Growing marigold from seed and planting dates

If the flower is not only beautiful,but also useful, he will definitely find his place on the plot. You can grow a well-known calendula from the seeds by choosing the right planting dates. It is also important to create a plant in such conditions in which it will bloom profusely and continuously.

Description of the plant

Calendula officinalis( or marigold) is common and is cultivated throughout the temperate zone. It is light-requiring, cold-resistant and unpretentious to conditions. The plant is annual, erect, in different varieties the height ranges from 20 to 70 cm. Medicinal raw materials are inflorescences - baskets. They are yellow or orange. Along with the usual form of flowers, there is a calendula terry. Flowering plant from June to autumn frosts. The fruits ripen in late summer - early fall. Propagated only by seeds.

Planting Calendula Seeds

Calendula can be grown from seed by sowing in open ground or in seedlings. In the second case, it will bloom earlier. Seeds of marigolds in open ground are sown in two terms: in spring, when the soil thaws and dries, and in the fall, before the onset of sustained frosts.

In the middle lane conditions, the second and third decades of April are optimal for spring planting. The soil is considered finished if an abandoned lump of earth crumbles.

Autumn planting of calendula in the ground is done when night frosts become regular, the soil has not frozen yet, but no warm days are expected.

If you sow a calendula before the onset of cold weather, the seeds will have time to hesitate and then the seedlings will freeze out. In order not to be mistaken in terms, you can sow in the prepared grooves after the upper layer freezes, falling asleep with the ground, which you prepared in advance and kept in a warm place.

Calendula planting time for outdoor cultivation may vary in different regions. An inexperienced gardener can clarify them with neighbors in the dacha.

The seedlings are sown from late February to early April. The tanks, after planting, are watered with separated water and covered so that the earth does not dry out. Several times a day, shelter is removed to air. After the emergence of shoots shelter removed. Seedlings need bright lighting and moderate watering. A few days before planting in the open ground, seedlings begin to harden - they take it out at a temperature of 12-16 degrees. Despite the fact that the plant is cold-resistant, hardened seedlings will start growing faster and will hurt less after transplantation.

Rules for planting calendula into the groundFor registration of beds with annuals can be sown at the same time.

For better flowering, the marigolds should be given the most lighted areas.

It is advisable to fertilize the soil before planting the calendula. In the fall in the land make per square meter:

• 3-4 kg of compost;
• for a tablespoon of phosphate and potash fertilizers;
• coarse sand for heavy clay soils.

Potash fertilizers can be replaced by ash.

Sow the seeds in the grooves for clearance ravatok and point for beds. In rabatka, the distance between the seeds should be 8-10 cm, for single plantings in flowerbeds one plant requires an area of ​​20-30 cm2.Seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm. From a greater depth, seeds will be harder to germinate. Spring planting watered with warm water, the seeds are left in the fall in the dry ground. The first sprouts appear in 5-7 days, and after a month the shoots can be thinned if necessary. The pulled seedlings are transplanted to a new place. Calendula easily tolerates transplanting even during flowering.

In any photo with marigold flowers, you can see that healthy plants grow freely, without growth, each is illuminated by sunlight. You also need time to weed out the weeds.

Thickened plantings, over-feeding and long-term cultivation in the same place increase the risk of developing black legs, spotting and powdery mildew.

Plant care

Since the plant is unpretentious, after planting a calendula, care in the open field is only in periodic watering, weeding and dressing. If fertilizers have been applied to the soil in advance, it is necessary to feed with care, not exceeding the amount. At the beginning of the season, marigolds can be fertilized with nitrogen to build up green mass. It is applied as a liquid urea solution for spraying or watered at the root. You can use diluted 1 to 10 solution of mullein, bird droppings or nettle infusion.

At the beginning of flowering plants can be sprayed with complex fertilizer containing boron. This trace element contributes to a longer and lush flowering.

Collection of medicinal raw materials and seeds.

. Marigold will bloom longer if the fading inflorescences are promptly removed. But, if the calendula is planted as a medicinal plant, then it is necessary to pick off the flowers in the phase of full disclosure of the flower. Better to do it in dry weather.

Read also: Healing gift of nature: meadowsweet, its healing properties and contraindications

Calendula seeds ripen in late summer. They are large, gray-brown, resemble the letter "C" in appearance. Flower stalks with seeds are cut off and laid out to dry in a dark place with good ventilation. After drying, they are scrubbed and kept in cloth or paper bags in a dry room.

Read also: Have you planted a hydrangea on a plot in the spring in open ground?

What are the benefits of calendula in the garden

The whole plant produces phytoncides, which, if not destroy the pest, then scare him. So, planting marigolds can clear the strawberry beds from nematodes. Another marigold in the garden helps from such pests as:

• bear,
• asparagus rattle,
• caterpillar hawk butterfly.

The green mass of a plant can be plowed into the soil, using it as a siderat. This operation heals the earth from phytophthora of solanaceous and nematodes. When growing marigold from seed for soil fertilization, the best planting dates will be early spring and August.

In spring, Calendula is sown on green mass before winter plantings of garlic, onions, carrots, and at the end of summer - to prepare the soil for the next season.

With the implementation of these simple recommendations, bright sunny calendula flowers will delight you all summer and will undoubtedly bring many benefits.

Planting Calendula Seedlings in the Ground - Video