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Marigolds – it is probably difficult to find a person who has never seen these flowers in his life. If you are characterized by practicality, and you like to combine business with pleasure, then these flowers are a real find for you. Indeed, in addition to the cheerful and sunny mood that they are able to radiate with their very appearance, marigolds can help you protect your garden and garden from harmful representatives of the animal kingdom, cure various diseases and improve the taste of many culinary dishes. Among the marigolds, you can also find very tiny bushes, no more than 15 cm high, and garden giants, reaching a height of 120 cm.
Upright marigolds are the largest representatives of the numerous genus of marigolds. It is about them that will be discussed in this article.
Title History
Erect marigolds are sometimes also called African, although the etymology of this popular name is very confusing. Indeed, by their origin, absolutely all types of marigolds known in nature come from the American continent. Why African?
But the related species of marigolds rejected is generally called French marigolds by the people. The fact is that these flowers, after the conquest of America, originally came back in the XNUMXth century to Europe, and, more precisely, to France. And from there they settled throughout Europe, and then penetrated into Our Country. Heat-loving flowers that do not tolerate frost caused gardeners to associate with distant hot Africa, and all marigolds were originally called African. A little later, the rejected marigolds began to be called French, and their former name remained behind the upright ones.
Description of plants
Marigolds erect belong to typically annual herbaceous plants for open ground. They form a powerful type of erect stems with a clearly defined central shoot. With age, the main stem becomes woody at the base. Plant height can be from 30 to 120 cm, but even undersized flowers are very strong. Lateral shoots are also directed upwards, which is how they differ, for example, from deviated marigolds.
The leaves are quite large, pinnatipartite with sharp lanceolate lobes with notches along the edges. Their color can vary from light to dark green. Usually the leaves are arranged in a regular order.
Inflorescences of erect marigolds are formed on long peduncles, and their size can be from 7 to 15 cm in diameter. They are usually solitary, have a terry, less often semi-double shape.
They bloom on average 2-3 months after sowing seeds. Among the shades of flowers of erect marigolds, there are white, cream, yellow and orange. They differ mainly in the monochromatic color of the inflorescences, in contrast to the same rejected marigolds. In 1 gram there are about 300 seeds, the germination of which lasts only 1-2 years. Seeds can be harvested as early as 35-40 days after the start of flowering.
Marigold classification
Marigold bushes are often classified by height.
Distinguish:
- Undersized, up to 45 cm in height;
- Medium, from 45 to 60 cm;
- High, from 60 to 90 cm;
- Giants growing over 90 cm in height.
In height among upright marigolds are also often distinguished:
- casing (low and medium);
- cut (most often tall varieties that can stand in the cut for up to 3 weeks).
Also, all marigolds are usually classified according to the shape of the inflorescences:
- Carnations consist mainly of several rows of wide reed flowers, which are sometimes fused and resemble tubular ones.
- Chrysanthemums consist of strongly overgrown tubular flowers, which can be very dense or, conversely, loose, sticking out in different directions.
There are also densely double, spherical and semi-double inflorescences.
Varietal diversity
Varieties of upright marigolds differ primarily in the size of the bush, in the shape and size of the inflorescences and their color.
Undersized varieties
Low-growing varieties of erect marigolds appeared to satisfy the constant demand of flower growers for small flowers with huge, luxurious inflorescences that do not need to be tied up and from which, if desired, you can create colorful compositions with other plants.
Antigua
It is considered the most popular and common undersized hybrid. Appeared one of the first. Despite its modest size in height (25-30 cm), it also grows up to 30 cm wide. And its inflorescences reach a diameter of 10 cm. It has four colors: yellow, lemon, orange and gold.
Eskimo
Compact bushes with graceful foliage do not grow above 35 cm. Flowers have a rare white color for marigolds.
Moonseong (Moon Song)
This hybrid is new from American breeders. Dense inflorescences have such a density that they are even able to repel raindrops. Bushes grow well in width and retain their decorative effect for a long time. The period before flowering is about 3 months. The rich orange color looks very attractive.
Amber
Plants of this variety are characterized by uniformity in habit and height. Flowering begins quite early, 2,5 months after sowing, and continues for a long time in any, even the most adverse weather conditions.
average
In this group, the leadership is occupied by the rejected marigolds, and among the upright varieties, the choice is not so large. But the ones that do are worth mentioning.
Aztec lime green
The very name of this hybrid hints at the unique lime-greenish color of the flowers. Plants are compact and medium in size, although the inflorescences cannot be called medium, their size in diameter reaches 10-12 cm.
