Marigold seedlings: when to plant and what is the best planting, at what price can you buy seedlings of plants?

Thanks to its bright and attractive appearance, unpretentiousness in leaving, and also high resistance to wreckers and diseases, marigolds or tagetes have rightfully gained their popularity among gardeners. Marigolds are a plant that can very nicely decorate a flower bed in the country, their bright flowers fit perfectly into the garden or park landscape design. Flowering of the plant lasts for a rather long period, usually ending with the first serious frosts.

Growing marigolds on your own is quite easy. They reproduce by seed. All you need to do is to sow seeds for seedlings in time, and then plant them in your summer cottage. In the materials of this article we will consider in detail how to do this.

Acquaintance with the plant

Marigolds are annual herbaceous plants of the family Compositae native to hot Mexico.

What does marigold look like? The stems, depending on the species, are usually erect, have many branches, form a bush with a height of 20 to 120 cm. The leaves look like feathers. The shape is slightly jagged. Foliage is found from light to dark green.

Reference! Blooming bud is a basket. Varieties of mass: simple or terry, yellow, orange or brown. In diameter, the flower reaches from 3 to 4 centimeters. Bloom profusely from June to frost.

In nature, there are about 30 species of marigolds, but only three of them have decorative value: erect marigolds, rejected marigolds and thin-leaved marigolds.

You can learn about the varieties of marigolds, as well as see a photo of the plant here, and from this article you will learn about the varieties and rules for caring for stunted marigolds.

Where to get seedlings?

To grow seedlings - this means sowing the seeds of the plant first for the appearance of the first seedlings in more favorable conditions, and then, after the plant reaches a certain size, it is transplanted to a permanent place.

Marigolds belong to that many flowers that are convenient and easy to grow and plant in the form of seedlings. You can grow it yourself - it will not be difficult and does not require significant effort. However, if you do not have the opportunity to sow seeds yourself There are many options for buying marigold seedlings.

On average, one plant will cost 15-25 rubles. But here it is important to understand that the price can vary significantly depending on where you buy planting material in a specialized garden center or participants from hand, as well as on the volume of purchase. Many retail outlets make a significant discount when buying in volumes of more than 100 pcs.

Self cultivation

Growing seedlings of marigolds is independently possible even for a novice gardener. Consider the procedure for sowing and growing young plants in more detail.

Recommendation! Marigolds can be sown on seedlings under a film or in a greenhouse right on the garden plot. However, you can use another method and grow young plants first on the windowsill in a city apartment and then plant them in open ground on a flower bed.

About the features of growing marigolds in pots or crates at home, read here, and from this article you will learn about the proper care and planting of black-browed animals in the open ground.

When to sow?

In the case when the seedlings are grown on the garden plot seeds can be sown in the ground after the retreat of nightly minus temperatures.

In the conditions of Central Russia, the optimal planting period in the garden plot is the time from the end of May to the tenth of June. Then thin out or plant seedlings more freely in a permanent place. From germination to flowering takes about 40 to 50 days, it all depends on the selected variety, so you need to plant marigolds on seedlings at home in the first 2 weeks of April.

Read about how and when to plant marigolds in open ground, and from this article you will learn about how and when it is better to collect marigold seeds.

Instruction manual

We consider in detail the procedure for sowing seeds:

Soil selection. Soil for marigolds should be quite fertile and loose. The following composition of the land mixture will be optimal: peat, humus or compost, and washed sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 0.5.
Soil disinfection. A container with a soil substrate must be treated with disinfectants, for example, a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide, for example, Maxim, Vitaros, Fitosporin preparations are suitable. Also a great option would be steaming the earth with boiling water or in the oven. All these procedures will help prevent the occurrence of one of the most common diseases of marigolds - the black leg.
Laying rows. The prepared soil must be slightly tamped, and then shallow shallow grooves be laid on the surface. The substrate should be slightly moistened, but not poured.
Sowing. Slowly gently place the seeds in the grooves made. If there are few seeds, you can decompose them with tweezers.Reference! Do not forget to put the labels indicating the varieties and the picture, or simply sign the containers with a permanent marker.
Falling asleep seeds. Then it is necessary to cover the seeds with a layer of soil, but not more than 1 cm. With a less deep sowing after germination, the seed coat remains on the first leaves, and the plant cannot get rid of it, which impedes their development.
Watering. Moisten your crops. Try to do this carefully so as not to erode the shelter. Otherwise, the seeds will be on the surface and will not sprout. For watering, it is better to use a small watering can with a divider.
Creating a greenhouse effect. It is necessary to cover the crops to maintain soil moisture. For this purpose, you can use the lid that comes with the container, or you can put it in a clean plastic bag. You need to place the landing in a well-lit place.
Waiting for seedlings. At a room temperature of + 15 ... + 20 ° С, marigolds will rise in 5-7 days. Compliance with the temperature regime is extremely necessary, because if the thermometer drops below + 15 ° C, the seeds will germinate poorly, and if it rises above + 25 ° C they will not rise.
When the first seeds hatch, do not forget to air the pot twice a day: morning and evening.
The first shoots. Top dressing. When abundant seedlings appear, the shelter must be removed. Soil should be moistened as it dries.
Pay attention that water does not stagnate in the tank. Once every 10-14 days, fertilizer is applied for seedlings. Ready-made ones, for example Fertika Lux or Agricola, will do.
Dive. After the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, young plants can be planted in separate containers. The seedling can be deepened almost to the first leaves, which are oblong, but so that they do not lie on the ground.
Transplantation in open ground. 10-15 days before transplanting to a permanent place in the open air, begin to adapt the seedlings to such conditions.
TIP! Marigolds do not tolerate even small frosts, so you should plant seedlings on the street when you are sure that such a threat does not arise. Choose a sunny place. Although marigolds can grow in partial shade, but bloom there it will be much worse.

Read about how to grow marigolds from seeds on the open ground and at home.

Useful video

Watch a video about sowing marigold seedlings:

Conclusion

Thus, we were convinced that growing marigolds for seedlings on their own is not at all a difficult task.

The main thing:

Decide on your favorite varieties.
Decide on the methods of growing seedlings: in the ground under a shelter in a garden plot or in trays on the windowsill of a city apartment.
Prepare a soil mixture of peat, compost and sand. Sanitize.
Sow the seeds. Create a greenhouse effect.
Ventilate periodically after the appearance of the first shoots.
When 4-5 leaflets of landing appear.
After all the above steps, in late May and early June, you can safely plant young plants in the flowerbed.

We hope that our tips will help you grow a real decoration for your garden plot.