Marigolds are very popular inhabitants of summer cottages, flower beds and mini-flower beds on balconies. They are loved for their bright, long-lasting flowering throughout the summer, as well as their ease of care. Marigolds are annuals, which means they need to be planted every year. The easiest way to do this is with seeds. open ground. But marigolds are often grown as seedlings to achieve early, lush flowering.

• How to grow marigold seedlings?
• When to plant marigold seeds for seedlings and in open ground?
• Sowing process.

How to grow marigold seedlings

Information about how to grow marigold seedlings, we gleaned from two sources: “Handbook of a Skilled Florist” by O. Ganichkina and “Flowers. Better than everyone else! " L. Verghese.

• Flower seeds are sown in boxes in the first ten days of April. After 14 days, the seedlings dive. But you can do without picking seedlings. The seedlings will be ready for planting in open ground in the first ten days of June.
• Tall varieties of marigolds (height up to 100 cm) are planted at a distance of 25 - 35 cm from each other. Low-growing varieties - at a distance of 10-15 cm.

• Low-growing varieties are sown for seedlings 1 month before planting in open ground. Tall - 4-6 weeks before planting permanent place.
• When sowing seedlings, maintain a distance of 2-3 cm between seeds. When planting directly in open ground, the distance should be greater: 5-10 cm.
• When sowing in late April - early May, seedlings can be placed in a permanent place after 4-6 weeks.

Interesting fact! Marigold leaves secrete special phytoncides that repel many harmful pests, so they are often used for planting along the perimeter of beds or between plantings. It’s convenient to do this with seedlings so you can see where to plant.

When to plant marigolds?

So, the sources helped us determine the sowing date, when to plant marigold seeds:

For seedlings...

• sow seeds in boxes in early April. After 2 weeks, the young plants dive. Seedlings are transferred to open ground in early June.
• low-growing varieties are sown for seedlings 1 month before transplanting to a permanent place.
• tall varieties sow seedlings 4-6 weeks before planting in the ground.
• It is recommended to plant seedlings in open ground after the end of return frosts, because marigolds are afraid of them.

In open ground...

• Marigold seeds are sown in mid-May, and they germinate within 7-14 days. Young seedlings in open ground must be thinned out. The seedlings remaining after thinning are not thrown away, but are used as seedlings for planting in another flowerbed.

Sowing process

• In order not to dive, sowing marigold seeds for seedlings Convenient to produce in cassette containers for seedlings.
• Before sowing, the soil must be slightly moistened.
• Important: The seeds are not stuck in, but placed on the ground. Then soil is poured into the cassettes on top. Planting depth: 1.5 - 2 cm.

• After planting, the soil is slightly compacted. There is no need to water anymore.
• Finally, the container with the sown seeds is covered with glass or a plastic bag.
• Seeds germinate at room temperature(20-25 degrees) for 5-10 days. The cover can be removed at this stage.

If you are satisfied with the variety, then at the end of flowering you can collect the seeds and sow your own seeds for seedlings by the next season.

Variegated flowers, which are so popular among gardeners, are also known under the names Tagetes or Chernobrivtsy. Planting marigolds as seedlings allows you to create beautiful compositions in the garden at the beginning of summer. The plant will not only decorate your yard, but can also be used as a medicine.

Why are they so popular with gardeners?

Marigolds are unpretentious flowers that delight bright colors and long flowering

There are several reasons why marigolds are so loved by gardeners and novice gardeners:

1. Flowers are classified as herbaceous plants, and there are more than 30 species of them. All varieties are very unpretentious in care. They grow quickly and can survive long periods of time without watering.
2. Although the plant reproduces by seeds, it is best to grow seedlings. If you can’t do this yourself, you can buy seedlings at a flower shop or buy seeds and try to sow flowers.
3. Can be grown both at home and in open ground. Planting in the ground is carried out in early spring when the air outside warms up to +18°C.
4. Low cost of seeds different types. Even exquisite varieties with beautiful flowers are inexpensive.
5. The bright color of the plant, as well as a strong specific smell, which helps get rid of garden pests.

Many people love these flowers for their variegated colors and long-lasting blooms. They are the ones who decorate flower beds and alleys in city parks.

