When to plant marigold seeds for seedlings. Own marigold seeds: two important nuances when collecting them. There are two ways to sow and grow

The root system is fibrous, the leaves are pinnately dissected or pinnately divided, alternate or opposite, the green color can be light or dark green.

Baskets of inflorescences from yellow to bright orange or brown. Flowering begins in June and may continue until the first frost. It is worth noting that marigolds can sow themselves. The germination of seeds that have fallen into the soil lasts up to 4 years. A pleasant smell does not come from the buds, but from the greenery of the plant.

In addition to this, a flower bed with marigolds on the site is an invaluable home pharmacy.

Flowers help in the treatment of the following diseases:

• prevention of cataracts;
• diabetes;
• inflammation of the spleen;
• stomatitis;
• asthma;
• bronchitis;
• cold.

How to grow at home and on the site?

Marigolds have a short growing season and can begin flowering as early as the second month after sowing the seeds. Due to the fact that the plant is unpretentious to weather conditions and tolerates small spring frosts, it does not need covering material when sowing seeds directly in open ground or in boxes on the balcony.

It is necessary to plant marigold seeds at a time when a stable temperature of +5 is established on the street.. Planting dates directly depend on weather conditions, if in regions with a warm climate it is possible to sow seeds in the ground already in April, then in middle lane it will be the end of May. Flowering, respectively, occurs at the end of June at the beginning of July.

If you want the marigolds to start flowering earlier, then you should use the seedling method of planting. Seedlings are grown at home, and when warm weather sets in, an adult, ready-to-flower plant is planted in a permanent place.

You can learn more about the features of growing marigolds.

Collection of seed material

Marigold seeds are oblong black sticks with white tips that form in the center of the flower after it dries. As seeds remain viable for more than 4 years, flowers can be self-seeded.

Varieties of American selection germinate later than French ones, and hybrids cannot be grown from seeds at all, they may not sprout or the new plant will not have parental properties.

How to propagate marigold seeds? start in September, in its second half. The main sign for this is the wilting of the bushes, especially if the stem near the head is dry - the seeds are ripe. To collect seed material, dry, calm and sunny weather is needed - seeds collected in bad weather can become damp and germination will be reduced.

Seeds are collected in the following way:

1. cut off the testis and put it in a ventilated place to dry;
2. then carefully open the head with seeds and shake them out on a newspaper.

There is another way to collect seeds:

1. collect flowers in a bunch and hang in a ventilated and dry room over a newspaper;
2. as soon as the boxes ripen and open, the seeds themselves can get enough sleep.

Then the seeds are placed in a paper bag and stored until spring sowing.

Growing methods

Marigolds can be grown in two ways - sown directly into the ground, or in separate pots at home on the windowsill.

It is worth considering both of these options in order to accurately determine the timing of landing in a particular case. It depends on how early and abundantly the plant will begin to delight with its beautiful flowers.

Read more about how to grow marigolds at home.

When to sow?

If it was decided to sow seeds in the ground, then the optimal sowing time will be May-June, depending on the region. It is during this period that good and consistently warm weather sets in in many regions of Russia.

In open ground and seedlings

Flowers are grown by sowing seed material in the ground at the following times:

As for the seedling method of growing marigolds, you can sow them in pots at any time, from February to March.

Preparatory stage

It should be understood that in order to obtain good seedlings, fresh seeds are needed that are not yet two years old, and the soil must be prepared fertile and very light.

Before sowing, the seeds should be prepared - germinated, then the seedlings will be fast and friendly. Seeds are placed in a cotton cloth, which must first be soaked in warm water. Place on a saucer and wrap in plastic wrap. cling film to create the greenhouse effect. Put the saucer in a warm place and after 2 days check the seeds, if they are of good quality, then the bulk of the planting material will hatch. The seeds are ready for planting.

