Decoration of any garden will be bright flower beds. Among the flowers that make up the living composition, there will certainly be marigolds. Bright, fragrant, velvety inflorescences always delight with their beauty from the beginning of summer until the first autumn frosts.
Marigolds are a plant of the aster family, they come from Latin America. This thermophilic plant is quite unpretentious. A highly branched annual flower , depending on the variety, can grow from 20 cm to a meter in height. Inflorescences located in the upper part of the plant - simple or double, have an elongated peduncle. Reaching a diameter of two to twelve centimeters, they can be yellow, orange or brown-yellow. Especially spectacular are their colorful forms.
For each variety in the flower garden there is a worthy place. Marigolds are undersized - universal plants. Due to their unpretentiousness and at the same time spectacular appearance, they are very popular among gardeners. The small size and rather large flowers, which have a long flowering period, make it possible to grow plants not only in flower beds, but also in flowerpots and flowerpots. They are used for landscaping garden plots, streets, parks and even balconies. Marigolds are undersized - an excellent material for creating bouquets. In cut form, they are stored for 10 days.
Low-growing flowers are an excellent material for decorating live borders and drawing up vivid compositions, the advantage of which is that they are very colorful and with simple agricultural techniques preserve decorative features throughout the season. They are easy to transplant. Even in the flowering phase, planting material easily survives.
Marigolds are stunted in sunny areas. However, even in partial shade they do not lose their attractiveness. Flowers are not demanding on moisture. If the summer is dry, you cannot find more suitable flowers for flower beds . They easily cope with high air temperatures and the lack of abundant watering. Marigolds are stunted more unpretentious than tall forms. Such flowers are not demanding on soil fertility. There is no need to create special conditions for them.
When planting flowers, the thermophilicity of this species is taken into account. Marigolds are often used to create early compositions. Low-growing varieties for these purposes are grown in seedlings. In late spring, when the threat of night frost is over, plants are planted in open ground. Flowers take root easily. The only condition for spring planting is the absence of frost. Heat - loving annual flowers die even with minor frosts. Marigolds undersized can be planted with flowering seedlings. This makes it easier to create vibrant floral arrangements.
In addition to the seedling method, seed propagation is used. From mid-May, plots have been prepared on which marigolds are planned to be sown. Seeds germinate in a week and a half. Seedlings thin out. Extra plants are used for transplanting to other areas or in flowerpots, as well as for the formation of borders or flower beds.
Marigolds are also suitable for growing on balconies or loggias. For this purpose, seeds are sown in boxes in April. Before warm weather, they grow indoors. An unpretentious plant easily copes with the lack of bright lighting, the flowers do not stretch, maintaining their decorative appearance.
Marigold seeds ripen from August to September. Faded inflorescences break off and dry well. Ripened seeds will be suitable for sowing next year.