Planting marigolds for seedlings in 2018

Choose varieties to suit your taste, but take into account the basic color scheme when creating flower beds

Before planting them, remember that in each region planting occurs in different time. An experienced gardener can determine the timing individually, based on weather conditions and his own knowledge. If it is not possible to find out this information, it is better to consult a professional or consult with a seller at a flower shop.

Planting directly depends on the age of the seedlings. Seedlings can be planted in open ground at the age of 1.5–2 months.

You need to carefully ensure that frosts have stopped in your region at the time of planting. Usually this is the end of May - beginning of June. If you decide to plant flowers earlier, it is worth making a shelter for them.

Planting also depends on the variety of marigolds, because some bloom earlier, some a little later. The first sprouts appear 1.5–2 months after the seeds are sown.

Typically, planting this plant for seedlings begins in March and continues until the first ten days of April. Those who want flowers to appear at the beginning of summer, seedlings are planted at the end of January or at the beginning of February. But you need to take into account that seedlings will require additional lighting at this time of year.

Using the lunar calendar

Seedlings can be planted in any container: cassettes, containers, even cups

Based on the advice of the lunar calendar, you can successfully plant seedlings and grow beautiful flowers. Many gardeners and flower growers use its data to improve their crops.

According to lunar calendar 2018, it is recommended to plant seeds on the following favorable days:

• January: from 12 to 16, from 22 to 30;
• February: from 12 to 14, 26 to 27;
• March: from 12 to 15, from 22 to 26;
• April: from 9 to 11 and from 15 to 17.

If the seedlings were planted at the beginning of February, planting in the ground can be done at the end of March, but remember to use a protective film, since there may still be frosts at this time.

There are also unfavorable days. As they say experienced gardeners, you should not plant plants at this time, as there is a risk of losing marigolds. In February 2018 there are two unfavorable day: 11 and 24. In March these are 1, 11 and 28. In April it is worth refraining from landing during the following periods: from 1 to 3.04, as well as on April 24 and 25.

It is very important to plant plants during the waxing moon, or immediately after the new moon.

When to plant in different regions: table

Don’t be afraid to shift the planting dates for marigolds by 1–2 weeks. They will still grow well, but they will bloom a few weeks later.

Focus on a stable temperature when planting in open ground

If you plant seedlings in May, it is advisable to use a film to protect the sprouts, as well as carefully and regularly water and fertilize the plants.

• First of all, upright marigolds are sown. It is recommended to do this at the end of March and beginning of April. Before planting, you should also check the soil temperature and use a protective film for the first weeks;
• Low-growing ones can be sown only after two to three weeks. Such varieties also require additional protection;
• If you sow flowers in May, the plants will bloom by mid-summer and will delight the eye much longer than those planted in March. This is important for those who want to admire the magnificent blooms all summer ;
• Make sure that the soil when planting is not lower than +15°C.

This is useful! On the same days you can plant the following flowers: hyacinths, asters, peonies, irises and tulips. Before planting, it is advisable to weed the soil well so that the soil is loose. Additionally, you can use peat and fertilizers.

How to sow seeds: planting methods

It just seems that marigolds are monotonous flowers like weeds, but in fact they have many varieties and colors!

Future plants directly depend on whether the seedlings were planted correctly. Strong sprouts will be obtained only when all planting measures are followed and high-quality material is used.

Seedlings can be grown in a box, elongated peat pot, container or peat tablets. If cultivation occurs in common containers, picking is required. If you sow in individual pots, an intermediate transplant may not be necessary.

If you grow several varieties at the same time, it is worth making the necessary inscriptions on the container. There must also be holes in it so that excess water can escape. And in each box you need to cover the bottom with paper and add a layer of drainage, which should be 2-3 cm in height.
Suitable for drainage:

• Expanded clay;
• Coarse sand;
• Crushed stone;
• Perlite;
• There are also many synthetic fillers, which are suitable as drainage.

Most often, seedlings are sown in plastic cups or cassettes. It is better to choose neutral soil. Garden soil mixed with a small amount of sand and peat is excellent.

If you do not have experience in mixing different soils, you can buy a ready-made mixture, choosing the option with low acidity (it is suitable for indoor and garden plants).