Requirements for the composition of the earth

The following soil composition will be optimal for sowing marigolds:

• garden soil - 1 kg;
• washed river sand - 500 g;
• peat - 1 kg;
• humus or compost - 1 kg.

sowing

Planting seeds is carried out as follows:

1. make grooves on the beds, between which there should be 2 cm;
2. spread the seeds at a distance of 1 cm from each other;
3. embedment depth no more than 10 mm;
4. shed the grooves with warm water;
5. fall asleep seeds;
6. cover the beds with covering material until shoots appear.

As soon as shoots appear, the film is removed. This will help to harden the plant for further favorable development and growth.

If sowing is done by seedlings, then the procedure is the same, only the pot, after emergence, is transferred to a bright, sunny windowsill so that the seedlings do not stretch out.

We select a pot

Any container is suitable for growing marigolds- plastic, plastic, containers, boxes, individual cups. It is worth noting that seedlings can appear in any container, only there is the main condition - good drainage at the bottom of the pot and holes for draining excess water.

Soil selection

The soil can be prepared by mixing garden soil, peat, humus and river sand in equal amounts. And you can buy ready-made soil in a specialized store for growing marigolds.

Cet care

Once the seedlings have grown and planted in a permanent place, it will be as follows:

• regular watering, while in hot weather twice a day - early in the morning and late in the evening;
• constant weeding;
• formation of a bush with the removal of dried flowers and damaged leaves;
• loosening the soil is carried out 1 time in 7 days, the roots must breathe.

We water correctly

Marigolds are very fond of moisture, especially during the active growing season.. But in irrigation, it is necessary to observe not only uniformity, but also the rate of water.

It is worth remembering that if watering is plentiful, with stagnant water, then the roots of the plant will begin to rot. With a lack of moisture, the flower may not bloom, or form small, ugly flowers.

During growth, watering should be moderate, and later it will need to be reduced so that there is no stagnation of moisture, from which the plants get sick, rot and do not bloom. In the summer heat, it is better to water in the evenings..

top dressing

Marigolds do not need much fertilizer, but for a lush and long flowering, fertilization is only welcome. You need to feed the plant 1 time per month.

Try not to overfeed the plant with nitrogen fertilizers, as the flower will produce a lot of greenery and bloom much later.

The main one, on the advice of experienced gardeners, is held three times a season.:

1. as soon as the height of the seedling reaches 10 cm;
2. with the formation of the first buds;
3. at the beginning of flowering.

You can feed the plant for the fourth time during the period of rapid flowering, this will increase the growing season. Top dressing is carried out with complex fertilizers for flowering plants.

Useful video

We offer you to watch a video on how to plant marigold seeds for cultivation:

Conclusion

Finally, it should be said that the plant is light-loving, and they need to be planted in bright, sunny areas. This culture easily tolerates temperature changes and lack of moisture. These characteristics allow the plant to be used in decorative floriculture. Also, a cut plant can stand in a vase without losing its beauty for almost three weeks. But you should not plant a crop near water bodies or in heavily shaded areas - or die.

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- wonderful, beautiful flowers, the cultivation and care of which in open field do not constitute much work. Thanks to the bright coloring of flowers and unpretentiousness, marigolds are very popular. It should be noted such a useful quality of marigolds - repelling pests with its strong specific smell.

Today we will talk about growing marigolds with seeds in the open field, you will learn when and how to sow seeds, how to grow marigolds from seedlings, how to care for plants and collect seeds for the next planting.

There are many varieties of marigolds, differing in plant size and flower color.

Main varieties:

Upright marigolds - bushes grow up to 1 m high, blooms with large double flowers up to 15 cm in diameter;
-- Low-growing or rejected marigolds - low bush 20-40 cm in height, double and non-double flowers up to 7 cm in diameter;
-- Thin-leaved marigolds or Mexican - miniature plants with bright and small inflorescences with openwork leaves. The flowers are very fragrant. At the same time, up to a hundred flowers can bloom on one bush. Grow up to 20 cm high, flowers 2 cm in diameter. This species has about 70 varieties of hybrids.

Marigolds are grown from seeds, either directly by sowing outdoors or by growing seedlings and then transplanting.

