excessive moisture or too dense planting, gray rot can appear. If dark brown spots are found on the stems and leaves of marigolds, the plant must be dug up and destroyed, since it is no longer possible to save it.
• If after wintering the bushes are frozen, dig them up and bury them in compost pit. Thanks to this, you will protect the pit from the appearance of midges and other insects.

Read also: Ornamental grasses: lagurus

Marigolds propagate using seeds or seedlings. Both methods allow you to grow profusely flowering bushes if the breeding procedure is carried out correctly.

Reproduction by seeds

Seeds that are less than two years old are suitable for propagation. Older seeds may simply not sprout.

1. Seeds are sown in open ground to a depth of 2.5 centimeters.
2. Seed can be pre-soaked with water at room temperature.
3. Then they are sprinkled with earth and watered. When they germinate a little, they are sown on the site.
4. 10 days after sowing, the first shoots will appear, and after a couple of months, the first flowers will form.

Seedling propagation

If you are planting marigolds for seedlings, be sure to consider the following factors:

• the end of fatal frosts for young plants. Since frost can destroy plants, it is possible to plant seedlings in open ground only when the earth has warmed up well after winter;
• seedlings planted in open ground will start up the first inflorescences only after two to three months.

For healthy, beautiful marigold bushes, plant seeds from March 15 to April 10. At proper care and planting seedlings in open ground, marigolds will bloom in early summer.

If you want to get bushes flowering in April, sow seeds for seedlings in January or February. In this case, it is important for young shoots to provide additional lighting and heat in the room.

Now you know how marigolds are grown and propagated, and how they need to be fertilized so that the bushes bloom profusely and for a long time. It is important to properly care for plants, water, fertilize, weed and plow the soil, protect from diseases and pests.