Seedlings can be grown without soil, in rolls or on toilet paper

You can grow seedlings without soil. This is absolutely new method, which allows you to save space and get excellent seedlings. To do this we need a plastic film with a strip on top toilet paper. After which you should sprinkle it with water and put the seeds. On top you need to put one more ball of toilet paper and 2 sheets of polyethylene. Roll everything up and put it in a separate glass or pot.

Next add water. This must be done carefully, and the amount of liquid should be at the level of 3–4 centimeters. This entire system can be kept on a windowsill or placed in a warm place. The first shoots appear in about a week. When growing this way, do not forget about changing the water. This should be done at least once a week, after which fresh water should be added.

At an early stage of development, marigolds are susceptible to a disease called “black leg”. To prevent the occurrence of this disease, you need to use a solution of a fungicidal drug or ordinary potassium permanganate. It is with potassium permanganate that you can wipe the container in which you plan to plant seedlings. This method of protection will prevent the appearance of bacteria and various diseases.

An interesting way: how to sow flower seeds in a snail - video

Step-by-step instructions for planting seedlings

Make marks about the date of planting of flowers, this will make it easier to control germination

1. Before sowing, it is necessary to make small furrows 1 cm deep in the soil. The seeds must be placed in these same holes. The distance between them should be at least 2 cm (marigolds grow quite strongly, and therefore this should be taken into account when planting seedlings).
2. After the seeds are covered, the furrows need to be leveled.
3. Add water. After this, the container with seedlings must be placed on the windowsill so that there is enough light.
4. Marigolds love loose soil, rich nutrients. For good growth For seedlings, you can prepare the following mixture: fertile soil, peat, humus, river sand. Coconut fiber can be used for drainage.

Special attention should be paid to seed preparation. For better germination, they need to be moistened with water. Keep in paper soaked in water for about 3 days. After planting in the ground, you can cover the container with glass or plastic film.

Determine the optimal distance taking into account the height of other plants in the flowerbed

After the seedlings have been planted, it is worth putting the container in a warm and bright place. It is advisable that the room temperature is not lower than +22°C. If the seeds are of high quality and the planting is done correctly, the first shoots can be seen in 2–3 days. After you begin to notice the appearance of the first shoots, you can lower the room temperature to +18°C.

Do not be afraid that you watered the plant at the wrong time. These flowers are very unpretentious and can go without water for several days.
After two weeks you can start fertilizing them. If you notice that several leaves have already appeared, you need to make a dive and transplant the sprouts into separate cups.

Care also includes proper diving. Low-growing varieties are planted closer to each other, tall ones - further away.
Special care There is no need to look after the seedlings, you just have to monitor the temperature in the room, water it on time and make a dive so that the plant continues to grow and strengthen.

There are also several basic rules for care:

• Old inflorescences should be removed after wilting - this will allow the plant to bloom better;
• You can replant at any age;
• If the soil is good, you may not need to use additional fertilizers when growing.

Important! If the seeds were planted early (March-April), additional lighting should be used to increase daylight hours to 15 hours. Decorative varieties especially need this.

Marigolds can be grown on a windowsill, and its flowering will delight you for 2-3 months. In order to admire flowers for a long time, you should pay great attention to the choice of seedlings, planting in the ground and proper care. Planting seedlings in the right time, based on the opinion of gardeners and the lunar calendar, you can grow any variety of marigolds.

Marigolds are annuals herbaceous plants The Asteraceae family comes from hot Mexico.

What does marigold look like externally? 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 color ranges from light to dark green.

Reference! The blooming bud is a basket. There are a lot of varieties: simple or double, yellow, orange or brown. The diameter of the flower reaches from 3 to 4 centimeters. They bloom profusely from June until frost.

There are about 30 in nature, but only three of them have decorative value: erect marigolds, deflected marigolds and thin-leaved marigolds.

You can learn about the varieties of marigolds, as well as look at photos of the plant, and from here you will learn about the varieties and rules of care low-growing marigolds.

Where can I get seedlings?

To grow seedlings means to sow the seeds of a plant first so that the first shoots appear in more favorable conditions for this, and then, after the plant reaches a certain size, it is transplanted to a permanent place.

