When to plant marigolds for seedlings

It is very difficult to find a person who would not know about these beautiful and picky flowers. Many countries have their own legends and myths about the appearance of Marigolds. Some peoples revere it not only for its resemblance to golden, shining coins, but also for the healing properties that these flowers, popular and widespread throughout the planet, possess.

It is customary to decorate flowerbeds with marigolds, plant them along garden paths, they look ideal in flowerpots and flowerpots, they go very well with many plants when decorating personal plots.

And every gardener at least once in his life grew modest, and at the same time unique flowers in his beds. After all, these flowers perfectly repel insect pests. Moreover, growing marigolds from seeds is such a simple event that it does not cause any particular difficulties even for beginner flower growers.

Familiar strangers

Few people know that the well-known Marigolds have many names. The Latin name for flowers “Tagetes”, that is, Tagetes, takes its roots from ancient Roman mythology. At the end of the XVIII century, when they first appeared on the territory of Our Country, they were called “African flowers”. In Ukraine they are known under the name Chornobrivtsi.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, Marigolds are called “flowers of ten thousand years.” In Hinduism, they are also revered, and most often these flowers personify with Krishna. And the Indians have used them since ancient times to perform special, magical rituals. In the UK Marigolds are known as “marigold”, which means “Mary’s gold”.

Despite the wide area of ​​growth, the true homeland of Marigolds is Mexico, where these flowers grew in the endless mountainous expanses of Central and South America. The Spanish conquistadors first brought Tagetes seeds to Europe in the XNUMXth century, and later they spread throughout the world.

Marigolds belong to the Compositae or Astrov family. In the historical homeland, flowers that grow in the wild are perennials. But flower beds and flower beds are decorated only with annual representatives of this family.

Marigolds bloom for a very long time and plentifully. When growing flowers in seedlings, the first buds bloom in early to mid-June. Continuous flowering continues until the first autumn frosts.

At the moment, more than 40 types of Marigold flowers are known. But the following types are considered the most popular:

• Upright (African). The bushes are distinguished by a dense, straight stem. The height of plants ranges from 45-150 cm. The diameter of the inflorescences is 6-13 cm. Among them there are terry, semi-double and simple flowers.
• Thin-leaved (Mexican). Marigold bushes are low, up to 20-40 cm in height, with small flowers, no more than 1,5-3 cm in diameter.
• Rejected (small-colored or French). The height of the bushes is up to 15-50 cm. The plants grow well in width. Inflorescences no more than 4-6 cm.
• Anise. Plants emit a pronounced aroma, somewhat reminiscent of the smell of tarragon.

In order to decorate your site, you can purchase ready-made seedlings, however, growing Marigold flowers from seeds at home is not such a difficult matter. It is only important to correctly determine when to plant Marigolds for seedlings, how to care for seedlings, which site is best suited for flowers.

Some varieties of marigolds

For most inhabitants, the name of flowers is associated with small, lush inflorescences of predominantly warm tones. But if you look closely at the range of varieties on the market, you can see that the shape, size of the inflorescences and the color range of flowers is much wider. Appreciate the magnificence of flowers of Marigolds of various varieties in the photo:

• Marigolds Rejected Fight Spray

  

• Marigolds Striped miracle

  

• Marigolds Legion Of Honor

  

• Marigolds rejected Durango Flame

  

• Marigolds Vanilla, upright F1

  

• Marigolds Ursula golden-yellow thin-leaved

  

• Spoon golden erect

  

And these are just some of the members of this family. The color scale of numerous grades is considerably expanded. Marigolds can be easily grown from seeds with flowers that are yellow, orange, reddish brown, burgundy, white, or lemon.

Growing methods

Before planting Marigold seeds, it is important to figure out what method you can grow flowers, and which one is right for you.

Tagetes are mainly grown in two ways: seedling and seedless. And each method has its own advantages.

seedless method

In a seedless way, you can sow Marigolds immediately in open ground. But this method is only suitable for residents of warm regions. After all, flowers planted immediately in flower beds bloom a month and a half later than plants grown by the seedling method.

The time when marigolds can be sown in open ground does not come earlier than the end of May – the beginning of June. Young, still immature sprouts are not highly resistant to temperature drops, and may die during spring frosts.

In addition, seedlings are a tasty dish for many insects, of which a great many appear on the site in the spring.

Tagetes gain color 40-50 days after sowing. Thus, if you take into account the recommended planting dates for Marigolds immediately in the flower garden, bypassing the stage of growing seedlings, you will be able to see the first flowers no earlier than mid-late July.

That is why many flower growers, not wanting to take risks, grow Marigolds mainly by seedlings.

