Is it possible to grow marigolds in an apartment all year round?

Marigolds are bright, unpretentious, fast-growing flowers. We constantly meet them in the flower beds of city parks and flower beds in gardens. These cute creatures were so fond of people that many experienced and not very experienced flower growers began to grow them at home on the windowsills of the balconies.

In addition to decorative bright flowers (simple and terry) and pinnately dissected leaves, black shavers also have a specific smell, indicating a high content of phytoncides - substances that have a beneficial effect on the human body and are able to scare away pests from both the flower itself and the plants surrounding it ...

…

Appearance history and description

Marigolds are a highly branching annual plant. Its inflorescences, large double and semi-double, in their shape resemble chrysanthemums or carnations. The largest varieties of marigolds can reach a height of 80 cm. They have bright green feathery leaves, and flowers can have a wide variety of shades, from bright yellow to rich orange.

Rni were brought to us from South America, where marigolds grow in huge numbers in the wild. Currently, marigolds are grown and cultivated in Mexico, Canada, Brazil, France, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine.

Will the plants bloom at home?

If you do not have a summer cottage, but you really want to grow marigolds, do not be discouraged. They can be planted right at home in flowerpots or boxes on your balcony. In the apartment itself, these flowers are rarely grown because of their strong characteristic smell, which is given to them by a high content of essential oils.But this is a matter of taste. Many people like this smell and even has a calming effect.

These plants bloom in open ground from early June to mid-autumn, until the first frost occurs. But at home on the windowsill, marigolds will delight you with their flowering all year round. You just need to plant them correctly and create suitable conditions for growth.

ATTENTION. For growing flowers on the balcony, it is better to choose low-growing varieties of marigolds: Bonanza Orange, Bonanza Flame and Bonanza Bolero. But the following are considered the smallest varieties: "Ursula", "Paprika", "Lulu" and "Gnome".

How can flowers be grown?

In order for your flowers to grow well and delight with their flowering all year round, you need to know how to properly prepare and grow seedlings from seeds and how to care for them after.

Soil selection

To grow marigold seedlings in the apartment itself and on the balcony, convenient containers with drainage holes are needed: wide, low pots or boxes. The soil can be universal for flowering plants and purchased in advance in a flower shop. Or you can prepare a nutritious substrate that includes peat, humus, turf soil and sand (2: 2: 2: 1).

Before planting the seeds, the prepared mixture must be disinfected with a not very strong solution of potassium permanganate.

At the bottom of the containers, you must first place drainage from sand, pebbles, expanded clay and crushed stone (2-3 cm thick).

Seed preparation

Before planting in the ground, the planting material must be kept for about a day in a disinfectant solution of weak potassium permanganate. Then the seeds are placed on a saucer, covered with a damp cloth or gauze, packed in a plastic bag and placed in a warm place for 3 days. This time should be enough for the seeds to germinate.

Drop into boxes

On the surface of the substrate, you need to cut shallow grooves with a stick and pour them with settled warm water. Then the germinated seeds are laid out along the grooves with an interval of 1.5-2.5 cm and sprinkled with a small layer of earth. Some growers do not lay out the seeds, but stick them into the ground like sticks.

Watering and temperature

Crops should be sprayed sparingly with a spray bottle and placed in a warm place with a temperature of 22-25 ° C for germination.

IMPORTANT. If you follow all the planting rules, seedlings should appear already on the 4-6th day.

It is possible to transplant seedlings into pots to a permanent place at the onset of the phase of 3-4 true leaves.

Seedling care

Domestic marigolds do not require special care, like their garden cousins. But you will still need to regularly water and loosen the soil for full growth and flowering.

Watering

It is worth knowing that the soil mixture in boxes and flower pots dries out much faster than the soil of a street flower garden. Without sufficient moisture, the bushes of potted marigolds will be puny, and their flowers will be small and not so bright. Therefore, make sure that the substrate never dries out.

Top dressing

Marigolds do not require enhanced and systematic feeding. But for a more lush flowering for the entire growing season, it is still worth feeding the plants 2-3 times with complex mineral fertilizers intended for decorative flowering crops.

Circumcision

In order for the bushes to have a beautiful spherical shape in the future, the elongated shoots of young marigolds need to be pruned in time.

Lighting

This culture loves sufficient lighting. In winter, when growing flowers in an apartment or on a balcony, there may not be enough daylight from the sun. This will make young marigolds look lethargic. To prevent this from happening, buy a special phytolamp for additional illumination of the seedlings.

Diseases and pests

Spider mite

Due to its bright characteristic aroma, indoor marigolds are practically not afraid of pests.But it should be remembered that due to a lack of moisture and excessive dryness of the surrounding air, a red spider mite can choose to live in bushes. To prevent this from happening, do not forget to regularly spray the bushes and the air around them with cool water. In case of infection with a parasite, an infusion of hot pepper, bitter wormwood, tobacco or yarrow will help.

Gray rot and black leg

These unpleasant diseases occur with systematic waterlogging of the substrate. Until the plant has died completely, it must be treated with the following fungicides: Fitosporin, Ridomil Gold or Fundazol.

ADVICE. In case of severe damage, it is better to completely destroy diseased bushes in order to avoid spreading the infection to healthy plants.

Benefits and Applications

Growing marigolds at home on the windowsill or in boxes on the balcony is not only beautiful, but also very useful!