Useful video

Watch a video about sowing marigold seedlings:

Conclusion

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

1. Decide on the varieties you like.
2. Decide on how to grow seedlings: in the ground under cover in a garden plot or in trays on the windowsill of a city apartment.
3. Prepare a soil mixture of peat, compost and sand. Disinfect.
4. Sow the seeds. Create a greenhouse effect.
5. Ventilate periodically after the first shoots appear.
6. When 4-5 leaves appear, plant the plants.
7. After all the above steps, in late May-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.

Greetings to the creators of beautiful gardens! This time I’ll tell you about growing marigolds. Although Tagetes (another name for these beautiful and useful flowers) are quite unpretentious, but they, like any other crop, have certain requirements for growing conditions. You will find out exactly what you need to consider when growing marigolds by reading this article.

First, some specific requirements. Marigolds prefer soils that are light in mechanical composition, moderately fertile loams with a slightly acidic and neutral environment.

Tagetes – heat-loving crop, which does not tolerate frost at all. Plants are very resistant to drought. However, on initial stage growth and development require sufficient moisture.

To plant marigolds, choose open areas or light partial shade. In heavily shaded areas, plants stretch out and, most importantly, bloom poorly.

Tall varieties and hybrids are the most demanding in terms of temperature and soil. In a previous article, I already talked about them, as well as how they are useful for the garden.

How to grow marigolds

The main method of propagation of Tagetes is with the help of seeds. Hybrids can be propagated by stem cuttings, which take root well in water.

When growing marigolds from seeds, it is advisable to take fresh seeds. The period during which marigold seeds retain good germination is 2 years. For sowing, you can use both dry and sprouted seeds pre-soaked in water at room temperature. Sowing germinated seeds allows you to obtain optimal sowing density.

Growing marigolds is possible both through direct sowing in the ground and using seedlings. Seeds are sown in the ground from late May to early June. Using non-woven covering material, sowing in mid-May (or even earlier in warmer regions) is possible.

But when to plant marigold seedlings? There are several factors to consider:

1. How long has the weather been cool in your region and is return frost possible? Remember that young Tagetes plants do not like frost and may die if they are exposed to bad weather.
2. You need to consider when you want to receive flowering plants. Both when growing marigolds through direct sowing in open ground, and with the seedling method, keep in mind that from the beginning of sowing until flowering, the plants require an average of about 2 months (from 1.5 to 2.5 months, which depends on the growing conditions and depending on the type or variety of plant).

So, sowing seeds to obtain seedlings is carried out on March 15-April 10. With more late sowing Plants bloom only in July. When organizing and creating the necessary temperature regime Marigolds are sown in January-February. Then the flowering period begins in April-May.

To sow seeds, prepare seedling boxes with soil. Seeds are sown in grooves 1 cm deep in increments of 3-4 cm. Sprinkle the grooves on top with a mixture of garden soil and sand (1:1).

At +22…+25°C, the first shoots appear on the 4-6th day. For normal development seedlings require a lower temperature of +18…+20°C.

When 1-2 true leaves appear, the seedlings dive into boxes according to a 7x7 cm pattern. This avoids shading and stretching of seedlings.

Marigolds easily tolerate not only picking, but also replanting (even at the flowering stage). In this regard, they are not at all capricious, unlike.

Growing marigold seedlings using greenhouses and film greenhouses allows you to obtain the strongest seedlings.

Planting of marigold seedlings in a permanent place is carried out depending on the weather conditions of the region. In warmer regions, this may even be the end of April, but more often - early to mid-May. But in cold regions this is possible only in early June.

How to plant marigolds
To plant marigolds in a permanent place, small holes are prepared and planted in the ground according to the following scheme:

• 20×20 cm – for low-growing varieties and hybrids;
• 30×30 cm – for medium-sized children;
• 40x40 cm – for tall ones.

Remember also that marigolds are also desirable in many garden beds. The planted plants are watered with warm water.

If you didn’t have time to grow your own seedlings this year, you can purchase them at garden centers, markets, or from friends and acquaintances. But if you are not bothered by later flowering, then sow the seeds in a garden bed or flowerbed and watch the whole process of growth of these beautiful flowers.

Caring for marigolds
Caring for plants includes watering, weeding and loosening the soil. Thickened plantings are thinned out. Thinning plants and removing weeds helps prevent rot that appears on plant leaves in rainy weather. Well, if you are, then it will make your work easier, since you won’t have to fight weeds. And you will have to water less.