The soil for seedlings should consist of humus, peat, turf and sand in a ratio of 1:1:1:0.5. The soil must be disinfected with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Seedlings of marigolds are grown so that they bloom already in May-June on suburban area. Marigold seeds are bought once, then they collect their seeds from the species they like. Seed germination is good.

Boxes with seedlings are placed in a warm place with a temperature of 22-25 degrees, the soil should be moist, not dry out. When sprouts appear (7-10 days), transfer the boxes to a lighted place and a temperature of 18 degrees.

Seedlings grow quickly, seeds should be sown in early April, transplanted into open ground in mid-May. The main thing is that frosts pass, young marigold plants do not like frost.

Seedlings are considered ready when 4 leaves and a good root system have formed.

When it is not possible to grow seedlings, marigolds are sown directly in open ground. Sowing of seeds is carried out starting from mid-May, remember, they do not tolerate frost. Flowers with this method of cultivation will appear 2-3 weeks later than when grown from seedlings. Marigolds will bloom until autumn and delight with bright colors.

Make a furrow 5 cm deep with a chopper, pour water over it and sow the seeds, sprinkled with earth. Sprouts will appear in 10-15 days, if they are dense, then they can be planted. The distance between plants is regulated depending on the variety from 20 to 40 cm. If marigolds are planted in rows, then the planting pattern is the same from 20 to 40 cm. Water after planting so that the soil does not dry out and is moist.

Video - Marigolds: cultivation and care

Marigolds grow well in sunlit areas, do not plant in the shade and damp places. Good places along the beds, you can make borders.

Plant marigolds in rows near potatoes, cabbage, various berries - many pests (bears, midges, aphids, slugs, snails) will leave the site, and bright marigold flowers will delight you until autumn.

Young plants need to be watered regularly, and adults calmly tolerate drought. Marigolds love air, so respect the distance between plants (depending on the variety) when planting.

Marigolds are unpretentious flowers in care. Flowering plants can survive without water for up to two weeks. For abundant flowering, it is necessary to remove old inflorescences. Pinching the top of the bush, the flowers will begin to grow on the sides, the bushes will be beautiful with bright colors. Also carry out weeding from weeds and loosening the soil around the bushes and between rows.

Marigolds grow on any soil, if the plants are green, do not wither, fertilizing can be omitted. If you are not sure about the soil, or if you see that the plants are lacking something, fertilize 1-2 times per season: when the plants reach 10 cm in height, during the budding period or at the beginning of flowering. Top dressing is alternated with organic and mineral fertilizers, applying in small quantities.

Marigolds can be transplanted at any age by moving around the site. In the fall, transplanted into a pot and taken home, they will delight in flowering for a long time.

Video - A new way to grow marigolds

Decorative marigolds - an annual plant, dried inflorescences are suitable for collecting seeds, they should dry well. You can dry the marigold seeds at home by spreading them on paper in a ventilated area, and then store them until the next planting in a cool, dark place (12-16 degrees).

It is better to store seeds in metallized bags, in vacuum packaging with a film inside, they are not stored in paper bags for a long time. The marigold bushes themselves, after collecting the seeds, are pulled out of the ground, the soil is dug up.

Modern science has proven that marigolds have healing properties are beneficial to human health. The content of lutein in plants reduces the risk of cataracts. AT folk medicine marigolds are used to treat diabetes and inflammation of the pancreas.

Possess marigolds medicinal properties and dried, they insist and treat asthma, stomatitis, colds, bronchitis, purify the blood. Recipe for marigold infusion: 1 tbsp. l. crushed flowers pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 3 hours, strain and drink 1 glass 30 minutes before meals for 1 month.

To relieve stress and anxiety, take a bath with marigold decoction. peoples South America marigolds are used as a condiment. In some countries, powder is made from the flowers and added to various culinary dishes.

In France, marigold leaves are used in canning vegetables, they give a pleasant aroma and elasticity.

We figured out with you how to grow and care for marigolds in their summer cottage. Don't forget to plant these beautiful and useful annual flowers.

Also, cultivation work continues in many countries of the world.

The color of marigold petals can be:

• yellow;
• reddish brown;
• orange;
• white;
• citric;
• motley.