We grow seedlings

The transplantation of the finished seedlings of Marigold flowers into open ground is carried out only after the threat of return frosts has passed, and the air temperature at night will be stable within + 5˚С + 8˚С. Therefore, in order for young plants not to stretch, it is important to choose the right time.

Considering that flowers can be transplanted only in the 1-2 week of June, it means that the optimal time to sow Marigolds for seedlings comes no later than the second decade of April.

However, erect flowers should be sown 3-4 weeks earlier. This is due to the fact that many varieties belonging to this species grow up to 130-150 cm in height. Accordingly, they need much more time for growth and development than undersized Marigolds.

I would like to mention that these terms are averages. If you decide to grow a certain variety of Marigold flowers, be guided by the rules of agricultural technology indicated on the package with seeds.

And one more nuance that affects the determination of the optimal landing time. If after picking you have the opportunity to place a container with flowers on a heated loggia or insulated balcony, then planting marigolds for seedlings can be done a couple of weeks earlier. 

Soil and tank preparation

The soil for growing seedlings of Marigolds should be light and fertile. If you decide to plant seeds in garden soil, a couple of days before the proposed work, prepare the following soil mixture based on 1 kg of garden soil:

• 1 kg of humus or rotted manure;
• 1 kg of peat;
• 0,5 kg of sand.

Thoroughly mix the soil mixture, pour a light pink solution of potassium permanganate, and place in a warm place.

The soil purchased in specialized stores is perfectly balanced, and preliminary preparation in this case is not required.

Any containers for growing seedlings of Marigold flowers are suitable: plastic and plastic, boxes and containers, deep and shallow. There are no special preferences and recommendations in this case. It is important that there are drainage holes at the bottom of the container.

Seed preparation

Before planting Marigolds, seeds purchased immediately before sowing do not need pre-treatment. However, self-collected and harvested seed is still better to soak for 3-4 hours in a disinfectant solution.

The seeds of Marigold flowers are quite large. They can be planted without the help of special devices.

For different varieties, it is advisable to pick up different containers and sign them so as not to confuse the flowers during transplantation into open ground.

We sow correctly

No special skills are required when sowing Marigolds for seedlings. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• At the bottom of the planting containers, as usual, put a small layer of drainage.
• On 3/4 of the total volume of the container, pour the soil prepared in advance.
• If sowing is carried out in separate containers (for example, yogurt cups), put 1-2 seeds in each. If you are planting flower seeds in containers or boxes for growing seedlings, make shallow grooves at a distance of 2-3 cm and place the seeds in them 1,5-2 cm apart.
• The maximum seeding depth is 0,5-1 cm. Level the grooves and water future flowers.
• Place containers with seedlings of Marigolds in a warm, shady place.

Flower seeds germinate very quickly, in 1-1,5 weeks. After the first shoots appear, the container or container with seedlings should be moved to a bright, warm place. The air temperature in the room when growing seedlings of Marigolds should not be lower than +18˚С +20˚С.

In the next 2-3 weeks, you only need to water the flowers and monitor their condition.

Picks

In the phase of formation of 2-3 true leaves, it’s time to start picking marigolds. You can transplant seedlings of flowers both in separate containers and in containers or boxes. There are several tips that it is advisable to heed in order to grow strong and healthy seedlings.

• The soil for picking and the soil in which the seedlings of Marigolds were grown must be identical in composition.
• When transplanting seedlings into bulk containers, the recommended planting pattern of 7×7 cm should be followed.

  

• It is necessary to deepen the seedlings along the cotyledon leaves, which is of great importance for the formation and growth of a powerful root system.
• Tall varieties of marigold flowers, if necessary, can dive twice. As soon as the plants grow up and begin to interfere with each other, transplant them into larger containers.

After picking, carefully monitor the condition of the flowers. In principle, seedlings are undemanding to care, but they react very sharply to waterlogging. Abundant watering can provoke a fungal disease “Black leg”.

In addition to waterlogging, the appearance of a black leg in Tagetes seedlings can be caused by low soil temperature or soil that is too heavy in composition. It is undesirable to put a container with seedlings of flowers on a cold windowsill. It is possible to put insulating materials under the bottoms – foam plastic, rags, pieces of tourist rugs.

We must not forget when growing seedlings of Marigolds and good lighting. With insufficient lighting, the seedlings will stretch and be weak, which will invariably affect flowering. Yes, and weakened seedlings tolerate transplantation worse.

The author of the video will tell you how to correctly calculate the timing for planting Marigolds for seedlings, and how to plant seeds:

Transplantation in open ground

About a week before the planned transplantation of Marigolds into open ground, seedlings must be hardened off. Tempering begins with short “walks” lasting 30-40 minutes. Take out boxes with seedlings of flowers in warm weather outside. Gradually increase the hardening time.