Vanilla
The color of the flowers of this hybrid is dominated by vanilla-white color, and the yellow center only emphasizes the decorativeness of the inflorescences. The size of the bushes is medium, 45-50 cm in height, and 30 cm in width. The inflorescences are not the largest – about 7-8 cm in diameter.
Alaska
The variety is similar in many ways to the previous hybrid, but the inflorescences differ in an exceptionally light cream color.
solar giants
This series is famous, first of all, for the gigantic size of inflorescences, which can reach 15 cm or more. In color, there are orange and lemon solar giants. The size of the bushes themselves is more than modest, it does not exceed 50 cm in height.
High
The largest group in terms of diversity of varieties. After all, it was with these sizes that the first varieties of upright marigolds began.
Kilimanjaro
One of the most popular varieties of marigolds with white color. Somewhat reminiscent of Eskimo, but the bushes grow up to 70 cm in height and look much more powerful.
yellow stone
Golden or light yellow inflorescences of medium size (7-8 cm) have a lush chrysanthemum shape and look very attractive in bouquets.
golden light
The bushes are tall but compact. Shoots are ribbed, have a slight reddish coating. The inflorescences are clove-colored, although lush, but they do not reach the shape of a ball. The variety is characterized by late ripening, blooms 3-3,5 months after sowing.
lemon prince
The inflorescences of this variety are also carnation-colored, but they are distinguished by their special splendor. The lemon-yellow color of the inflorescences looks attractive against the background of dark green rugged leaves.
orange princess
And this variety is able to shake the saturation of the orange hue of its inflorescences, which reach 10-12 cm in diameter.
Fantastic
A series of new varieties of various shades are distinguished by chrysanthemum-shaped lush inflorescences, however, looking slightly disheveled.
Varieties giants
Upright marigolds that grow over a meter tall will look great in the background of a border along with other tall plants such as snapdragon, delphinium and foxglove. True, even despite the strong and very strong central trunk, it is advisable to tie the bushes to supports or plant them in places protected from the wind.
golden dollar
The variety, despite its impressive size, is quite early. Plants bloom 2,5 months after sowing. Inflorescences of a dense orange hue, chrysanthemum-like, reach 8-9 cm in diameter. The golden dollar is distinguished by the absence of a peculiar smell characteristic of marigolds.
Hawaii
The same variety is a giant of erect marigolds of orange color, but the flowers are clove-shaped and larger in size, reaching 12-14 cm in diameter.
Gilbert Stein
Attractive light golden buds and a globular shape make this variety popular for both cutting and growing in flower beds.
Velvet Season
This variety appeared quite recently and managed to attract the attention of flower growers both by the huge size of the bushes and inflorescences, which reach a diameter of 15 cm or more. In addition, densely colored globular inflorescences in three different shades are excellent for cutting.
Peculiarities of growing
Of all the three types of marigolds most often cultivated in our country, erect marigolds make the highest demands on the quality of soils and the amount of light they need for full flowering. It is best to grow them in a sunny place, in partial shade they will not be able to demonstrate all their best qualities. Soils for growing must be fertile, as giant inflorescences and bushes need a lot of nutrition in order to look good.
Accordingly, the growing season for this variety of marigolds is longer. If you want upright marigolds to please you with flowering from the beginning of June, then they must be sown for seedlings from the beginning of March. They are practically unsuitable for sowing in open ground, except perhaps in the southernmost regions of the country. And then in this case they will be able to bloom only in the second half of summer.
Seeds can be sown in any containers convenient for you, since marigold seedlings easily tolerate transplantation at any age, and even when in a flowering state. Seedlings usually appear on the 4th-6th day, plants develop optimally at a temperature of +18°+20°C.
If you have sown the seeds quite often, then when two true leaves appear, the sprouts should be planted at a distance of 7 cm from each other with a row spacing of 7 cm. When planting in open ground, the bushes should be slightly deepened into the ground by 1-2 cm for better rooting.
Low and medium varieties can be planted according to the scheme 20x20cm, and for tall giants it is necessary to leave at least 40 cm between plants when planting.
When growing, you should pay attention to the following possible difficulties:
- Marigolds are very thermophilic, they die already at -1°-2°C. If the air temperature is less than + 10 ° C, the plants stop growing, the leaves acquire a purple hue, flowering decreases.
- At the beginning of growth, plants need an abundance of moisture; after flowering, they can withstand up to 10 days without watering.
- In rainy weather, very large terry inflorescences can rot from excessive moisture.
- More demanding on nutrition of all types of marigolds.
- If high air temperatures are combined with high humidity, then the bushes will have an abundance of leaves with a minimum of inflorescences.
If possible, be sure to settle upright marigolds in your garden, and these spectacular giants will surely delight you with lush flowering and luxurious bouquets of the color of the sun.
