Marigolds can be found in almost any garden or park. This unpretentious plant has gained popularity due to its attractive appearance and ease of cultivation from seeds. It came to Europe in the 16th century from Central America and has since taken its place as a universal filler for any flower bed or flower garden. Currently, they are distributed almost everywhere in the world: they can be found even in Africa or South Asia.
Content:
Read also: How to make an alpine slide in the country with your own hands? | Device and step by step tips (60+Photos & Videos)
plant description
Currently, there are many varieties of this plant, differing in size, shape of the bush and color. Agrotechnics for marigolds is quite simple, so growing them from seeds can be done even by flower growers who do not have any specific skills.
A large number of varieties allows the use of marigolds in a wide variety of landscape decisions. These include filling flower beds, and the formation of large flower lawns, and creating accents on a particular element in the garden.
Many varieties form compact bushes of a certain, predetermined size, which allows you to more correctly design the location of the crop on the site. One of the main advantages of marigolds, so valued by designers, is the uniform growth of one or another plant variety, which, for example, asters are deprived of.
Marigolds in the flowerbed
Mostly marigolds are annual plants, however, this is not a disadvantage.. Their unpretentiousness, ease of cultivation and high growth rate allow you to update flower beds every year without much time.
Marigolds belong to the Astrov family. They got their name due to the double or "velvet" flower petals. The name of the plant has many synonyms: velvets, Chernobrivtsy, tagetis.
Marigolds as an element of a mixborder
The plant has a fibrous root system. From the top of the root grow from one to several stems. The stems of the plant are mostly erect, strong, with a dark green color. Their height can vary from 20 cm to 2 m. Bushes can be either almost vertical or sprawling. The diameter of the bushes is from 20 cm to 1 m.
Tagetis leaves can have all shades of green. Their form is whole, feathery or separate. The arrangement of leaves in some species is paired, in some it is regular. Flowers are usually collected in inflorescences. The diameter of the inflorescences is from 1.5 to 20 cm. The flowers of the plant can be either simple or double. If the reed petals in the flower are silent, it is considered simple; semi-double marigolds have about half of the reed petals.
plant leaves
Terry plants include those in which more than half of such petals are in flowers. It is among the terry species that clove-shaped or chrysanthemum-shaped specimens of marigolds are found. The colors of tagetis can vary from white to brownish red.
Flowering occurs in the summer. Most flowers begin to bloom in June, and this process continues until mid-autumn. After flowering in a relatively short time, the plant forms fruits. They have a flattened shape, their color is gray or black.
Seed pods and marigold seeds
Seed germination persists for several years, in the first 3-4 years of which the number of germinated seeds will be at least 80%. The seeds are very light in one gram they can be from 200 to 700.
Read also: Perennial flowers (TOP 50 species): garden catalog for giving with photos and names | Video + Reviews Conditions of detention
Marigolds are heat-loving and light-loving plants, so it is best to use them in flower beds located in sunny areas. It is allowed to place marigolds in partial shade, but in such a way that the total sunny day is at least 6 hours. Full plant growth occurs at temperatures from +20°C to +23°C.
Marigolds are photophilous plants
The plant tolerates drought well and is able to remain without water for a long time.
The composition of the soil, its fertility and acidity are not of particular importance for the plant. It is believed that the optimal soil for marigolds are neutrally acidic loamy soils with normal humidity. To enrich the soil with minerals and organic matter, it is necessary to add mineral or organic fertilizers to it.
Read also: Projects of country houses for 6-10 acres: 120 photos, description and requirements | The most interesting ideas
Marigold Care
Care for marigolds is quite simple. It includes procedures for loosening the soil and removing weeds. They need to be carried out in such a way that the soil is cultivated not only around the plants, but also between the rows, as well as along the perimeter of the site where they grow.
Marigolds are very unpretentious and do not need additional feeding, however, to stimulate their flowering, it is advisable to apply a week after planting. seedlings in open ground phosphorus-potassium fertilizers at the rate of 20-30 g per 1 sq. m.
flower pollination
The same dressing is done about a week after the opening of the first flowers. Nitrogenous fertilizers for marigolds should not be used, since in this case there will be an increased growth of green mass, and there may not be flowers at all.
Read also: Veranda attached to the house - expanding the living space: projects, tips on how to create your own hands (200 original photo ideas) Growing marigolds
The cultivation of marigolds is carried out by the seed method and can be carried out both by planting seeds in open ground and by seedlings. When planting seeds in open ground, flowering occurs in mid-July, but if seedlings are used, flowering can be achieved as early as late May - early June.