As for the height, tall species are also distinguished here. So you can choose to your taste and create attractive flower arrangements.

Another feature of marigolds is a rather strong aroma, slightly reminiscent of the smell of asters.. Many gardeners plant marigolds for this very reason. So they fight midges, moles and other pests. For example, by planting a row of marigolds around the perimeter of a bed with carrots, you can scare away the carrot fly and at the same time add aesthetics to the garden. Read about the proper planting and care of marigolds in the open field.

What do they look like?

Marigold seeds are formed in a basket of sepals and a faded bud. If you open the basket, you will see thin, elongated, black seeds with a light fluff at the tip. Due to this appearance, the seeds of marigolds are difficult to confuse with others.

A photo

You can see how the seeds of these flowers look in the photo:

In order to collect high-quality seed it is necessary to follow some recommendations when planting marigolds:

1. Should not be planted different types too close, since cross-pollination can lead to the loss of the appearance of the original flower and the resulting ones may be radically different from the mother plant. To avoid such a nuisance, it is necessary to plant varieties at a distance of 1.5 meters or more from each other.
2. Planting in dense plantings is also not worth it. This threatens to defeat the fungus, and, according to the experience of many gardeners, it can be transmitted through seeds to future plants. Moreover, the appearance of diseased plants is not at all pleasing to the eye.
3. For the above reason, carefully inspect the plant before cutting the seed pod. Seeds should be collected only from healthy individuals.
4. Based on the general recommendations for the care of marigolds, we recall that watering is necessary only before the flowering period. Further, the increased water content in the soil can lead to a long maturation of the seeds or even to the rotting of the boxes.
5. Fertilize marigolds only twice at all times. The first time before the formation of buds, the second dressing should be done during flowering. Excessive fertilizer will stimulate abundant growth of tops and thereby slow down flowering and weaken the buds. You can find out how to properly care for and how to feed marigolds for abundant flowering in.
6. Weather conditions are equally important for seed maturation. Full ripening of seeds is guaranteed only in sunny and dry weather. If the weather is damp and it is constantly raining, then you can not leave the seeds to ripen on the street. Often in such weather, the seeds rot and lose their germination. In order to avoid problems on a rare clear day, it is worth cutting the plants at the root and drying them indoors.

The flowering period of marigolds begins in June and lasts until frost. As the inflorescences wither, seed pods form on the plant. It is a fairly flat fruit, usually black-brown or less commonly black. One such box contains an uncounted number of seeds. In 1 gram, there are usually from 270 to 700 seeds.

In order to collect ripe seeds in autumn in September - early October, we begin to closely monitor the behavior of the plant. If you notice that the petals have begun to dry, and the calyx has noticeably brightened and acquired a beige tint, then it's time to start harvesting the seed crop. To do this, carefully cut off or cut off the former inflorescences with scissors. Then we begin to open the heads and extract the seeds. Unnecessary shell is removed.

Watch a video about collecting marigold seeds:

Storage rules

After collecting the seed material, it must be sorted out and the remaining particles of the box removed. Then spread on a newspaper or polyethylene to dry. Then the seeds are collected in a bag or paper envelope, which is preferable. This will allow them to ventilate and prevent mold. Stocks are sent to storage in a warm, dark, dry place until the next season.

IMPORTANT: Remember that marigold seeds can not lose their germination for 2 to 4 years.

Conclusion

After getting acquainted with the process of collecting seeds, we were convinced that this process is not at all complicated, and the quality of the seed is in no way inferior to the store. Recall the most important aspects to collect ripe seeds:

1. If you are going to harvest from marigolds, you should not plant several species close to each other.
2. During flowering, note the flowers you like.
3. After flowering and the formation of a seed pod on the plant, wait for clear and dry weather to collect seeds. If there are heavy rains, it is worth cutting the plant at the root and drying it at home.
4. We remove the seeds from the box, clean from the remaining debris. Lay out to dry.
5. On the last step we remove the collected material in a bag or paper envelope, which we place in a warm, dry place until spring.

We wish you success!