During the “procedures”, place the plants in partial shade so that direct sunlight does not fall on them. Otherwise, the delicate foliage of flowers will get burned.

Simultaneously with the start of hardening, it is necessary to prepare a site for the future flower garden – it should be sunny, with fertile and light soil. Marigolds also bloom well in partial shade.

Before planting Chornobrivtsi, be sure to pay attention to the height of the plants so that tall flowers do not block undersized ones.

Please note that Marigold flowers cannot be grown in low areas where rainwater accumulates and the soil does not dry out for a long time. Excess moisture will provoke the emergence and development of fungal diseases. For the same reason, it is impossible to water the Tagetes too often and abundantly.

5-7 days before transplanting, the earth must be carefully dug up and, if necessary, supplemented:

• if the earth is dense and heavy, add humus or humus and some sand;
• if the soil is acidic, sprinkle wood ash over the surface before digging;
• if the soil is scarce, fertilize the site with mineral complex fertilizers.

It is possible to plant seedlings of marigold flowers in open ground in central Our Country after June 5-7. In the southern regions – 2-3 weeks earlier. It is important that the night air temperature does not fall below + 5˚С.

Having chosen a sunny day, in the early morning or after lunch, you can start transplanting Marigolds into open ground. In the evening, water the seedlings well, but without fanaticism. With too dry or waterlogged soil, transplanting flower seedlings is more difficult.

Planting holes should be made at a distance of 10 cm to 50 cm. Such a big difference is due to the characteristics of different varieties of Tagetes. Low-growing varieties need to be planted closer to each other, but tall ones, on the contrary, away.

With dense plantings, flowers will be forced to fight for nutrients and a “place in the sun”, which will immediately affect flowering. Moreover, the most common cause of fungal diseases is non-compliance with the recommended planting pattern.

Transplanting marigold flowers is not a troublesome business, and will not take you much time and effort:

• pour some warm water into the hole;
• place a sprout in it;
• fill the voids with soil and lightly compact the earth at the base.

Marigolds calmly tolerate transplantation and quickly start growing. In just a couple of days, you will see that the flowers have begun to take shape and begin to change.

Aftercare

Marigolds grown from seeds do not require much attention to themselves. All care work is reduced to the implementation of standard activities – weeding, loosening and watering.

Flowers should be watered sparingly. Tagetes calmly relate to a slight drought. Therefore, do not fill them with excessive water. The best indicator that a flower garden needs watering is the condition of the soil. If the earth is dry at a depth of 1-1,5 cm, then Marigolds need watering.

Marigold flowers do not need mandatory mulching. But in a rainy summer, in order not to provoke rotting of plants, it is undesirable to mulch flower beds.

Marigolds also do not feel much need for top dressing. Flowers are fertilized only in two cases – with sufficient scarcity of the soil or for lush flowering. In both cases, it is necessary to feed Chornobrivtsi only until the first buds appear on the plants and no more than 2 times.

Marigolds respond very well to watering “herbal tea”. Weeds, such as dandelion, nettle, are fermented in a barrel of water for 2-3 weeks. You can water the flowers with this solution once a week.

Tall varieties of Tagetes will need support.

Diseases and pests

In general, marigold flowers are highly resistant to many diseases and pests. Moreover, they are often planted between vegetable beds, because the flowers repel insect pests with their aroma.

But even these unpretentious plants have their enemies.

Young seedlings of Marigold flowers are a favorite delicacy of naked slugs. The following pest control methods are available:

• if naked slugs are frequent guests in your beds, sprinkle the soil around the flowers with wood ash immediately after planting;
• it is possible to use granules containing iron phosphate instead of ash. For plants, this substance is safe, but slugs do not like it very much. Recommended consumption – 5 g of granules per 1 m²;
• bait traps help well in the fight against slugs. You can make traps yourself, or you can buy them in specialized stores.

Hot, dry summers are the first reason for the appearance of spider mites on the flowers of Marigolds. To get rid of this pest, you will have to resort to insecticides or folk remedies: infusions of bitter pepper, garlic, onions.

The most common diseases of marigold flowers are blackleg and root rot. The causes of diseases can be as follows:

• too wet state of the soil for a long time;
• thickened landings;
• dense earth crust.

In both cases, you need to stop watering for a while. Loosening will also help you cure Chornobrivtsi. At an early stage of the disease, flowers can be saved by transplanting to a new place.

If it is not possible to save the plant, it is better to remove it in order to prevent the spread of putrefactive diseases.

Conclusion

Growing marigolds from seeds is not particularly difficult. Subject to the recommended rules of agricultural technology, these flowers will delight you with long, continuous and violent flowering for several months. In addition to aesthetic pleasure, you will receive a ready-made “first aid kit” and spices. Undoubtedly, for such a beautiful and versatile flower there will always be a place on any personal plot.