• Their leaves and flowers contain a large amount of phytoncides, due to which the air around them is disinfected and becomes medicinal.
• The spicy aroma of these bright, amazing flowers is very disliked by mosquitoes and flies, which means you can forget about annoying insects for the entire time of their flowering. Keep your beloved pets and malicious pests dangerous for all indoor flowers away from you. Aphids, thrips and whiteflies will not be interested in these fragrant flowers.
• Knowledgeable flower growers prepare medicinal tinctures from the heads of marigolds, which perfectly treat asthma, bronchitis, stomatitis and various colds. Baths with a decoction of marigolds help from neuroses and stress.
• But this is not all the advantages of beautiful solar plants. Gourmets all over the world appreciate this flower as a spice. Its inflorescences and leaves can be added to marinades, sauces and even baked goods.
• Well, among the people, marigolds endow with magical power. It is believed that they protect housing from envious people and ill-wishers.

Useful recipes for female beauty

And finally, we want to share some beauty recipes with lovely women.

Lotion for freshness and youthfulness of the face

Pour the dried and chopped marigold flowers (2 tbsp. L.) With a glass of boiling water. Let stand for 10-12 hours. Then strain through cheesecloth. Add a little lemon juice and 1 tbsp. l. vodka. Store the lotion in the refrigerator. Wipe your face with infusion 3 times a day.

Lip balm

2 tbsp. l. chopped marigolds mixed with 1 tbsp. l. apricot oil and 50 g of olive oil. You need to infuse the mixture in the dark for about 7 days. Then the composition is filtered and placed in the refrigerator. This base is simply irreplaceable in the cold season.

Anti-inflammatory tincture

If you have problem skin prone to irritation and inflammation, prepare the following healing composition. 2 tbsp. l. heads of marigolds are poured with 300 g of boiling water. After 3 hours, the juice of large-leaved aloe is added to the finished infusion. Then the tincture is filtered and sent to storage in the refrigerator. Wipe problem areas in the morning and evening.

Conclusion

Decorative marigolds belong to annual plants and after flowering they are simply pulled out. But you should not immediately throw out the bushes. Their seeds can be collected, dried and planted again so that new bushes will delight you again!

Marigolds are bright, unpretentious, fast-growing flowers. We constantly meet them in the flower beds of city parks and flower beds in gardens. These cute creatures were so fond of people that many experienced and not very experienced flower growers began to grow them at home on the windowsills of the balconies.

In addition to decorative bright flowers (simple and terry) and pinnately dissected leaves, black shavers also have a specific smell, indicating a high content of phytoncides - substances that have a beneficial effect on the human body and are able to scare away pests from both the flower itself and the plants surrounding it ...

…

Appearance history and description

Marigolds are a highly branching annual plant. Its inflorescences, large double and semi-double, resemble chrysanthemums or carnations in their shape. The largest varieties of marigolds can reach a height of 80 cm. They have bright green feathery leaves, and flowers can have a wide variety of shades, from bright yellow to rich orange.

Rni were brought to us from South America, where marigolds grow in huge numbers in the wild. Currently, marigolds are grown and cultivated in Mexico, Canada, Brazil, France, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine.

Will the plants bloom at home?

If you do not have a summer cottage, but you really want to grow marigolds, do not be discouraged. They can be planted right at home in flowerpots or boxes on your balcony. In the apartment itself, these flowers are rarely grown because of their strong characteristic smell, which is given to them by a high content of essential oils. But this is a matter of taste. Many people like this smell and even has a calming effect.

These plants bloom in open ground from early June to mid-autumn, until the first frost occurs. But at home on the windowsill, marigolds will delight you with their flowering all year round. You just need to plant them correctly and create suitable conditions for growth.

ATTENTION. For growing flowers on the balcony, it is better to choose low-growing varieties of marigolds: Bonanza Orange, Bonanza Flame and Bonanza Bolero. But the following are considered the smallest varieties: "Ursula", "Paprika", "Lulu" and "Gnome".

How can flowers be grown?

In order for your flowers to grow well and delight with their flowering all year round, you need to know how to properly prepare and grow seedlings from seeds and how to care for them after.

Soil selection

To grow marigold seedlings in the apartment itself and on the balcony, convenient containers with drainage holes are needed: wide, low pots or boxes. The soil can be universal for flowering plants and purchased in advance in a flower shop. Or you can prepare a nutritious substrate that includes peat, humus, turf soil and sand (2: 2: 2: 1).

Before planting the seeds, the prepared mixture must be disinfected with a not very strong solution of potassium permanganate.

At the bottom of the containers, you must first place drainage from sand, pebbles, expanded clay and crushed stone (2-3 cm thick).

Seed preparation

Before planting in the ground, the planting material must be kept for about a day in a disinfectant solution of weak potassium permanganate. Then the seeds are placed on a saucer, covered with a damp cloth or gauze, packed in a plastic bag and placed in a warm place for 3 days. This time should be enough for the seeds to germinate.

Drop into boxes

On the surface of the substrate, you need to cut shallow grooves with a stick and pour them with settled warm water. Then the germinated seeds are laid out along the grooves with an interval of 1.5-2.5 cm and sprinkled with a small layer of earth. Some growers do not lay out the seeds, but stick them into the ground like sticks.

