Erect, Deviated, and Thin Leaf Marigold Species: Outdoor Grass Care
Marigolds are the favorites of gardeners. Their flowering begins in early June (subject to early planting by seedlings) and ends with the first autumn frosts.
They are an excellent decoration of any flowerbed, so they are very popular among beginners in the field of flower growing, as well as among landscape design professionals. Let's get acquainted with the types of this plant, find out the features of caring for it and the rules for designing a beautiful flower bed.
Flower description
Marigold flowers are annual and perennial. Depending on the variety, the plants may vary in size and color of the flower. The height of the stem varies from 20 to 130 centimeters. The flower can be painted in all kinds of shades of yellow and orange.: from lemon to the color of Moroccan mandarin.
The plant was brought from Central America, where it was very popular among the Indian tribes. In Russia, marigolds got their name for their petals, which are very similar to velvet.
Street cultivation
Marigolds are quite unpretentious plants. Take root very well, tolerate drought and other adverse weather events. Therefore, growing them in your own garden or in a city flower bed is very possible.
Outdoor planting can begin in early springas soon as the threat of frost passes.
The plant can be planted with seedlings that have been grown in advance in a greenhouse or at home. You can sow seeds in the ground (about the features of growing marigolds from seeds, read here). In some cases, the finished bushes are sprinkled with earth and, with proper care, they remarkably take root.
Features
Marigolds are photophilous plants, but even in the shade they will delight with their bright sunny flowers. Excessive watering can cause permanent damage due to excess moisture.. A gray mold will appear on the flowers, they will cease to bloom.
When growing marigolds in a flower bed, you need to take into account the length of the stem, since some varieties are stunted and should be planted along the edge of the flower bed. Read all the details of planting and caring for marigolds on open ground here.
Types of herbaceous plants for open ground with a photo
Due to the wide popularity of flowers, Today, a huge number of varieties of marigoldsthat will satisfy the taste and needs of even the most fastidious florist.
ATTENTION. Marigold leaves have a very strong smell. Therefore, they can cause allergies.Further you can familiarize with the description and photo of flowers in the open ground.
Rejected (French)
The view is very popular among gardeners. French marigolds are small herbaceous plants measuring about 50 centimeters in size. Bloom from early summer to late October. The flowers are small, up to 4 centimeters in diameter.. They have a bright, colorful coloring.
The view of rejected, or French marigolds is represented by such varieties as Vilmorin, Gold Ball, Golden Ball, Carmen, Queen Sofia, Orange Flame, Fire Ball.
Upright (African)
This type of marigold is distinguished by its large size. The bush can reach a height of one meter. The leaves are large enough, the flowers are bright, plain. The flower can be up to 15 centimeters in diameter. This type of marigold looks very impressive in single plantings. Most often grown for cutting. Flowers stand in a vase for a very long time.
The species is represented by such varieties as Alaska, Bolero, Yellow Stone, Golden Dollar, Golden Light, Lemon Prize, Solar Giants, Eskimo.
Thin-leaved (Mexican)
Bushes are small, grow up to 40 centimeters in height. The leaves are small, thin. Flowers are not large. Mexican marigolds can grow everywhere. There are even on the sidelines of dusty roads that have grown independently. Very suitable for areas with poor soil.
Thin-leaved marigolds have such varieties as Golden Ring, Gnome, Golden Ring, Lulu, Paprika.
Do-it-yourself decoration
When making flower beds with your own hands, you need to decide in advance which flowers will make up the composition. For beginner gardeners, the best option would be a flowerbed of marigolds and petunias. This is due to the fact that these plants do not require specific care, are tolerant to any type of soil and take root practically anywhere.
In order for the flowerbed to bring joy to its owner, you need to remember a few simple rules:
- Prepare the ground for a future flower bed before planting. The earth must be moistened, loosened, fertilizer added to the soil.
- Think about your landing plan in advance. Decide on the design of the flowerbed. It will be easier for you to plant flowers along the drawn line.
- Decide on the color scheme. Remember that when planting flowers in a chaotic manner, the flowerbed may turn out to be too colorful.
- Take into account the height of plants. Flowers that are large enough in height should be placed in the center of the flower garden. Low-growing, the so-called border flowers, will harmoniously look along the edge of the flower bed.
- Planting flowers begins at the center of the flowerbed. So you do not damage the plants that were planted around the perimeter.
- Consider the distance between seedlings. Flowers should not be placed too close together. Their root system is quite extensive. During growth, they will intertwine, and interfere with the growth of neighboring plants. As a result, the flowers will be small, inconspicuous.
IMPORTANT. The optimal distance for planting petunias and marigolds is a distance of 20 centimeters between the bushes.
In the photo you can see how a flower bed from only marigolds and petunias looks like:
Conditions and care
After the flowerbed is planted with flowers, you need to properly care for it. Otherwise, all your efforts will not lead to the desired result. Marigolds are not the most demanding plants. Therefore, caring for them will not be difficult. The main actions when caring for the flower bed will be:
- watering;
- top dressing;
- loosening.
How often to water marigolds in open ground is determined by the stages of their growth. The first time after planting, water the flowers should be intensive. The same goes for plant growth time. But in the period of setting flowers and flowering itself, it is important not to overdo it. Otherwise, the flowers may undergo such a disease as root rot. Read about how to water and properly fertilize the plant for plentiful and beautiful flowering in this article.
In the summer, it is better to water in the evening after sunset. Some gardeners water the flower beds early in the morning. But summer morning is a rather hot period, moisture can evaporate before watering the roots.
Loosening also needs to be done as necessary. If the earth has become hard, then you need to slightly fluff it, without damaging the roots of the plant.As fertilizing, you can use various fertilizers, except for manure.
Advice
- Marigold photophilous plants. Of course, they can grow in partial shade. But, if you want to achieve the optimal result, it is better to choose a plot open for sun for growing.
- Top dressing should be done before planting in the ground and during a period of intensive growth. Frequent use of top dressing leads to long flowering of the bush.
- In place of wilted flowers, new ones may appear. But this will happen only if the marigold is trimmed.
- With very high soil moisture, plants can rot. Snails and slugs are also very dangerous for marigolds. If they appear, then it is necessary to remove them. You also need to temporarily suspend watering so that the soil dries out. Read more about diseases and pests of marigolds in this article.
If you follow these simple rules for planting and caring for marigolds, your flowerbed will please the eye for a long time. Fill your garden with a sunny mood that will later be passed on to you.