Planting in open ground is carried out if the temperature at night does not fall below + 5 ° С. Depending on the region, planting seeds in open ground can be done from mid-April to the end of May.
Germination of marigolds
Both planting methods are preceded by a seed germination procedure. It is done as follows:
- Seeds are wrapped in a moistened cloth, preferably made of cotton fabric.
- A cloth with seeds is placed in a saucer and wrapped in a plastic bag that allows sunlight to pass through.
- The resulting design is placed in a warm and well-lit place for 2-3 days
- Once the seeds germinate, they are ready for planting.
Landing in open ground
On a pre-prepared site, using any convenient tool, grooves are made 2 cm deep. Germinated seeds are laid in them at a distance of about 15 cm from one another.
Planting marigolds in open ground
Watering should be moderate and careful so as not to wash the seeds out of the soil.. The first shoots are observed in about a week. You can make the seeds more comfortable conditions by covering the site of their planting with agrofiber.
Plant transplantation to a new place (if needed) or the first weeding of the site is carried out if young plants already have 2 or more true leaves.
Planting seedlings
It is carried out about 1.5 months earlier than planting in open ground, that is, approximately at the beginning of March. Upright marigolds plant in early March, and deviated and narrow-leaved ones in early April.
Marigold seedlings
At the bottom of the container with seedlings, it is necessary to put a layer of drainage 2-3 cm high. It can be small gravel, or expanded clay.
The substrate must be placed in a container, moistened and lightly tamped.. After that, grooves are made in the ground with a depth of 4-5 mm with a distance of 2-3 cm between them.
Seeds are placed in the grooves almost close to each other., after which they are covered with a layer of soil 1 cm deep.
After that, another soil moistening is performed, and a box with seedlings covered with glass or a transparent lid. Then it is placed in a bright and warm place.
As soon as the first leaves hatch, the plant needs daily airing. To do this, once a day, the lid is removed for 10-20 minutes. Often airing is combined with watering. Water should be warm, but not hotter than +25°C.
As soon as 75% of the seeds sprout, the shelter is removed completely. From the moment the first shoots appear, it is necessary to feed the seedlings every 15 days with special fertilizer, which can be purchased at any garden store.
After the real leaves appear in the amount of 2-3 pieces, the seedlings dive. You can make a pick in a larger box or in individual pots.
The plant normally tolerates a pick and is able to tolerate minor injuries to the root system. Sometimes, when picking, it is even allowed to shorten too long roots. After picking, the plants are watered.
Planting a plant in open ground
Two weeks before planting in open ground, seedlings begin to undergo a hardening procedure. Each subsequent day, the plants stay in the air a little more than the previous one. By the tenth day of hardening, they should spend all daylight hours outdoors, and on the last 3 days of hardening, be outside around the clock.
After planting in open ground, the plants are watered and fertilized (for example, complex fertilizer for flowers).
Read also: Perennial asters: description of 13 species, care and planting at home, methods of propagation and cultivation from seeds (Photo & Video) + Reviews
Diseases and pests
The greatest danger to marigolds is a fungus that causes gray rot. This becomes especially relevant if the summer turned out to be rainy, or the soil is very waterlogged. The main symptom of the disease is dark brown spots that appear first on the underside of the leaves.
If the plants are located close to each other, transmission of the infection from one plant to another is possible. Therefore, upon detection of gray rot, it is necessary to completely dig out all the affected plants and destroy them.
spider mite
Despite the presence of phytoncides in marigold cells, which repel most insects and other animals, they can be attacked by slugs and snails. This becomes especially true either during rainy periods, or closer to autumn, when the climate becomes cooler and more humid.
There are many ways to get rid of annoying clams. You can just collect them manually, but this method is inefficient, since you have to spend a lot of time collecting them regularly. Perhaps it makes sense to look for a nest of slugs, which, as a rule, is located in some kind of damp place (under a snag, an old stump, just under some large object thrown, etc.). After the destruction of the nest, the number of uninvited guests on the site will noticeably decrease.
Or you can do the opposite: do not attract mollusks into traps, but drive them away from the site. As such "repellers" you can use cans of bleach, placed around the perimeter of the flower beds. Slugs and snails do not like this smell and move away from its source.
