How to grow marigolds from seeds at home?

Marigolds, lights, hats, black-haired men - this is how the tagetes are affectionately called. This universal favorite grows quickly and is unpretentious in care. Among its varieties are dwarfs and giants. And even beginners can grow marigold seedlings with their own hands

Useful properties of marigolds
Tagetes inflorescences have various 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, they are conveniently used to cover places that are bare after the flowering of bulbous crops. Tagetes is suitable not only for garden decoration. All parts of the plant contain phytoncides that repel pests and inhibit disease-causing fungi, including those living in the soil. Marigolds are planted on strawberries from a weevil, on cabbage to scare off a whites, next to asters - from fusarium, near phlox and clematis for the prevention of nematodes. Tagetes is used as a medicinal plant and as a spice.

When to sow marigolds for seedlings?
Tagetes propagated by seeds. They can be sown in the ground after the end of the frost, and then thin out or plant the seedlings more freely, but you can plant tagetes with flowering seedlings immediately after the end of the frost.
From germination to flowering of tagetes, it takes from 40 to 50 days, depending on the variety, therefore 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. The following land mixture is suitable: peat, humus (or compost), washed sand (2: 1: 0.5).

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

Spread the marigold seeds evenly over the grooves.The most convenient 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. Label the varieties.

Sprinkle the crops on top with the same soil mixture with a layer of about 1 cm.With smaller sowing, the seed coat remains on the cotyledonous leaves during germination, the marigold seedlings cannot shed the peel, which interferes with their further development.

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

Cover crops to keep the soil moist at all times. For this, it is convenient to use a suitable lid from the food container. You can simply put the container with crops in a clean plastic bag and put it away in a bright place. At a temperature of + 15 ... + 20 ° C, marigold shoots 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 ventilation is necessary: ​​at this time, the danger of the appearance of a black leg on the seedlings is highest. If you notice the first signs of the disease, immediately remove the lodging seedlings along with 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 no water accumulates in the pan. Once every two weeks, feed the seedlings with fertilizer for seedlings (Fertika Lux, Agricola, Solution).

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

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

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

Water gently. If the soil has settled too much after watering, top up the potting mix. Water regularly after the soil dries. The golden rule for tagetes: it is better not to add a little, than to pour.

Planting tagetes in the ground Two weeks before planting, start gradually accustoming the seedlings to fresh air. Marigolds do not tolerate even minor frosts, therefore, seedlings can be planted only when their threat has passed. In the middle lane, this is usually the end of the first decade of June. Choose a sunny place. Although tagetes can grow in partial shade, it will bloom there much worse.

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

Dig the soil onto a shovel bayonet, apply a full mineral fertilizer (nitroamofosk, amofosk) at the rate of 30 g per 1 sq. m, embed it in the soil by secondary digging.

Prepare the holes 15-30 cm apart depending on the future size of the plants. Typically, the seed producer indicates on the bags the recommended distance for each variety. Therefore, it is important to keep the seed bags and label the seedlings with the names of the varieties.So you will know exactly at what distance to plant each variety of marigolds. Do the depth of the hole so that when planting, the stems can be deepened by 1-2 centimeters. Place the root system in the hole.

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

Water the planted seedlings. Tagetes is not afraid of watering over the leaves and rain. Further care consists in weeding and keeping the soil loose. If you have filled the soil with mineral fertilizers, then it is enough to feed Tagetes 1-2 times with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers during the season. These elements contribute to a 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

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

The stems of marigolds are erect or branched, forming a bush with a height of 20 cm to 130 cm. Flower baskets of marigolds in various shades of yellow, brown and orange.

Marigolds bloom very profusely from June to 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 the seedlings need and where it is better to place them on the site.

Marigold varieties photo

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

Aniseed marigolds

This is perhaps the most amazing species of this plant. Its stem, leaves and flowers exude the smell of tarragon, but it is much more pleasant and stronger. And the plants taste very much like these greens.

