Marigolds are beautiful variegated flowers with velor petals, which are absolutely unpretentious to growing conditions. These plants are especially attractive to gardeners for their abundant flowering, which begins in early June and continues until the very frost.
Growing and care
Although marigolds are unpretentious to growing conditions, they are still not indifferent to careful care. In gratitude, this plant will give its owners a long and lush flowering. All types of marigolds prefer to grow in open areas, an important condition for abundant flowering is a sufficient amount of sunlight.
The soil for growing flowers should be neutral, fertile and loamy. If marigolds grow on poor soil, then they need regular feeding, which is recommended during the growing season.
By the way, marigolds do not fade for a long time after cutting, so these flowers will decorate your home for a long time.
Marigolds are quite thermophilic, drought-resistant, grow quickly. Flowers must breathe, they do not like dense soils, so it is recommended to regularly loosen the soil and weed. To get lush and beautiful flowers, apply pruning periodically. Timely removal of dried inflorescences provokes abundant flowering. Remove withered plants from the flower bed immediately.
Transplantation and reproduction of marigolds
Collect the seeds after flowering in the fall. To do this, leave a few wilted flowers in the garden until the bush dries, then remove the ripe seeds from the cup. After harvesting, dry the seeds thoroughly and store until spring. Sow seeds for seedlings in early spring.
Make wide, recessed holes (one and a half centimeters apart) in the soil and sow the seeds, sprinkle with earth and water at room temperature. Watering should be moderate until seedlings emerge quickly enough. When two or three leaves appear on the shoots, transplant them to a permanent place in open ground. If there is a threat of frost, cover the seedlings with foil, in such a greenhouse the seedlings will finally get stronger.
For marigolds, a peculiar pungent aroma is characteristic, and the leaves smell somewhat stronger than the flowers themselves.
Watering flowers
To keep the marigolds strong and have large flowers, do not be afraid to produce good watering during their growth. A little later, watering should be slightly reduced, since from stagnation and excess moisture, plants can get sick or rot, and stop blooming. In the summer heat, water the plants once a day - in the evening.
Marigolds can easily do without feeding, but they still quite actively respond to them. During the season, complex mineral fertilizers can be applied three times: when the plants have reached ten centimeters, at the first appearance of buds, during flowering.