Watering and temperature

Crops should be sprayed sparingly with a spray bottle and placed in a warm place with a temperature of 22-25 ° C for germination.

IMPORTANT. If you follow all the planting rules, seedlings should appear already on the 4-6th day.

It is possible to transplant seedlings into pots to a permanent place at the onset of the phase of 3-4 true leaves.

Seedling care

Domestic marigolds do not require special care, like their garden cousins. But you will still need to regularly water and loosen the soil for full growth and flowering.

Watering

It is worth knowing that the soil mixture in boxes and flower pots dries out much faster than the soil of a street flower garden. Without sufficient moisture, the bushes of potted marigolds will be puny, and their flowers will be small and not so bright. Therefore, make sure that the substrate never dries out.

Top dressing

Marigolds do not require enhanced and systematic feeding. But for a more lush flowering for the entire growing season, it is still worth feeding the plants 2-3 times with complex mineral fertilizers intended for decorative flowering crops.

Circumcision

In order for the bushes to have a beautiful spherical shape in the future, the elongated shoots of young marigolds need to be pruned in time.

Lighting

This culture loves sufficient lighting. In winter, when growing flowers in an apartment or on a balcony, there may not be enough daylight from the sun. This will make young marigolds look lethargic. To prevent this from happening, buy a special phytolamp for additional illumination of the seedlings.

Diseases and pests

Spider mite

Due to its bright characteristic aroma, indoor marigolds are practically not afraid of pests. But it should be remembered that due to a lack of moisture and excessive dryness of the surrounding air, the red spider mite can choose to live in bushes. To prevent this from happening, do not forget to regularly spray the bushes and the air around them with cool water. In case of infection with a parasite, an infusion of hot pepper, bitter wormwood, tobacco or yarrow will help.

Gray rot and black leg

These unpleasant diseases occur with systematic waterlogging of the substrate. Until the plant has died completely, it must be treated with the following fungicides: Fitosporin, Ridomil Gold or Fundazol.

ADVICE. In case of severe damage, it is better to completely destroy diseased bushes in order to avoid spreading the infection to healthy plants.

Benefits and Applications

Growing marigolds at home on the windowsill or in boxes on the balcony is not only beautiful, but also very useful!

• Their leaves and flowers contain a large amount of phytoncides, due to which the air around them is disinfected and becomes medicinal.
• Mosquitoes and flies dislike the spicy aroma of these bright amazing flowers, which means you can forget about annoying insects for the entire time of their flowering. Keep your beloved pets and malicious pests dangerous for all indoor flowers away from you. Aphids, thrips and whiteflies will not be interested in these fragrant flowers.
• Knowledgeable flower growers prepare healing tinctures from the heads of marigolds, which perfectly treat asthma, bronchitis, stomatitis and various colds. Baths with a decoction of marigolds help from neuroses and stress.
• But this is not all the advantages of beautiful solar plants. Gourmets all over the world appreciate this flower as a spice. Its inflorescences and leaves can be added to marinades, sauces and even baked goods.
• Well, among the people, marigolds endow with magical power. It is believed that they protect housing from envious people and ill-wishers.

Useful recipes for female beauty

And finally, we want to share some beauty recipes with lovely women.

Lotion for freshness and youthfulness of the face

Pour the dried and chopped marigold flowers (2 tbsp. L.) With a glass of boiling water. Let stand for 10-12 hours. Then strain through cheesecloth. Add a little lemon juice and 1 tbsp to the ready-made mood. l. vodka. Store the lotion in the refrigerator. Wipe your face with infusion 3 times a day.

Lip balm

2 tbsp. l. chopped marigolds mixed with 1 tbsp. l. apricot oil and 50 g of olive oil. You need to infuse the mixture in the dark for about 7 days. Then the composition is filtered and placed in the refrigerator. This base is simply irreplaceable in the cold season.

Anti-inflammatory tincture

If you have problem skin prone to irritation and inflammation, prepare the following healing composition. 2 tbsp. l. heads of marigolds are poured with 300 g of boiling water. After 3 hours, the juice of large-leaved aloe is added to the finished infusion. Then the tincture is filtered and sent to storage in the refrigerator. Wipe problem areas in the morning and evening.

Conclusion

Decorative marigolds belong to annual plants and after flowering they are simply pulled out. But you should not immediately throw away the bushes. Their seeds can be collected, dried and planted again so that new bushes will delight you again!

Marigolds are an unpretentious, flowering plant that even a novice florist can handle.

Although these flowers are easy to care for, not everyone knows whether it is possible to grow marigolds at home. Small and large spherical inflorescences of various colors growing in a pot will create a unique atmosphere at home in winter.

Now, in some preschool institutions, a project is being implemented to grow marigolds. This program allows children to instill a love of nature by teaching them how to grow a flower from seeds on their own at home. That is, since the children succeed, then there is nothing to fear for a novice florist.

Varieties

In nature, there are about 30 species of marigolds, but the most popular are:

• thin-leaved;
• rejected;
• upright.

Each species includes a huge number of varieties, collected in variety groups. Varieties differ in the size of the bush (undersized, medium, tall and giant), color and diameter of the inflorescence.

