Man is accustomed to planting flowers just to be able to enjoy their fragrance and beauty. It is unlikely that any of us thought that there are such plants that bring not only aesthetic pleasure, but also significant benefits. It turns out that nature gave people such a miracle. These are marigold flowers, which can be seen more often in city flower beds than in summer residents on the site.
General information
The fact that these beauties rarely grow in gardens, and more often on the street, is due to the fact that they are unpretentious and bloom all summer, and therefore municipal gardeners opt for them, although they are the same age. And the fact that marigold flowers are not widespread among summer residents has a very prosaic reason - many do not really like their smell. But few people know that what some consider a minus is also a plus. This smell, so disliked by people, repels not onlyhuman, but also many harmful worms that cause great damage to the crop.
But this can be easily avoided if you plant marigold flowers along the perimeter of the site, where cultivated plants grow. And then there will be no worms on the site.
Description
Marigold flowers got their name, most likely, because of the amazing velvety sheen of brownish-red petals. Depending on the varieties, their height ranges from twenty centimeters to one meter. For example, varieties of Mandarin or Petit Orange are undersized, they form compact bushes, and such as Hawaiian or Mary Helen grow almost to the height of the fence on the site.
Representatives of the genus in the wild are most often found in Central or South America. Many varieties are cultivated in Mexico, and in Chile, and in Brazil, and others. In our country, marigolds are most often found as an adventive plant. They are cultivated as ornamental plants.
Views
These flowers are also called Tagetes, and Ukrainians call them Chernobrivtsy. There are several types of this plant. According to the shape of the flower, marigolds are deviated and upright. The first variety is also called French. They make beautiful curtains and borders. Compositions look especially beautiful if you alternate in color with contrasting, but similar in structure and shape varieties. Marigolds rejected have a sprawling bush shape. As a rule, they are not tall.
Another species - erect marigolds, or African ones - are real giants with powerful stems. They reach a height of up to one meter and have very large double flowers.
The smallest species are thin-leaved or Mexican marigolds. Their flowers form a huge number of densely leafy shoots, on which very elegant thin carved leaves grow. Apparently, this is where their name came from. In our country, another species is not yet widespread enough - aniseed marigolds.
Features
Tagetes belong to the family of Asteraceae or Compositae. Today in our country there are not only annuals, but also perennial marigolds brought to us from Arizona.
All varieties have a well-developed fibrous root system. This plant blooms quite abundantly. Its leaves are pinnately dissected or separate, serrated, from light to dark green, arranged in the next order or oppositely and having translucent glands.
The marigold fruit is a black or blackish-brown strongly flattened achene that remains viable for four years. In its one gram from two hundred to seven hundred seeds.
Inflorescences
They are terry or simple baskets, painted yellow, orange or brown. The heads of the inflorescences are of medium size. Their cylindrical coverlet consists of one row of leaflets fused together. Marginal female flowers are reed, and achenes are linear, towards the baseconstricted. Marigolds bloom profusely from June until frost. The aroma that surrounds the plant during this period is very peculiar and strong. This smell is difficult to confuse with another.
It is believed that marigold flowers have positive energy. For the Chinese, they are a symbol of longevity.
Growing
Flower growers know that orange and yellow marigolds are quite unpretentious and not demanding. This statement is especially true for varieties of a rejected species, which grow well even along busy highways. They stand up well to exhaust fumes, urban smog and poor soil conditions.
Almost all varieties prefer open areas, but if they are planted in a shaded garden plot, they will nevertheless delight the owners with their long flowering. The soil for planting and growing should be neutral, loamy. At the same time, be sure to maintain optimal humidity in it.
Reproduction
In open soil, marigold seeds are sown in late May or early June. Ten days later, the first shoots appear. At first, it is desirable to cover the soil with a non-woven material - acrylic or lutrasil. In this case, seeds can be planted a week or a week and a half ahead of schedule, thereby accelerating flowering.
For seedlings, earlier than other varieties - in mid-March - upright marigolds are sown, while rejected or thin-leaved ones - from the beginning of April. With optimal care, flowering of all three varieties will begin withJune. The plant tolerates a transplant easily even in a flowering state.
Tagetes erecta
Erect or African marigolds have large terry inflorescences, reaching a diameter of up to fifteen centimeters. The color of flowers starts from pale yellow and ends with dark orange. It must be said that this species prefers more sunny areas in the garden, and therefore is reluctant to bloom in shady places.
Varieties differ in height: there are gigantic, reaching a height of up to a meter, high (60-90 cm), medium (45-60 cm) and low. The most common representatives of the species are the marigolds of Antigua, which have the shortest stature. With proper care, this plant forms numerous inflorescences with a diameter of up to ten centimeters. Antigua marigolds can be seen not only in the gardens of summer residents, but also everywhere in parks and lawns right on the street.