The aroma of aniseed marigolds is felt even at a sufficient distance. They bloom profusely all 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 warmth very much. Even in flowering form, it can easily transfer a transplant. The most popular and striking 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 monochromatic and double, reaching 15 cm in diameter.

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

Marigolds 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 spreading.

The varieties of the "Bonanza" series with a height of up to 30 cm (Bonanza Bolero, Bonanza Orange, Bonanza Flame, etc.), which have a high decorative effect of terry inflorescences of bright flowers 5-6 cm in diameter and a long flowering period, are in demand among flower growers.

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

Marigolds fine-leaved or Mexican

Different from all other types. Firstly, they have very beautiful lace-laced leaves, they seem to float in the air, exuding the most 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

Marigolds 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 seed to 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 erect marigolds are sown earlier than others (in mid-March), stunted and small-leaved marigolds - in early April, and then all three species will bloom in June.

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

Make sure that at the bottom of the container there is a drainage layer of rubble, sand or expanded clay 3 cm high, apply fertilizers to the soil (any organic matter, except fresh manure). Make grooves at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other, spread the seeds in them and sprinkle with a small layer of soil. Watering must be done very carefully so that the water does not wash the seeds out of the soil.

Containers are kept in a warm place (22-25 ºC) and make sure that the soil does not dry out. The sprouts should appear no later than in a week, then the container should be transferred to light and the temperature should be slightly reduced (15-18 ºC).

After the appearance of the first two true leaves, marigold seedlings are transplanted into more spacious containers. It is better to take separate pots, but you can plant the seedlings in large boxes, according to the 7x7 cm scheme. 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 erect marigolds, cut into common boxes, it is advisable to transplant one more time when the leaves begin to overlap.

The seedlings of marigolds are unpretentious, but they can get sick with a black leg if watering is too abundant, and the soil temperature is low or the soil is too heavy. It is recommended not to place boxes directly on a cold window sill, but to put insulating materials under the bottoms. These can be pieces of styrofoam or cuts of travel foam mats.

A week before planting in a permanent place, you need to start hardening the plants. To do this, marigold seedlings in the daytime are taken out onto the balcony or moved to a greenhouse. At first, hardening lasts a couple of hours, gradually the time is increased.

The seedlings prepared in this way will not be burned by the sun after transplanting and will not freeze with short-term drops in temperature to + 5 ° C.

Marigolds planting seedlings in open ground

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

You can not plant marigolds on a low place where water can stagnate during heavy rains, they will rot there. Plants are watered 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, then a dense flowering carpet or thick borders will grow. When sparsely planted, the bushes turn into lush blooming balls. Low-growing varieties are planted more often than tall ones.

The seedlings of marigolds are carefully removed from the seedling pots, trying not to damage the earthen ball, and placed in the holes previously spilled with water. Then the earth around the flower is compacted and watered.

Marigolds growing in the open field

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 a long flowering. Or you can just sow the seeds of marigolds 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 recurrent frosts has passed.

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

Light, fertile, moderately moist soils are preferred. You do not need to apply fertilizer before planting: this will provoke overly active plant growth and a delay in flowering. To control the density of sowing, it is advisable to germinate marigold seeds in advance. For this, a flat plate is lined with a damp cloth and the seeds are laid out on it. The plate is packed in a plastic bag and placed in a warm place.

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

To speed up germination, it is recommended to cover the bed with a non-woven material. The first green shoots will hatch from the ground after 5-10 days. If the crops are too thick, they will have to be planted more spaciously.

Marigold care

Marigolds love bright lighting, 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 must be reduced so that moisture does not stagnate: this plant rot and does not bloom.

Fertilizing marigolds is not at all necessary, but if you nourish them, marigolds will respond to this with gratitude. You need to feed with 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 summer, if the marigolds are overgrown, prune them to form beautiful shrubs. Remove dead 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 marigold plantings.