The most popular varieties that have won the love of many flower growers

Gelberstein - the bush grows up to 70 cm, releasing chresanthem-like light yellow inflorescences up to 8 cm in diameter. Gold Dollar is a giant bush, reaches up to 120 cm in height. The variety has fleshy dark green leaves and densely double, red-orange inflorescences. Flowers are odorless. Goldlicht is a tall plant with hemispherical double inflorescences of bright orange color.

Sonnenschein is a standard shrub up to half a meter high. The inflorescences reach 6 cm in diameter and are golden yellow in color.

Gold Kophen is a densely leafy bush with chrysontemoid double inflorescences, consisting of golden yellow tubular flowers and dark red reed flowers. Lemon Jam is a globular, densely leafy, compact shrub with thick, dense shoots and dark green foliage. Clove terry small inflorescences are colored bright yellow.

Seed selection

Before growing a beautiful lush plant on a balcony or in a pot, you need to choose the right seed. You can buy it in specialized stores, or you can assemble it yourself. Seeds are harvested in late summer or early fall from a healthy plant after the inflorescences begin to dry out. The resulting seed is placed in a dark, dry place until completely dry. The prepared seeds are packaged in sachets and stored until the next season.

Attention! Seeds are collected in dry, sunny weather.

Pot selection

The container for planting marigolds for good growth and lush flowering should be deep and wide. Plants are planted:

1. undersized varieties at a distance of 15 cm from each other;
2. medium-sized - 20 cm;
3. high - 40 cm.

This distance is necessary so that the plants do not suppress each other as they grow, but form into large spreading bushes.

Seat selection

Marigolds are a light-loving, cold-resistant and drought-resistant plant that blooms 1.5 months after sowing. The seed will germinate quickly if it is planted directly into balcony boxes or prepared pots.

To please yourself with flowering in early March, seeds for seedlings can be sown at the end of January, but only with additional lighting.

The grown seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place and installed on the southern sides of the premises.

Planting process

Plants can be planted in seedlings or directly to a permanent place (pots, balcony boxes). Sowing marigolds for seedlings depends on the required flowering time.

"After the first shoots, the plant begins to bloom in 1.5-2 months."

Most growers grow their seedlings in plastic boxes.The soil should be nutritious and with neutral acidity. Garden soil, mixed in a 1x1x1 ratio with sand and peat, is also suitable.

In the soil, grooves are made with a depth of a centimeter and at a distance of 3 cm. Prepared seeds are spread at a distance of 2 cm from each other, covered with soil, spilled well and covered with polyethylene or glass. The container with the seed is removed to a warm, bright place where the temperature will not drop below 22 degrees Celsius.

The first shoots appear in a week. After that, the temperature is reduced to 18 degrees, to obtain strong, not elongated seedlings.

When 3 leaves appear, the seedlings dive into separate pots. This procedure visually shrinks the stem and helps the plant develop a strong root system. After picking, the plant sharply increases its growth rate, and after 14 days the flower is ready for planting in prepared pots or on the balcony in boxes.

Further care

Marigolds are unpretentious in care, but like any plant needs timely watering, feeding, lighting, maintaining a temperature and humidity regime and preventing diseases. Proper care will be rewarded with lush flowering until frost.

Watering

Watering a flower planted in boxes or pots should be done daily. In hot and dry summers - twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. Although marigolds are drought-resistant, but with a lack of water, the appearance of the bush will suffer, the leaves will turn yellow and dry out, and the plant will lose its decorative appearance.

Top dressing

Marigolds growing in balcony boxes and flower pots need constant feeding. With a lack of fertilizer, the bush may stop blooming and begin to develop poorly.

Lighting

Marigolds are a light-loving plant, therefore, it should be planted in sunny areas. The south, east and west sides are ideal. If the plant is grown on the north side of the balcony, the bush will turn out to be weak, and the flowering is poor, and it will end early - in August.

Air humidity

With low air humidity, the plant can attack a spider mite, so the bush should be kept away from heating appliances and, after the formation of flower buds, sprayed daily with settled warm water.

Temperature regime

The plant grows well in all temperature conditions. But shade or partial shade, as well as the north side of the windows, lead to poor flowering, stunted growth and a short flowering period.

Features of growing at home

• Flowers need a lot of light to bloom lush.
• Watering is regular before flowering. With the appearance of the first flowers, watering is carried out only after the topsoil has dried.
• Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is mandatory.
• Timely removal of faded inflorescences.
• Periodic loosening of the soil.

Attention! "The lighter and warmer the planting site is, the more beautiful and brighter the bloom will be."

Possible difficulties

Root decay can occur due to stagnant water.

Poor bloom comes from a lack of light and heat.

Pest control

Although the flower is unpretentious and resistant to diseases, marigolds can become infected with root rot, black leg and suffer from an attack of pests.

Spider mite. The pest appears on a young, fragile plant. Symptoms: the foliage is covered with a white bloom, dries up without assistance, and the plant dies. You can get rid of the insect by increasing the humidity of the air and treating the bushes with tobacco infusion. Slugs. Appears in wet weather. Insect pests gnaw the stems and leaves of the plant, which leads to its death. You can fight the misfortune only by hand, collecting from flowers, and it is advisable to sprinkle the soil around the bush with a mixture of ash and lime.

Disease prevention

Root rot. The disease appears when the plant is grown in unfavorable conditions.Marigolds stop growing, and the trunk and leaves become yellowish.