Another representative of the erect species - the Golden Dollar - has compact tall bushes, strong thick ribbed shoots of light green color. It has large dark leaves and almost spherical carnation-shaped inflorescences of a red-orange color that do not have a smell. This is an early variety, it blooms from the end of May until the first frost. In landscaping, the Golden Dollar is used for cutting and tall groups.
Very often in the gardens you can find bright yellow marigolds. This is Gelber Stein, whose bushes grow up to seventy centimeters. The inflorescences of the Yellow Stone are chrysanthemum-shaped, light golden.
Other varieties of upright tagetes, such as Golden Light, Sunshine, Lemon Prize, etc., are not verycommon among gardeners. They are most often used in parks for group planting.
Tagetes rejected
They are called French in another way. Compared to erect ones, they are much shorter and reach a maximum height of forty centimeters. They can have both double and chrysanthemum-shaped inflorescences, which are also beautiful. Varieties of rejected marigolds are quite numerous.
For example, the Golden Ball has sprawling highly branched bushes that grow up to half a meter. The shoots of this variety are green, ribbed and strong, with a reddish-brownish bloom. The leaves of the Golden Ball are of medium size. Inflorescences are simple and semi-double, up to four centimeters in diameter. The reed flowers of this variety, arranged in one or two rows, are velvety and have a reddish-brown color, while the tubular flowers are golden yellow. Golden ball, being early, blooms from the first days of June. It is used most often for cutting.
Another representative of the rejected tagetes - Queen Sophia - weakly terry bicolor inflorescences: they appear red, with an orange-bronze border, but gradually, slightly fading in the sun, acquire a brown tint. They reach a diameter of up to seven centimeters.
The most interesting in terms of appearance are lemon marigolds - Lemon Gem. They have densely leafy, compact, strongly branched bushes growing up to thirty centimeters, which are spherical in shape. The shoots of lemon marigolds are thick and strong, with dark red ribs. The leaves are medium in size and dark green in color. Inflorescences are clove-colored double, up to four centimeters in diameter, consisting only of bright yellow reed flowers. This is a fairly early variety. Experts recommend growing it for flowerbeds and rabatok, to decorate balconies. The rejected tagetes also includes the varieties Golden Head, Orange Flame, Fireball, etc.
Thin-leaved variety
These flowers have beautiful openwork thinly cut leaves and small non-double inflorescences compared to other varieties, reaching a maximum of two centimeters. The most popular representative is the thin-leaved marigold varieties Gnome - spherical densely leafy branched bushes with strong shoots. They are often used as a pot crop.
Anise marigolds
This is perhaps the most amazing view of this plant. Its stem, leaves and flowers exude the smell of tarragon, but it is much more pleasant and stronger. And the taste of the plant is very similar to this green. The aroma of anise marigolds is felt even at a sufficient distance. They bloom profusely throughout the summer months and are well suited for flower beds of any type, even with a limited amount of soil. The plant is unpretentious, drought-resistant, but at the same time loves heat very much.
Diseases and pests
The great advantage of marigold flowers is their stability. Phytoncides, which are secreted by their leaves, perfectly repel insects, including those living in the soil. And yet from time to time they mayblackleg or gray mold is observed, which are the result of the activity of fungi, as well as bacterial and diseases.
Marigolds, if properly cared for, will thank their owner not only with abundant growth, but also with beautiful long flowering. In order for the plant to grow and develop safely even on poor soils, regular top dressing is necessary: at least two or three times during its growing season.
Properties
Marigold flowers look great both in pots or flower beds on apartment balconies, and separately or in a group with other annuals or perennials. Many decorate flower beds and borders with them, believing that these flowers are simply indispensable for decorating a garden plot.
But, in addition to their decorative characteristics, marigolds also have a number of other useful properties.
They are able to heal the soil and plants on it from nematode infection, safely rid them of pests such as aphids, bears, cabbage fly and even cotton scoop. The green mass of this crop, planted in compost in autumn, is an excellent fertilizer that enriches and heals the earth.
Few people know that marigolds are excellent healers. Their flowers help with a number of diseases. First of all, they contribute to the preservation of vision, because they contain lutein. If you eat one or two small flowers or inflorescences before eating, then you can forget about a visit to the optometrist. You can dry marigolds and add one tablespoon of dry raw materials to tea. Such a natural drink has a beneficial effect intime for colic and bloating.
When insects bite in the country, and after that very unpleasant and itchy swellings remain, fresh juice from marigold leaves will help. They need to be rubbed in your hands and applied to the problem area.