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Or tagetes - an ornamental herbaceous plant. This native of the subtropical regions of Mexico has successfully taken root in most countries of the world.

Its wide popularity is explained by decorativeness and unpretentiousness to growing conditions. The showy flower grows well in poor soils and is able to withstand a short drought.

Bright green balls dotted with hundreds of sunny, small inflorescences. Meter, juicy stems crowned with flowers the size of a tea saucer. Low bushes, painting the borders of flower beds in maroon tones. This is all said about marigolds, the varietal diversity of which is growing every year. You can learn more about the varieties of marigolds, about the features of their cultivation in the open field, as well as see the description and photo of the flowers, and read about the perennial species of this flower).

Currently, there are about sixty plants. Vegetable growers in the beds next to garden crops. Marigolds are a reliable protection against aphids, nematodes, May beetle larvae and pathogens of fungal infections.

What does a tagetes seed look like?

Tagetes bloom profusely from early June until the first frost. Throughout the summer, on the plants you can see dried boxes similar to goblets, densely packed with several dozen seeds. You can see photos of marigolds, and also find out why they sometimes do not want to open buds.

Marigold seeds look like flat black needles with a white tuft. Some varieties are dark brown in color. Their length and weight depends on the size of the original flower. For example, one gram of large-flowered erect tagetes contains about three hundred seeds, and in a bag of undersized thin-leaved varieties of the same weight, you can count up to seven hundred of them (read about the features of caring for undersized marigolds).

A photo

Check out the photo of marigold seeds:

How to assemble correctly?

Alternative uses

In indoor floriculture, the ability of these plants to fight phytophage insects is used.

Reference. An aqueous infusion of tagetes seeds is able to expel spider mites, mealybugs from lemons and roses, as well as disinfect the soil.

To prepare it you need:

1. Take a tablespoon of chopped raw materials.
2. Pour in a glass of boiling water.
3. Let it brew in a warm place for 3-4 hours.

Dry boxes filled with seeds are an excellent material for preparing aroma oils for relaxing baths. It is easy to prepare this useful substance at home:

1. Pour a handful of crushed seeds with 200 grams of corn or olive oil.
2. Insist 15 days in a dark place.
3. Filter through gauze.
4. Pour into a dark glass bottle for storage.

Conclusion

Collecting seeds of your favorite flowers is a useful and enjoyable experience. It gives you the opportunity to once again communicate with the plants in the garden in the fall, make plans for the next season and save money on the purchase of new green pets. Properly harvested and stored seeds are a reliable guarantee of the beauty of your future flower beds.

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Christopher Columbus, who discovered a new continent in October 1492, gave the inhabitants of the globe food for the body - potatoes, for the mind - tobacco, for the soul - marigolds. Once amazed by the beauty of tagetes (the original name of the flower), people wanted to admire the orange splendor every year, so they started collecting planting material.

"From a bad seed there will be no good tribe" - a proverb relevant to the human race, animals and flowering plants. A flower bed, lawn or border is pleasing to the eye when the plants are healthy, full-fledged, bright, abundant and bloom for a long time. The article will tell you how to collect marigold seeds, which always adorn the house landscape.

Brief introductory

Instructions for readers who are short of time, but want to clarify how to properly collect marigold seeds:

1. Collection time: end of August-October.
2. Weather: no precipitation.
3. Capacity: ladle, bucket.
4. Technology: break off a dried flower, knead with your fingers, pour the seeds into a container, discard the bed.
5. Spread the collected seeds on a flat surface, dry for three days, remove debris, put in a paper bag until spring.

A photo of how to collect seeds from marigolds will help you navigate the procedure.

Rationale for choice

Marigolds are favorites of garden interiors. These profusely flowering plants are:

• get along with others in a limited space;
• drought-resistant: even after a week of heat, after abundant watering, the stem comes to life and gives new buds;
• repel pests; marigolds themselves are susceptible to two diseases: due to waterlogging of the soil, a fungus may develop, and due to prolonged drought, a spider mite may appear; here it is important for the gardener to observe agricultural technology;
• endowed with a tart "oriental" aroma, which allows the inflorescences to be used in therapy and cooking;
• the palette starts with yellow and ends with golden ocher;
• buds open until frost.