Read also: TOP 20 plants blooming in July: what should you choose for a garden, vegetable garden or flower bed? | (Photo & Video) +Reviews Types of marigolds
To date, officially about 50 types of marigoldswhich include annual and perennial species.
Almost all marigolds currently used in decorating gardens and parks are representatives of only three types:
- erect
- rejected
- thin-leaved
Upright (Tagetes erecta)
It is on the basis of these species that several hundred varieties and hybrids of these plants have been obtained through selection.
There are other types of marigolds, however, their representatives are rarely found in flower beds. The reason for this is quite simple: they are less attractive. Either they are too tall, or they have few flowers on the bush, and so on.
Consider the description of the three most popular types in more detail:
upright
Despite the fact that Mexico is the birthplace of these plants, they are often called African in the literature. They are bushes of varying degrees of branching, from 40 to 110 cm high, with a fibrous root system. They have the following structure: in the center is the main shoot, which is surrounded by many lateral ones. All shoots are straight and directed upwards from the root; hence the name - upright. They have unpaired serrated dark green leaves.
Inflorescences are often monochromatic, but sometimes there are two-color or gradient. Petals can be both simple and terry. The inflorescences are quite large - from 5 to 12 cm in diameter. Flowering is long: beginning - in July, end - mid-autumn.
Rejected
Another name for the species is French or small-flowered marigolds. At home, they are perennials. The height of the plant is small - from 15 to 60 cm. The central shoot and several side shoots are upright, but most of the side shoots are rejected. The shoots are strongly branched, from which the entire bush has a considerable width. The leaves are dark green, pinnate and small; their edges are serrated.The leaves of this species can be either paired or alternate.
Flowers can be either single or collected in inflorescences. The diameter of single flowers reaches 6 cm. Also, as with upright ones, the petals can be simple or double. Monotonous colors of rejected marigolds are rare. More often you can see two- or three-color varieties. Colors can vary from lemon to dark brown. Flowering begins in June and continues until September, its peak is at the end of August.
Thin-leaved
For the most part, even in their homeland, these are annual plants. They form low-growing, dense bushes with a height of no more than 50 cm. The shoots are bright green in color and, due to the abundance of flowers, it seems that they are practically devoid of leaves. The leaves themselves are quite small, dissected, having a pinnate shape. They have very narrow lobes, and, like all marigolds, small denticles along the edges.
The flowers are collected in inflorescences, framed by five large petals. Their diameter is small - from 1 to 3 cm. Coloring is either monophonic or two-color. Often there are varieties in which only the edge of the petals has a different color. Flowering among all species is the longest - from the beginning of June until the first frosts with negative temperatures.
Read also: How to make flower pots with your own hands: outdoor, indoor, hanging | Step by Step Charts (120+ Original Photo Ideas & Videos) Varietal diversity
Since the main function of marigolds is the use in various flower beds from borders and flowerpots to mixborders, the main criterion by which they are divided in floriculture is not color, but height. Moreover, according to breeders, this trait is much more difficult to fix in offspring than color.
According to the height of the bushes marigolds are divided into the following groups:
- Giant (from 1 m to 1.2 m)
- Tall (from 60 cm to 90 cm)
- Medium height (from 45 cm to 60 cm)
- Undersized (from 25 to 45 cm)
- Dwarf (below 20 cm)
Giant
Giants
They are used to fill the background of mixborders or as border plants around the perimeter of the site. Most often these are representatives of the type of upright marigolds.
The most popular varieties are:
High
Varieties similar to giant, but slightly smaller. The functionality is the same. They are predominantly erect.
medium height
They fill the middle levels of mixborders or are used in monocultural flower beds. The height of plants (45-60 cm) and the proportions of the size of their bushes also allows them to be used in discounts. Among these varieties there are representatives of all three popular types of marigolds.
Undersized
Most often these are low-level plants or border plants at the edges. tracks. They are practically not used as site dividers into zones - any taller plants are best suited for these purposes. They are used in mixborders, as plants of the very foreground or to fill voids around large single plants.
Dwarf
The shortest plants, represented by all three main types of marigolds. They are mainly used as plants in mini-beds, or as a kind of cover crop. Often used to fill various small spaces in multi-level flower beds. They have a wide variety of shapes and colors.
Growing seedlings
Marigolds (Chernobrivtsy) Description, growing from seeds, planting and care, diseases (80+ Photos & Videos) + Reviews