But, if the summer is too damp, then snails and slugs may appear. They can be scared off by the smell of bleach placed in jars between plants. Sometimes gray rot appears on the leaves and stems. 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 can be attacked by a spider mite, which will have to be fought by spraying with an infusion of onions, yarrow, and red hot pepper. But to prevent this from happening, try to increase the humidity level by spraying water around the marigolds several times a day.

Marigold diseases and pests

Marigolds are not very susceptible to attacks by insects and infections, but they also have enemies:

Naked slugs

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

It also does not harm bees and earthworms, and it causes dehydration in slugs. Consumption of granules 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 types of slugs, one serving mixed with water is enough for 3 weeks.

Spider mite

Likes to feast on marigold leaves and spider mites. Plants are especially often affected by these insects in hot weather. Treatment of plants and soil surface with acaricides (actellik, neostomazan, omite or demitan) will help against the tick.

For reliability, you need to carry out 3-4 sprays at intervals of a week. If the lesion is small, then there will be enough biological products, for example, phytoverma. You can also use natural remedies: infusions of hot peppers, onions, garlic or yarrow, tansy.

Blackleg

With a combination of factors such as low soil temperature, 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.

The plant in this case is difficult to save, you need to remove it 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 downward.

Watering is necessary only when the topsoil dries out by 1–1.5 cm.

Root rot

This disease is caused by the same factors as the black leg. But it is already characteristic of adult marigold plants. Root rot is recognized by 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 soil, you can try to save it by transplanting it to more suitable conditions: a well-drained light substrate in a high place or on a slope.

Where to buy marigold seeds

The Scientific and Production Association "Sady Rossii" has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening for 30 years.

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

The main task of NPO Sady Rossii is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for 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 NPO Sady Rossii.

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Marigolds are one of the favorite annuals among gardeners. Lush bushes with carved foliage and bright flowers can be found on almost every site, emitting a spicy aroma familiar from childhood. Velvet flowers bloom almost all summer, delighting with an abundance of inflorescences.

Description of the plant

Marigolds, or tagetes, belong to the genus of annuals and perennials in the Aster family. Erect branched stems form a bush with a height of 20 to 120 cm. The leaves are feathery, openwork, the root system is fibrous. Inflorescences are baskets, simple or double, yellow, orange or brown. Abundant flowering from mid-summer to frost. The fruit is achene, 1 g contains up to 700 seeds. The whole plant emits a spicy aroma. It grows best in sunny places, although it tolerates a little shade. The soil should be nutritious, moderately moist.

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

Agricultural technology of cultivation

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

A seedless way of growing marigolds

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

1. Before winter, after the onset of a stable minus. Ridges are formed in advance, grooves are made and a little earth is stored in a warm place. The seeds are sown in dry soil and sprinkled with the stored soil. Top mulch with rotted sawdust, compost, leaf litter. In the spring, when the last frost has 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 grooves are shed with warm water.

In early - mid-May, tagetes are sown directly into the ground to a permanent place. The emerging seedlings are thinned out, leaving at least 10 cm between the 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. Landing dates begin when forecasters no longer promise a decrease in night temperatures below –1 –3 ° С. The soil in the greenhouse thaws quickly already in the first warm April days.

To prevent hatching seedlings from being caught by night frost, use a covering material. You can also put containers with water 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.

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

How to grow marigold seedlings at home

The most reliable way to get flowering plants in the early stages is to plant marigolds on seedlings. Like the main seedlings - 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 drainage layer is poured onto the bottom of the tank - broken brick, expanded clay, coarse sand. Then - the prepared soil mixture. It is lightly compacted and watered. A drug against fungal diseases can be added to the water for irrigation, since Tagetes seedlings often suffer from black legs. A few days later, when the earth settles and is evenly saturated with moisture, grooves are made and marigold seeds are laid in them.

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

Caring for seedlings at home is no different from the agrotechnology 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. Low-growing ones can be planted a little more often. The place should be sunny, without stagnant air.