Hero portrait

The plant has dark green leaves, stem and buds. When the life cycle of a flower comes to an end, the bright petals dry out, the sepals become sandy.

The seeds of the flower are elongated, dark black, with a pointed tip of the seat and a fluff at the upper end.

There is a technique for collecting marigold seeds at home.

1. Choose a dry day when the previous day was dry. Exclude the presence of moisture in the seed bud. Wet seeds quickly become moldy.
2. Break dry stems. If the stem is not dry enough, then trim the bud with scissors or pruners so as not to damage the plant as a whole.
3. Mash the bud, remove the sepals and bed, spread the seeds in a thin layer on a flat surface. It is not suitable to use plastic, ceramics or oilcloth for drying, as the seeds sweat on such materials. Use a wooden board or a natural cotton or linen cloth to dry. Never expose to bright sun.
4. Put dry seeds in breathable paper bags or boxes. Seeds in plastic bags can become moldy.
5. The storage area should be dry, dark and well ventilated. In a city apartment, the lower shelf of the refrigerator door or a cabinet under the kitchen window in Khrushchev is suitable. Seeds must not be overheated, therefore, bags with planting material should not be placed near the battery.

harvest time

It is necessary to imagine exactly when to collect marigold seeds for seedlings. Flowering begins depending on the time the plant is planted in the ground. In the climatic conditions of the Southern Urals, flowers open at the end of June.

The life of a flower until the seeds fully ripen is six weeks. The plant is good because the flowers bloom sequentially one after another. If the gardener was late to collect the first buds with seeds, then you can always process the next batch of inflorescences.

It is important to wait for ripening when the seeds become dark and hard. Unripe seeds will deteriorate during storage and will not produce a crop.

In October, flowering ends, you can cut the whole plant, hang to dry in a well-ventilated area. It should be noted that ripe and dried seeds are independently separated from the bed. Therefore, it is useful to wrap the cut bushes with gauze before drying so that the seeds do not scatter around the room.

Grains and tares

Not all seeds give one hundred percent germination, which is determined by:

• degree of maturation;
• drying conditions;
• storage options.

How to collect marigold seeds and weed out the empty ones? The process of selecting good seeds is called calibration. Suppose a gardener has collected and dried seeds. It is necessary to choose large specimens, since they contain a sufficient supply of nutrients for spring germination.

The selection of seeds of the same weight and size guarantees friendly seedlings.

The selected batch of seeds is immersed for a couple of hours in a saline solution of one tablespoon of salt and five glasses of water at room temperature. After a set time interval, the good seeds will sink to the bottom and the empty ones will float. Substandard material is removed. Calibrated specimens are washed and dried for final storage.

Mestizos and mulattoes

Marigolds are cross-pollinating plants. This means that when plants of two or more colors are placed on a flower bed or lawn, seeds will ripen that will give flowers that are completely different from the parental color.

In order not to bother with annual seedlings, the site is sometimes planted with perennial varieties of marigolds, which reproduce both by dividing the bush and by seeds. Self-grown perennial seedlings will allow an adult bush not to injure, but to grow a luxurious curtain out of it.

We decorate the balcony and the menu

Your own balcony can be used as a base for seed preparation. Flower container:

• fill with drainage and earth;
• plant seeds in March;
• in May, taking into account outdoor temperatures, put the container on the balcony.

When growing seedlings, it should be remembered that minus one degree is a zone of discomfort for the plant: the seeds turn sour, and young greens wither.

Marigolds will bloom, decorating and fragrant, and in September the bush will be cut and dried. No need to wait for special dry conditions. The seeds on the balcony are ready to be harvested any day.

If there is no goal to get income from the sale of self-collected seeds, then some of the flowers are used for cooking.

Pay attention to upright and rejected varieties of marigolds. Leaves and flowers are used in the preparation of salads and marinades, both fresh and dried. Store dried inflorescences in the same way as seeds - in a dry and ventilated area without bright light.