To prevent root rot, the plant needs to create favorable conditions: the earth should be loose, without stagnant water. To avoid disease, it is better not to fertilize marigolds with fresh manure.

Blackleg. Found in plants at a young age. White spots appear on the lower part of the stem, which darken over time. If untreated, the plant rots and dies.

To prevent the appearance of a black leg, the soil is treated with fungicides before sowing seeds, and young seedlings are watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Conclusion

Bright beautiful marigolds are appreciated for their attractiveness and unpretentiousness. Growing marigolds from seeds at home will not be difficult even for a novice florist. You just need to follow the planting rules, provide timely care and minimal care for the plant.

9.06.2015 // admin

Marigolds: growing from seeds at home is not a complicated process. Even in the school curriculum in biology, the self-collecting and planting of the seeds of these flowers is provided. Therefore, an experienced hostess will definitely be able to grow bright buds on her windowsill or on the balcony. These flowers, although simple, unpretentious, but always bloom abundantly and willingly.

How to sow seeds for seedlings

Initially in business, marigolds: growing from seeds at home, you need to collect seeds. For this, a bud is taken, which has already bloomed, seeds are separated from it. They need to be dried and can be used for gardening. Of course, you can buy pre-prepared seeds of these flowers at any store. The material on geraniums will be useful: home care (photo).

The soil must be warmed up well. Therefore, the soil for cultivation must be mixed with sand. In a vessel for marigolds, make drainage and put the earth with the vessel next to a radiator or other device that emits heat. You can plant seeds at home at any time of the year, if this is your first time growing marigolds at home, then the flowers are best planted in early March.

Advice! Before sowing seeds into the soil, it is imperative to soak them in a pinkish solution of potassium permanganate with water. Then dry the seeds, and then plant them in the soil.

Sowing tagetes.

To make the marigolds germinate faster, make a film over the container. As a rule, the first sunrises will be visible within a week. When the ground is covered with small greenery, the film can be removed, and the box can be placed on the windowsill or on the insulated balcony.

When to pick

Marigolds: Growing from seed at home further includes the picking process. This can be done when the flowers have already grown to 4 cm and they have real leaves. It is best to choose separate pots for each plant, in which your marigolds will already grow at home throughout the season.

Be sure the pots must be with drainage, with holes for draining water. The soil should be watered with warm water after transplanting. Before planting a flower in a new pot, it is recommended to pinch off one third of the root length: then the root system will branch more actively.

Advice! You shouldn't plant multiple plants in one pot. Marigolds will begin to compete with each other, and none of the plants will bloom.

How to provide care

First of all, when growing marigolds from seeds at home, it is important to provide plants with a lot of sunlight (or artificial) light. It may be necessary to additionally highlight the marigolds if they grow poorly (typical for the winter period).

A couple of days after the flowers are planted in separate pots, mineral feeding is required. Moreover, the roots are fed first, and after a few more days - the ground part of the plant.We will also talk about growing grapes from cuttings at home.

Advice! Marigolds love fresh air; in summer, if conditions permit, take the pots out to open balconies. If you grow a flower on a windowsill, then constantly ventilate the room.

It is also important, before the ovaries of flowers appear, to spray the marigolds with warm water every day. The moisture content of the soil is maintained at a moderate level. You can also grow "Balcony Miracle" tomatoes at home.

Briefly, what is important to consider when growing marigolds at home:

1. Flowers need a lot of light. Lush and vibrant flowering can only be expected with constant living in the sun. In the shade, the plant will not stop growing, but it will not please with buds;
2. Water the flowers regularly. But, as soon as flowering begins, then watering is carried out exclusively after the earthen coma has dried. Otherwise, the root system may begin to rot, which will lead to the death of the plant;
3. Top dressing is required. Fertilizers can be used complex. The first feeding is a few days after transplanting into separate pots, then feeding the plant when the first buds appear. Then feed again at the very beginning of flowering;
4. Do not forget to periodically loosen the soil;

Beneficial features

It is so popular to grow marigolds from seeds at home, not only because of the beauty of the buds and unpretentious care. These flowers contain many phytoncides that are released into the surrounding space. This helps the plant fight various fungi. You can learn a lot more about the beneficial properties of room geranium.

Marigolds: Growing from seed at home simply requires planting the seeds and remembering to water the plant. Remember that the sunnier place in the apartment you allocate for a flower, and even on an open balcony, the brighter and more charming the bloom will be.

These vibrant annuals are prized by amateur flower growers and landscaping professionals for their excellent 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. Running 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. Covering with non-woven material will allow to postpone these terms by another 2 weeks - by the beginning of May. In more southern regions, sowing in the ground can be carried out from the end of March.

Sowing for seedlings depends on the following factors:

• the timing of the establishment of frost-free weather for planting;
• the desired flowering time for marigolds.

Tagetes bloom occurs 1.5-2 months after germination. Therefore, 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 while to bring the flowering time closer. To obtain flowering plants 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 fungicide solution - Fitosporin, Vitaros, Maxim or any other will do according to the instructions.
2. The soil is spilled 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 hours.
4. The earthen mixture is treated in a microwave oven for 10 minutes in the "Medium Power" mode.