Plants are transplanted together 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 the future flower bed in the fall - to add phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, ash and dig it up. 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 the green mass to the detriment of flowering. Spraying with a solution of micronutrient fertilizers for flowers will be of great benefit to velvet flowers. This is done after the plants have taken root, started growing and began to pick up buds.

Outdoor Tagetes care

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

To maintain a high decorative effect, wilted inflorescences are cut off. It is easy to thin out thickened areas 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 rot disease and an invasion of spider mites. Specimens that are sick with rot are destroyed, in healthy ones, watering is reduced, and they are sprayed with anti-fungal drugs. From spider mites, tagetes are treated with infusion of garlic, wormwood, red pepper or tobacco dust. In case of severe damage, the plants are sprayed with solutions of the preparations "Actellik", "Fufanon", "Antiklesh", "Fitoverm".

Plant marigolds in sunny, blown places that do not thicken, and the plants will bloom more abundantly and hurt less.

How to collect and store marigold seeds

With good care in the open field, marigolds planted in May-June, by mid-August, form faded and dried achenes filled with seeds. 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 from the husk.

Seeds are collected only from varietal marigolds, hybrids are not suitable for this, since they inherit the traits 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%. In such conditions, the planting material does not lose its germination for several years.

Application in medicine

A bouquet of cut marigolds heals the air in the room, scares away 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 flowers reduces the likelihood of developing cataracts and improves visual acuity. Baths with Tagetes infusion relax, relieve anxiety. They are recommended to be taken before bedtime for depression and neurosis. Tincture of the plant copes well with stomatitis and skin diseases.

On an industrial scale, marigolds are grown to obtain essential oils.

The raw material for it is the entire aboveground 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, at the same time scaring away flying flies and mosquitoes. Helps heal cuts, scrapes, softens calluses.

Marigold oil is a popular ingredient in many French perfumes.

Benefits for the garden and vegetable garden

In order for marigolds to fully show their phytoncidal properties, they are planted along the perimeter of the site, along the paths, and the beginning and end of the beds are designated by separate bushes.Tagetes, planted next to cabbage beds, scares off the cruciferous flea. One or two flowering bushes in a greenhouse can significantly reduce the likelihood of tomato disease with late blight and various rot. In autumn, the whole plant is used as a green manure - they grind and dig up the ground together 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, the dried bushes are pulled out and burned, or sent to compost.

Types of Tagetes

In summer cottages, marigolds of different heights grow, differing in terms of flowering, size and color of flowers. Seeds of your favorite variety and type can be bought in almost any specialty store.

Erect marigolds (Tagetes erecta)

In terms of shape, the inflorescences are divided into two groups:

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

Erect varieties of Tagetes are among the highest. Among them are many beautiful, with large globular inflorescences of yellow and orange flowers.

Antigua - low bushes are 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 red-orange odorless terry balls.

Golden light - compact plants of medium height topped 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 you with a combination of lemon-yellow inflorescences with dark emerald carved foliage. The variety is 80 cm high.

Shaggy Robin - the pale yellow heads do look shaggy due to the tubular flowers of different lengths. They look beautiful and unusual when cut.

Rejected marigolds (Tagetes patula)

This species is of average height - 20–40 cm. Flowers may not be double, but no less beautiful, often two-colored.

Gold head - low, strongly 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 flower beds.

Golden ball - Sprawling branchy bushes will delight you with an exquisite combination of golden middle in 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. Inflorescences are non-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 due to the two-color spherical inflorescences with a bright orange center in a red-brown design.

Fine-leaved marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia),

Thin-leaved varieties have thin, strongly cut foliage and small non-double flowers of yellow, orange or red flowers. Flowering bushes resemble fishnet balls, dotted with many bright lights.

gold ring - a plant of medium height with fragile shoots and small light green leaves. It blooms from the beginning of June with bright yellow small flowers with dark orange edging.