Removing spent flowers gives marigolds a neat appearance. appearance and prolongs the flowering of plants. In this way they are similar to many other colors, for example, they also look more beautiful blooms better, if you constantly remove fading flowers.

Although marigolds have virtually no pests, spider mites may appear on the plants during prolonged hot weather.

The first seeds appear after 35-40 days (from the beginning of flowering) and ripen gradually. Seeds are collected as they ripen. However, plants obtained from their own seeds often differ from the original maternal ones in the color of the inflorescences, the height of the shoots and other characteristics. Therefore, you should not collect seeds from hybrids. But there is also no guarantee that from seeds collected from varietal plants The same plants will grow as this year. The fact is that marigolds cross-pollinate and, accordingly, you can get something completely different from what you expect from your seeds.

Problems with growing marigolds
When growing tagetes, you should consider the following points:

• Lack of moisture in the soil limits plant growth and affects the size of inflorescences.
• Prolonged waterlogging of the soil causes the death of plants as a result of damage to the root system by fungal diseases.
• With the onset of prolonged rains, rotting of inflorescences, especially large ones, is observed. Remove them to avoid causing the entire plant to rot.
• When the temperature drops to +10°C and below, the leaves become reddish-purple, and the processes of growth and development are suspended.
• High temperatures and a large number of moisture, as well as the addition of organic matter in the spring, contribute to the increase in the vegetative mass of plants to the detriment of flowering.

As you can see, the agricultural technology for growing marigolds is standard. In terms of ease of cultivation and unpretentiousness, it is no coincidence that they take first place among all flower crops. This is what explains their popularity. Growing marigolds should not cause any complications, so good luck in decorating and making your garden healthier!

Also look interesting video on how to harvest marigold seeds:

I advise, dear readers, not to miss the publication of new materials on this blog.

Marigolds, Tagetes, Chernobrivtsy - all these are the names of the same plant, a favorite of many summer residents. Unpretentious bright lights “burn” in picturesque flower beds, delighting with their sunny beauty. Flowers decorate garden paths, “velvet” flower beds create coziness on city balconies. In order for them to bloom on time every year, you need to know how and when to different regions plant marigold seedlings.

Why are marigolds so popular among gardeners?

Marigolds are varied in color and texture, do not require complex care, look good in flower beds and in various flower arrangements. Marigolds have long taken root in dachas and parks, but they are valued not only for their bright beauty. This is also useful plants. They are widely used to protect vegetable and garden crops from pests, used in folk medicine and cooking.

Gardeners' favorites not only delight with beauty, but also bring benefits

What are they good for?

• Flowers have a specific strong smell, insecticidal properties and produce phytoncides. Therefore, they serve to control insect pests. A decoction of tagets is used to disinfect flower bulbs and spray the seedlings.
• They last a long time cut in bouquets.
• Marigolds are used in folk medicine to relieve stress, normalize blood sugar, and improve vision.
• In cooking, dried flowers are used as a spice and added to sauces and marinades. This is another well-known oriental seasoning - Imeritan saffron.

These plants are widely used in landscape design, they look colorful in monoflowers (tapeworms) and add color to lawns and lawns. A flower bed composed of different varieties of Tagetes is extremely impressive. They replace each other in waves - from the shortest on the periphery to the tallest in its center. And the shape of their bushes is different: a ball, an inverted pyramid or openwork, delicate leafy lace. A color palette changes from lemon or golden to white or yellow-brown.

Marigolds are combined with other flowers in bright compositions

They bloom all summer and almost all autumn, and go well with zinnias, gilly leaves, phlox, petunias, asters, dahlias and other flowering annuals. Sunny, bright flowers warm shades are well combined with cool violet-lilac or blue flowers. And in small areas, marigolds beautifully color potato or other vegetable beds, repelling pests from them.

Bright flower bed from annual plants decorates the city park

Planting dates in 2018

Growing tagetes is practiced using seedlings and non-seedlings, or by sowing seeds directly into a flower bed. But due to the fact that these plants are heat-loving and tolerate drought better than frost, sowing seedlings results in flowering almost a month earlier. And the flower beds turn out uniform, because... When sowing directly, not all seeds may germinate.

