Mariana F.
Learn how to properly collect marigold seeds. When and how should this be done?
Many people wonder how to collect seeds correctly and is it worth it at all? Perhaps they will come up next spring? But in order to preserve the decorativeness of the flower, it is still worth devoting a little time to the correct collection of seeds, which is guaranteed to give you good seedlings and save varietal characteristics.
Once the marigolds bloom, you can mark the plants that look the most attractive and are suitable for collecting seeds. You should know that inflorescences in marigolds are of two types:
- bisexual tubular flowers, the petals of which are located around the center of the inflorescence;
- female reeds, the petals of which are located on the periphery, the so-called terry varieties.
Marigold female flowers
Simple tubular flowers produce many more seeds due to the fact that they are self-pollinating. Terry inflorescences consist of only female flowers and need cross-pollination, because seeds on such flowers are formed much less than on simple ones. However, it is the seeds collected from terry inflorescences that carry "fluffy" signs. Therefore, if you want to get decorative offspring, it is recommended to collect seeds from such flowers.
Since the tages has blossomed and until the seeds fully ripen, it takes about 40 days. You can start collecting when the inflorescences you have chosen turn yellow and become completely dry, and the stems turn brown. It is necessary to cut off the seed box and carefully pour the seeds into a cardboard box or paper bag so that the seeds do not get moldy or damp.
Ripe box with marigold seeds
It should be noted that the full ripening of seeds is possible only in sunny or dry weather. If it is constantly raining and damp outside, then you can not leave the seeds to ripen in such conditions. Most likely, they will dampen and rot. To prevent this, it would be advisable on a warm, clear day to cut wilted, but not dried inflorescences along with the stems. Cut flowers are collected in a bunch and hung upside down in a dry place. Under the bundles put a large sheet of paper. As it dries, the ripened seeds will fall on the leaf themselves, and you will only have to collect the finished “harvest”, pack it in a paper bag and store it until spring.
Seeds collected in this way are no different from those that ripened directly in the ground, and are able to store germination for 3-4 years.
marigold seeds
How to care for marigolds to get quality seeds
In order to collect high-quality seeds, you must follow some rules for planting marigolds:
If you have different varieties of marigolds growing on the same bed, then pollination will inevitably lead to a change in the appearance of the flowers. Perhaps a few varieties will even disappear. However, do not be upset - tages seeds can always be found on sale. And if you are a gambler who loves experiments, then feel free to collect seeds from your pollinated flowers, maybe next year you will grow an unusual new kind of beautiful marigolds.
How to collect marigold seeds: video
Christopher Columbus, who discovered a new continent in October 1492, gave the inhabitants of the globe food for the body - potatoes, for the mind - tobacco, for the soul - marigolds. Once amazed by the beauty of tagetes (the original name of the flower), people wanted to admire the orange splendor every year, so they started collecting planting material.
"From a bad seed there will be no good tribe" - a proverb relevant to the human race, animals and flowering plants. A flower bed, lawn or border is pleasing to the eye when the plants are healthy, full-fledged, bright, abundant and bloom for a long time. The article will tell you how to collect marigold seeds, which always adorn the house landscape.
Brief introductory
Instructions for readers who are short of time, but want to clarify how to properly collect marigold seeds:
- Collection time: end of August-October.
- Weather: no precipitation.
- Capacity: ladle, bucket.
- Technology: break off a dried flower, knead with your fingers, pour the seeds into a container, discard the bed.
- Spread the collected seeds on a flat surface, dry for three days, remove debris, put in a paper bag until spring.
A photo of how to collect seeds from marigolds will help you navigate the procedure.
Rationale for choice
Marigolds are favorites of garden interiors. These profusely flowering plants are:
- get along with others in a limited space;
- drought-resistant: even after a week of heat, after abundant watering, the stem comes to life and gives new buds;
- repel pests; marigolds themselves are susceptible to two diseases: due to waterlogging of the soil, a fungus may develop, and due to prolonged drought, a spider mite may appear; here it is important for the gardener to observe agricultural technology;
- endowed with a tart "oriental" aroma, which allows the inflorescences to be used in therapy and cooking;
- the palette starts with yellow and ends with golden ocher;
- buds open until frost.
Hero portrait
The plant has dark green leaves, stem and buds. When the life cycle of a flower comes to an end, the bright petals dry out, the sepals become sandy.
The seeds of the flower are elongated, dark black, with a pointed tip of the seat and a fluff at the upper end.
There is a technique for collecting marigold seeds at home.
- Choose a dry day when the previous day was dry. Exclude the presence of moisture in the seed bud. Wet seeds quickly become moldy.
- Break dry stems. If the stem is not dry enough, then trim the bud with scissors or pruners so as not to damage the plant as a whole.
- Mash the bud, remove the sepals and bed, spread the seeds in a thin layer on a flat surface. It is not suitable to use plastic, ceramics or oilcloth for drying, as the seeds sweat on such materials. Use a wooden board or a natural cotton or linen cloth to dry. Never expose to bright sun.
- Put dry seeds in breathable paper bags or boxes. Seeds in plastic bags can become moldy.
- The storage area should be dry, dark and well ventilated. In a city apartment, the lower shelf of the refrigerator door or a cabinet under the kitchen window in Khrushchev is suitable. Seeds must not be overheated, therefore, bags with planting material should not be placed near the battery.
harvest time
It is necessary to imagine exactly when to collect marigold seeds for seedlings. Flowering begins depending on the time the plant is planted in the ground. In the climatic conditions of the Southern Urals, flowers open at the end of June.