Advice

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

The composition of the seed mixture may be as follows:

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

There should be holes at the bottom of the container or box for water drainage. 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 the seeds of tagetes 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 1: 1 ratio. Sowing is carried out not only with dry, but also with swollen and presoaked seeds. They are kept in a damp cloth and plastic bag for 3 days.

Advice

A little sifted furnace ash can be added to the mixture for filling the grooves. This measure will be an additional prevention of the appearance of the "black leg".

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

The seedling box is placed in a warm place (from +22 to + 25⁰C), covered with a plastic lid, plastic wrap or a layer of plexiglass. Before emergence, this mini-greenhouse must be regularly ventilated. Seedlings 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 have at least 2 true leaves. The soil for placing the cut 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. Plants are placed 7 cm apart from each other. Better yet, do the pick using small peat pots or seedling cassettes.

Advice

When transplanting, you need to pinch off the central root of the seedling by 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.

The prepared plants are planted in a recess in a pot or cassette up to cotyledon leaves, the roots are straightened and carefully sprinkled with earth. Then the cut seedlings are carefully watered with warm water, trying not to erode the soil from the roots. When it settles, pour in a fresh mixture. If the mineral fertilizer was not applied before the pick, after 10 days the plants must be fed with any fertilizer for seedlings. It is convenient to do this by timing the top dressing for the next watering.

Advice

Tagetes seedlings are grown with infrequent watering. It will be properly watered only after the top layer has dried.

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

Preparing the soil for transplanting into open ground

The brightest and most beautiful specimens of tagetes can be grown only 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 follow simple conditions:

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

Before planting seedlings in the dug soil, you need to apply full mineral fertilizer (30 g per 1 sq. M.) And close it up.

Advice

The addition of sand and peat contributes to the improvement of heavy clay soil.

Planting in open ground

To transfer the seedlings to the flower garden, in order to continue growing there, you need to in a certain sequence.

1. Prepare wells for seedlings in advance.They need to be done at a distance provided for 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 withers only during severe drought. Tagetes needs regular watering, weeding from weeds, a single feeding with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer for lush flowering. An excess of nitrogen can lead to the fact that marigolds will build up vegetative mass to the detriment of flowering.

Advice

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 during irrigation or marigolds are treated with a systemic pesticide for ornamental plants.

Subject to all the intricacies of growing seedlings and systematic care, marigolds will delight you with their flowering and bright greenery throughout the season. This unpretentious plant recovers very quickly after transplanting and diving. With careful selection of sowing dates, not seedlings can significantly extend the flowering season for this annual.

Marigolds are flowers that will not only decorate the interior with a living carpet, phytoncides in the leaves will disinfect the air in the room and create a healing effect. This article will tell you if and how to grow these flowers at home. You will learn how to care for these flowers, what conditions they need for growth and flowering. We also recommend watching a useful video on this topic.

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What are these flowers?

Attention: Marigolds are flowers of the Aster family, exported from America in the Middle Ages. They quickly spread and won sympathy for their bright beauty, vitality and pungent aroma.

There are many types of this plant: they differ in structure, color, there are annuals and perennials, with straight stems and spreading bushes. The inflorescences are fluffy and bright, with a wide variety of shades of yellow and orange.

Can I grow at home?

It is not difficult to plant marigolds at home on the windowsill, or in drawers on the balcony... They will easily adapt, take root well and soon fill the room with the aroma of essential oils.

Growing features

To grow marigolds in the house, you need to know how to do it correctly. Features of growing at home:

• The apartment can be planted any month of the year. But better in January. In this case, the buds will appear in the spring, but additional artificial lighting will be required for the growing season. You can sow seeds in mid-April: more light for flowers, no winter dryness from apartment heating, which means the whole process becomes easier.
• It takes a lot of sunshine for the bushes to bloom luxuriantly. Flower pots should be placed on the sills of the southern windows. When shaded, the plant will not die, but it will stretch out, the buds will be smaller.
• The potting soil in home containers dries out much faster than on an outdoor flower garden. Therefore, watering should be regular.
• Also, the soil in the container is depleted faster than on the flower bed. Therefore, the house needs fertilizing with fertilizers.

Marigolds are grown at home not only because they decorate the interior and are unpretentious... They also saturate the air in the room with phytoncides, help other plants in the room to fight fungal diseases.

The necessary conditions

To grow marigolds at home, you need to create optimal conditions for them:

1. Choose a suitable place. It should be sufficiently lit - the plant is very light-requiring. Therefore, if the balcony or windows face north, it will grow, but without lush flowering.
2. Pay attention to the choice of container for planting.In order for the bushes to turn out to be spreading, not to compete, everyone needs to be given free space. Therefore, flower pots or balcony boxes are selected based on width, not depth. For the taproot system of marigolds, the container may not be deep.
3. Prepare soil or purchase from a specialized store. To get a nutritious loose substrate with low acidity, you need to mix leaf and turf soil with peat and sand (2: 2: 2: 1).
4. To avoid contamination, the soil can be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or steamed. Store-bought soil usually does not need to be processed.
5. Pour drainage on the bottom of the container: shards, expanded clay or pebbles. Sprinkle with prepared substrate on top.
6. The distance between flowers during planting depends on the variety of marigolds: for undersized ones - 12-15 cm, for medium-sized ones - 20-25 cm, for tall bushes - 35-40 cm.
7. After planting, it is necessary to ensure that the air temperature in the house is above + 22 ° C.