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, rabatok. 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 - 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 different colors. Tall large-flowered varieties are placed in the center of the flower bed, framing them with low-growing varieties of a contrasting shade. Velvets planted in balcony boxes 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, personal plots and even balconies.

The most common two methods for breeding 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.

Description of the plant

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

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

The first marigolds were described in detail by 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 erect or branched bush up to 130 cm high. The root system is powerful, fibrous type. The flower baskets are painted in various shades of yellow, brown and orange.

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

When to sow marigolds for seedlings

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

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

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

What is needed for growing

To grow marigold seedlings at home, you will need:

• planting material (you can buy in the store or use seeds from last year's flowers);
• drainage substrate and material;
• planting containers (seedling boxes, peat pots or cassettes);
• sources of additional lighting;
• covering material for containers (glass or plastic film);
• complex feeding 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 purchase it from the store or prepare it yourself. To do this, mix humus, peat and sod in equal proportions, and then disinfect the soil with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.At the bottom of the container, it is advisable to lay a drainage layer of sand, gravel or expanded clay up to 3 cm high.

Capacity requirements

Sowing is carried out in seedling boxes or containers. Some 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, it is imperative to make holes to drain excess water. The seedling container is filled with the prepared substrate 3/4 of the height, and then grooves are made up to 1 cm deep.

Seed preparation

It is recommended to prepare marigold seeds for planting only if you purchase them in a store. Self-prepared seeds have good germination rates, rarely get sick and hatch together.

Three days before planting, the seeds should be laid out on a saucer and warm water added; to enhance the effect, you can cover the container with a damp cotton cloth. Then the saucer should be placed in a warm and humid place without direct sunlight. If the technology is followed 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, 3-4 cm apart from each other.
2. It is recommended to sow seeds in the soil at a distance of up to 2 cm from each other, and then sprinkle with earth.
3. The soil should be poured abundantly with settled water at room temperature. Some growers recommend adding a complex mineral dressing for ornamental plants.
4. The container should be covered with glass or foil, placed in a warm place.
5. At least once a day, the covering material must be removed to ventilate the seedlings, condensate must be removed and watered as needed.

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

Germination conditions

After emergence, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the container with seedlings to reduce the risk of developing a black leg. After all the seedlings 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 advisable to place the container in a warm and well-lit place with a humidity of up to 85%. Avoid direct sunlight, which can be detrimental to young plants.

Seedling care

The condition of the seedlings and the health of each seedling directly depends on the observance of the rules for care. Below we will look at the 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. Temperature conditions can be controlled 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 bloom and rarely get sick.

At all stages of growing seedlings, additional lighting is required up to 13 hours a day. It is advisable to carry out the procedure during the day, since the flowers require rest at night. For illumination, it is advisable to use fluorescent lamps or phyto-lamps; any other devices for plant illumination are also suitable.

Watering

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

Pinching

If pinching is not carried out in time, marigolds begin to actively grow upward, 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 will initially form a lush and compact shrub. 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 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 a month later in individual pots or directly into the open ground, if the weather permits. Before replanting plants, you need to completely stop watering in two days, and also make sure that each flower is healthy and does not show signs of disease.

Transplant to open ground

A pick 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 low-growing varieties, up to 40 cm for tall marigolds.

Plants can be planted not only in a flower bed, these flowers are often transplanted into beds, since the smell of leaves scares away many pests and insects.

Diseases and pests

The greatest danger to seedlings and adult plants is represented by 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 moist soil.

Marigold leaves exude a smell 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

The subsequent care of adult marigolds is not difficult even for novice gardeners. They are unpretentious, can last a long time without watering and feeding. 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 signs of infection appear, since 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. With the right choice of the variety and the observance of agricultural techniques for growing by seeds, problems usually do not arise.

Today, many videos have been created in which they tell in detail about the features of marigolds, so if you have any questions, you can easily find them.