The use of seedlings for growing marigolds in a favorable climate allows you to enjoy their flowering already in April. To achieve this result, it is important to correctly calculate the timing of sowing seeds in home greenhouses. Calculation recommendations are based on various criteria.

The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings is different for the regions of Russia

Experienced flower growers believe that the most early date sowing of seeds is February, but it can last until mid-April. Timing is affected various factors: cultivation technology, variety and region.

There are the following technological methods for sowing seeds:

• For seedlings - from the end of winter, but illumination in the evening is required.
• Under film - since May.
• In open ground - a couple of weeks later, but in southern areas already from April.

The sowing time is affected by weather conditions, which differ significantly in different regions. When calculating the timing, it is taken into account that by the time the bushes are planted in open ground, the weather should be consistently warm. And the soil should warm up to 15 degrees. It is also taken into account that by this time the seedlings should be 45–60 days old. Taking these factors into account, it follows that planting marigold seedlings differs in different regions.

• In the Urals, Siberia or Leningrad region (with possible night frosts even in mid-May), it is better to plant marigolds in June. And, therefore, you need to sow seeds for seedlings no earlier than mid-April.
• In the Moscow region and middle lane Sowing seeds can begin a couple of weeks earlier in order to transplant the seedlings at the end of May. If you cover it with spabond, then the deadlines can be shifted by a couple of weeks.
• IN southern regions With a mild winter and a friendly early spring, sowing can begin another 2-3 weeks earlier.

Florists also need to pay attention to the fact that different varieties They are distinguished not only by their appearance (the height of the bush, its shape and color). They have different timing from seed germination to the beginning of flowering. It is known that tall varieties grow more slowly than thin-leaved and low-growing varieties. Adjusting for grade, sowing dates look like this:

• Upright varieties, which need to reach 2 months of maturity to flower, are sown from late March to early April.
• Low-growing varieties - a couple of weeks later.
• The sowing time for seeds of thin-leaved specimens ranges from the end of April to the first half of May. They only need a month before planting in flower beds.

In any of the options, transplanting into the ground takes place in May, then flowering can be observed as early as June.

Sowing marigolds according to the lunar calendar

There are calculations of favorable and infertile days for seedling cultivation Tagetes according to the lunar calendar for 2018. Based on them, the following days are considered successful (by month):

• In January - 12, 16, 22, 30, but additional lighting is needed.
• In February - 20–23, 25–27. Seedlings obtained from seeds are planted under film in a flower garden within a month.
• In March - 7–10, 19–22, 24th. In this case, transplanting to flower beds begins in mid-April.
• In April - 7–9, 17, 19, 22, 25. The seedlings are ripe for transplanting by May.
• In May - 1st, 2nd, 8th, 17th, 23rd.

By sowing seeds on the indicated days, you can grow bushes that will bloom earlier and more generously than those grown from seeds sown in the beds immediately.

The following are considered unfavorable for sowing Tagetes:

• In February: 1, 9, 14–16, 19, 24, 28.
• In March: 2, 12–15, 17, 23, 31.
• In April: 10, 15, 15, 24. 30th.
• In May: 7th, 14th, 15th, 29th.

These days are empty and include new moons, full moons and solar eclipses.

When to sow marigold seeds: table of dates by region

Varieties of varieties	Regions
	Kuban	Moscow region	Leningrad region, Ural, Siberia
Sowing in a greenhouse: erect	Early: late January-early February (for flowering in April). Normal: early March	Late March-early April	Second half of April
short	Mid March	Mid April	End of April
thin-leaved	End of March	End of April	Mid May
Sowing in open ground under film	End of March beginning of April	Beginning of May	Second half of May
Sowing in open ground without shelter	End of April	The end of May	Mid June
For reference: transplanting seedlings from a greenhouse	End of April	The end of May	Mid June

Simultaneously with marigolds (at the same time), you can sow seedlings: gillyflowers, eschscholzia, phlox, zinnias, asters, petunias, delphiniums, sweet pea, daisies.