On the balcony

In summer, on an open balcony, marigolds can be grown in special boxes or containers with flowers can be taken out of the apartment. To get lush bloom, keep the pots on the balcony in a sunny place..

If the balcony is glazed and faces the south side, and at the beginning of spring it is already up to + 10 ° C, then you can sow flowers in boxes already in January. But so that the seedlings do not stretch out, additional lighting is needed.

It is better to choose varieties for the balcony among low-growing flowers:

• Bonanza Orange.
• Bonanza Flame.
• Bonanza Bolero.
• Ursula.
• "Paprika".
• Lulu.
• "Dwarf".

Further care

After planting in pots or balcony boxes, marigolds require additional care. Let's take a closer look at what it is:

1. Watering and humidity... Daily watering is an important part of home care. If the summer is dry, then water the soil twice a day - in the morning and evening hours. An overdried clod of earth will not contribute to flowering, the leaves will turn yellow.

   When the buds appear, you need to water no more often than the earth dries out. It is recommended to maintain a moderate air humidity, spray flowering bushes, periodically ventilate the room.

2. Lighting... Marigolds are a flower that needs lighting. If there is not enough light in the apartment, then phytolamps can be purchased to additionally highlight the bushes.
3. Temperature regime... They are cold-resistant. But low temperatures will respond with poor growth and flowering. They should not be overcooled.
4. Top dressing... Flowers need to be fed. For this purpose, balanced complex mineral fertilizers are suitable. During the growing season, it is enough to feed no more than three times.
5. Pruning... It is necessary to cut off the faded buds, otherwise the seeds will ripen in them, and they will delay the vitality of the flower. You can also prune long, elongated shoots and shape the plant into a ball. It is also recommended to prune small buds. The bushes will respond to such a haircut with a new wave of flowering. You can achieve lush flowering if you cut the roots by a third during transplantation.
6. Loosening the soil... It is recommended to loosen the soil from time to time. This will improve the oxygen supply to the roots and the plant will look healthier.
7. Disease prevention... Flowers are disease resistant. Due to the sharp characteristic odor, they repel insects and pests. But, if the soil is systematically waterlogged, or, conversely, there is not enough moisture, they can become infected: spider mites, root rot or black leg. In this case, fungicides will help: Fitosporin, Ridomil Gold.

Important: To prevent the disease from spreading to neighboring bushes, infected plants must be removed.

In an apartment in winter

Marigolds grow successfully in an apartment in winter.... If you sow seeds in August, then by winter there will already be seedlings, and in winter the flowers will bloom.Bright spherical flowers growing in pots on the windowsill will create coziness and a pleasant atmosphere at home in the winter cold.

Marigolds need a lot of light for vegetation, so in winter they cannot do without additional artificial lighting. In winter, the air in the apartment is dry, periodically you need to humidify the air near the flower pots, spray the upper part of the soil with water.

Warnings and Tips

Marigolds on the balcony or on the windowsill are not only aesthetically pleasing, flowers are beneficial... What can you advise, what to look for or what to protect yourself from when growing marigolds:

• Phytoncides released from leaves and buds disinfect the indoor air.
• Insects do not like the sharp spicy smell of flowers: mosquitoes and flies do not fly where they bloom. And aphids and thrips will not harm all other indoor flowers.
• Leaves and flowers can be used in cooking. Add to sauce or marinade. By grinding dry inflorescences into powder, you can make a well-known spice - Imeretian saffron.
• According to popular belief, marigolds will protect the house from the envy of enemies.
• In folk medicine, dried flowers are used in the treatment of cataracts and cardiovascular diseases, cleanse the body of toxins. Treat asthma.

Simple care combined with decorativeness are the advantages of growing marigolds at home. If you follow the simple rules of care, then this plant will create coziness and make your home brighter!

Marigolds are an unpretentious, flowering plant that even a novice florist can handle.

Although these flowers are easy to care for, not everyone knows whether it is possible to grow marigolds at home. Small and large spherical inflorescences of various colors growing in a pot will create a unique atmosphere at home in winter.

Now, in some preschool institutions, a project is being implemented to grow marigolds. This program allows children to instill a love of nature by teaching them how to grow a flower from seeds on their own at home. That is, since the children succeed, then there is nothing to fear for a novice florist.

Varieties

In nature, there are about 30 species of marigolds, but the most popular are:

• thin-leaved;
• rejected;
• upright.

Each species includes a huge number of varieties, collected in variety groups. Varieties differ in the size of the bush (undersized, medium, tall and giant), color and diameter of the inflorescence.

The most popular varieties that have won the love of many flower growers

Gelberstein - the bush grows up to 70 cm, releasing chresanthem-like light yellow inflorescences up to 8 cm in diameter. Gold Dollar is a giant bush, reaches up to 120 cm in height. The variety has fleshy dark green leaves and densely double, red-orange inflorescences. Flowers are odorless. Goldlicht is a tall plant with hemispherical double inflorescences of bright orange color.

Sonnenschein is a standard shrub up to half a meter high. The inflorescences reach 6 cm in diameter and are golden yellow in color.

Gold Kophen is a densely leafy bush with chrysontemoid double inflorescences, consisting of golden yellow tubular flowers and dark red reed flowers. Lemon Jam is a globular, densely leafy, compact shrub with thick, dense shoots and dark green foliage. Clove terry small inflorescences are colored bright yellow.