Disembarkation methods

Except traditional way, which will be discussed below, there are more simple methods growing Tagetes seedlings. Let's look at three of them:

• Into the snail. The roll of backing for the laminate is cut into strips 10 cm wide. They are rolled into a spiral and placed in a five-liter plastic water bottle, cut in half lengthwise. For reliability, the “snail” is fastened with a rubber band. Neutral moist soil is poured between its layers. Seeds are stuck into it, nose down, and markers are placed to indicate the variety and sowing date. Then the container is covered with film or a medical shoe cover and wait for germination.
• A small layer of earth is poured into the same container, then covered generously with seeds. They will look like a layer of mulch. The seed material is watered generously from a spray bottle, covered with the second part of the container, and sealed with tape. When the seeds have 2 true leaves, they are transplanted into separate cups. To make it easier to separate them, the seedlings are moistened with a spray bottle.
• In a diaper. Lay out several layers of paper on the food bag, which is well moistened. Stepping back from the edge by 0.5–0.7 cm, the seeds are laid out on it with the black nose down. The diaper is rolled up like a rolled-up cigarette, placed in a glass of water, and covered with film. Shoots appear within a few days.

Step-by-step instructions for planting marigold seedlings

Prepared seeds are planted in cups or boxes. It is necessary that the boxes have drainage holes to allow excess water to escape. Their bottoms are first covered with paper, and drainage made of expanded clay or crushed stone is poured onto it with a 3 cm layer. Subsequent actions are carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Soil preparation. Light and nutritional composition from 2 parts of garden soil, 1 part of peat, humus and a little less coarse sand. To make the earth “breathe” better, add a little coconut fiber to it. It is disinfected by watering it with a hot solution of rich-colored manganese. There are also special means for this (Fitosporin). Then the earthen mixture is calcined for 1 hour in the oven or 10 minutes in the microwave. Ready-made substrate purchased in a store does not need this. In order for beneficial bacteria to develop in it, the substrate is poured into boxes and left at room temperature for 3 days.

   The earth mixture must be calcined in the oven

2. Seeds purchased in a store or collected from a garden plot are placed in cotton bags and moistened generously warm water and leave for 3 days in a warm place so that they germinate faster.

   Seeds must be soaked before planting

3. In prepared earth mixture draw grooves at a distance of 4 cm from each other. Seeds are placed in them to a depth of approximately 1 cm, leaving an interval of 2 cm.

   Make grooves for seeds in a container with soil.

4. They are covered on top with a mixture of equal parts sand and earth, and a little wood ash is added there, in order to prevent blackleg disease.

   Marigold seeds sprinkled with soil

5. The contents of the boxes are covered with glass or film on top and left at a temperature of 22–25 ⁰C.

   The sown marigold seeds should be covered with something transparent.

6. Greenhouses are ventilated every day to prevent condensation from accumulating. Watering is carried out with settled warm water, but it is better to spray it from a spray bottle. The earth should not dry out.

   When germinating seeds, you should follow the watering regime

7. When sprouts appear, the room temperature is reduced to 18 ⁰C.

   Rules for caring for seedlings include the following points:

   • The temperature in the room should not exceed 18 ⁰C.
   • Watering is carried out with warm, settled water in the morning as the soil dries.
   • Daylight hours should be 15 hours. If the plants do not have enough sunlight, then use fluorescent lamps.
   • Plants are fed every 2 weeks complex fertilizers, stopping feeding 2 weeks before transplanting seedlings into open ground. You can use liquid product “Ideal” (2 caps per liter of water). It is useful to alternate the following compositions: hydrogen peroxide (2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water) or ammonia (1 tablespoon per half bucket).
   • When 2 true leaves are formed, the bushes are planted in soil with a similar composition. The transplant is done according to the 7 by 7 by 7 scheme. In this case, the main root is shortened by half so that lateral processes are formed.
   • 10 days before planting in the flowerbed, the seedlings are hardened off by exposing them to the air. The time of these “walks” is gradually increased to a day.

   Video: how to plant flower seedlings

   When growing these bright, heat-loving annuals that bloom for at least 4 months a year, it is better to use seedling method. It allows you to speed up the flowering of plants and improve its quality. But at the same time, it is important to correctly calculate the sowing time, taking into account climatic conditions, the specific growth of each variety and other factors. Then the marigolds will bloom together soon after planting in the garden.