Seed selection

Before growing a beautiful lush plant on a balcony or in a pot, you need to choose the right seed. You can buy it in specialized stores, or you can assemble it yourself. Seeds are harvested in late summer or early fall from a healthy plant after the inflorescences begin to dry out. The resulting seed is placed in a dark, dry place until completely dry. The prepared seeds are packaged in sachets and stored for storage until the next season.

Attention! Seeds are collected in dry, sunny weather.

Pot selection

The container for planting marigolds for good growth and lush flowering should be deep and wide. Plants are planted:

1. undersized varieties at a distance of 15 cm from each other;
2. medium-sized - 20 cm;
3. high - 40 cm.

This distance is necessary so that the plants do not suppress each other as they grow, but form into large spreading bushes.

Seat selection

Marigolds are a light-loving, cold-resistant and drought-resistant plant that blooms 1.5 months after sowing. The seed will germinate quickly if it is planted directly into balcony boxes or prepared pots.

To please yourself with flowering in early March, seeds for seedlings can be sown at the end of January, but only with additional lighting.

The grown seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place and installed on the southern sides of the premises.

Planting process

Plants can be planted in seedlings or directly to a permanent place (pots, balcony boxes). Sowing marigolds for seedlings depends on the required flowering time.

"After the first shoots, the plant begins to bloom in 1.5-2 months."

Most growers grow their seedlings in plastic boxes. The soil should be nutritious and with neutral acidity. Garden soil, mixed in a 1x1x1 ratio with sand and peat, is also suitable.

In the soil, grooves are made with a depth of a centimeter and at a distance of 3 cm. Prepared seeds are spread at a distance of 2 cm from each other, covered with soil, spilled well and covered with polyethylene or glass. The container with the seed is removed to a warm, bright place where the temperature will not drop below 22 degrees Celsius.

The first shoots appear in a week. After that, the temperature is reduced to 18 degrees, to obtain strong, not elongated seedlings.

When 3 leaves appear, the seedlings dive into separate pots. This procedure visually shrinks the stem and helps the plant develop a strong root system. After picking, the plant sharply increases its growth rate, and after 14 days the flower is ready for planting in prepared pots or on the balcony in boxes.

Further care

Marigolds are unpretentious in care, but like any plant needs timely watering, feeding, lighting, maintaining a temperature and humidity regime and preventing diseases. Proper care will be rewarded with lush flowering until frost.

Watering

Watering a flower planted in boxes or pots should be done daily. In hot and dry summers - twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. Although marigolds are drought-resistant, but with a lack of water, the appearance of the bush will suffer, the leaves will turn yellow and dry out, and the plant will lose its decorative appearance.

Top dressing

Marigolds growing in balcony boxes and flower pots need constant feeding. With a lack of fertilizer, the bush may stop blooming and begin to develop poorly.

Lighting

Marigolds are a light-loving plant, therefore, it should be planted in sunny areas. The south, east and west sides are ideal. If the plant is grown on the north side of the balcony, the bush will turn out to be weak, and the flowering is poor, and it will end early - in August.

Air humidity

With low air humidity, the plant can attack a spider mite, so the bush should be kept away from heating appliances and, after the formation of flower buds, sprayed daily with settled warm water.

Temperature regime

The plant grows well in all temperature conditions. But shade or partial shade, as well as the north side of the windows, lead to poor flowering, stunted growth and a short flowering period.

Features of growing at home

• Flowers need a lot of light to bloom lush.
• Watering is regular before flowering. With the appearance of the first flowers, watering is carried out only after the topsoil has dried.
• Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is mandatory.
• Timely removal of faded inflorescences.
• Periodic loosening of the soil.

Attention! "The lighter and warmer the planting site is, the more beautiful and brighter the bloom will be."

Possible difficulties

Root decay can occur due to stagnant water.

Poor bloom comes from a lack of light and heat.

Pest control

Although the flower is unpretentious and resistant to diseases, marigolds can become infected with root rot, black leg and suffer from an attack of pests.

Spider mite. The pest appears on a young, fragile plant. Symptoms: the foliage is covered with a white bloom, dries up without assistance, and the plant dies. You can get rid of the insect by increasing the humidity of the air and treating the bushes with tobacco infusion. Slugs. Appears in wet weather. Insect pests gnaw the stems and leaves of the plant, which leads to its death. You can fight the misfortune only by hand, collecting from flowers, and it is advisable to sprinkle the soil around the bush with a mixture of ash and lime.

Disease prevention

Root rot. The disease appears when the plant is grown in unfavorable conditions. Marigolds stop growing, and the trunk and leaves become yellowish.

To prevent root rot, the plant needs to create favorable conditions: the earth should be loose, without stagnant water. To avoid disease, it is better not to fertilize marigolds with fresh manure.

Blackleg. Found in plants at a young age. White spots appear on the lower part of the stem, which darken over time. If untreated, the plant rots and dies.

To prevent the appearance of a black leg, the soil is treated with fungicides before sowing seeds, and young seedlings are watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Conclusion

Bright beautiful marigolds are appreciated for their attractiveness and unpretentiousness. Growing marigolds from seeds at home will not be difficult even for a novice florist. You just need to follow the planting rules, provide timely care and minimal care for the plant.