The life of a flower until the seeds fully ripen is six weeks. The plant is good because the flowers bloom sequentially one after another. If the gardener was late to collect the first buds with seeds, then you can always process the next batch of inflorescences.
It is important to wait for ripening when the seeds become dark and hard. Unripe seeds will deteriorate during storage and will not produce a crop.
In October, flowering ends, you can cut the whole plant, hang to dry in a well-ventilated area. It should be noted that ripe and dried seeds are independently separated from the bed. Therefore, it is useful to wrap the cut bushes with gauze before drying so that the seeds do not scatter around the room.
Grains and tares
Not all seeds give one hundred percent germination, which is determined by:
- degree of maturation;
- drying conditions;
- storage options.
How to collect marigold seeds and weed out the empty ones? The process of selecting good seeds is called calibration. Suppose a gardener has collected and dried seeds. It is necessary to choose large specimens, since they contain a sufficient supply of nutrients for spring germination.
The selection of seeds of the same weight and size guarantees friendly seedlings.
The selected batch of seeds is immersed for a couple of hours in a saline solution of one tablespoon of salt and five glasses of water at room temperature. After a set time interval, the good seeds will sink to the bottom and the empty ones will float. Substandard material is removed. Calibrated specimens are washed and dried for final storage.
Mestizos and mulattos
Marigolds are cross-pollinating plants. This means that when plants of two or more colors are placed on a flower bed or lawn, seeds will ripen that will give flowers that are completely different from the parental color.
In order not to bother with annual seedlings, the site is sometimes planted with perennial varieties of marigolds, which reproduce both by dividing the bush and by seeds. Self-grown perennial seedlings will allow an adult bush not to injure, but to grow a luxurious curtain out of it.
We decorate the balcony and the menu
Your own balcony can be used as a base for seed preparation. Flower container:
- fill with drainage and earth;
- plant seeds in March;
- in May, taking into account outdoor temperatures, put the container on the balcony.
When growing seedlings, it should be remembered that minus one degree is a zone of discomfort for the plant: the seeds turn sour, and young greens wither.
Marigolds will bloom, decorating and fragrant, and in September the bush will be cut and dried. No need to wait for special dry conditions. The seeds on the balcony are ready to be harvested any day.
If there is no goal to get income from the sale of self-collected seeds, then some of the flowers are used for cooking.
Pay attention to upright and rejected varieties of marigolds. Leaves and flowers are used in the preparation of salads and marinades, both fresh and dried. Store dried inflorescences in the same way as seeds - in a dry and ventilated area without bright light.
The name of the plant, which in Latin sounds like the name of a relative of the god Jupiter, has analogues in other languages: “Chernobrivtsy”, “Chernobrivtsy” - due to the similarity with the dark velvet eyebrows of Ukrainian beauties, “Turkish carnation” - the inflorescences resemble this flower, “gold Mary". But how to collect marigold seeds so as not to disturb their growth and see flowering again next year?
How to collect marigold seeds: first remove the petals
This question is of interest to lovers of flowers with a wormwood smell - marigolds resemble asters, gourmets - they use the inflorescence as a kind of saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, as well as owners of a home phyto-first aid kit.
Flowers are carefully brewed for a diaphoretic and diuretic effect, sometimes used to induce vomiting. But in domestic open spaces, Chernobrivtsy are more popular as ornamental plants.
How to collect marigold seeds at home?
First you need to wait until the end of September - the second half of it. Chernobrovki cause tenderness among gardeners, because they remain bright and fresh almost until October.
Features of collecting seeds:
- It is necessary to cut off the heads of plants with legs, tie them in bunches and hang them indoors, laying a newspaper. Black oblong seeds - correct, ripe.
- Sometimes they wait for natural maturation: the petals become wilted, the stem at the junction with the head becomes dry. If it is difficult to decide on the collection tactics, it is better to watch a video on the Internet how to collect marigold seeds. Experienced gardeners and amateur flower growers will share tips.
- Chernobrovok seeds are traditionally stored in dry paper envelopes. Planted in the spring, the seeds have a good shelf life, so they can be sown in any year - they are stored for up to 4 years.
The main thing is not to miss the moment, after frosts the material is often unsuitable for planting, but also not to rush: an unripe seed upsets with low germination.
How to collect and store marigold seeds: the secrets of gardeners
You can use the advice of experienced flower growers: they begin to collect seeds after 40 days from the start of flowering.
The day for collection is chosen dry, otherwise the seeds will deteriorate under the influence of moisture, but not windy. Store in a dry place. They are planted immediately in the soil in mid-March - upright, other species - when it becomes warmer: the beginning of April will do.
Marigolds, Chernobrivtsy, lights - this is what the people call Tagetes. The culture is characterized by rapid growth and unpretentious care, and therefore enjoys considerable popularity. About when to sow marigolds for seedlings and how to do it correctly, will be discussed in the article.
The size of the inflorescences of this culture, as well as the shape, are different. The same applies to colors - tagetes flowers can be either brown-red or lemon. Another feature of marigolds is that they can be grown both in flowerbeds and in containers, in addition, they can be used to “cover” bare areas that remain after the flowering of bulbous plants.
But marigolds can not only decorate the garden. The point is that they contain phytoncides - useful substances that inhibit pathogenic fungi and repel pests(even those that live in the ground). By, for example, tagetes are planted from the weevil, and by cabbage - in order to scare away the whitefish.
More marigolds are planted:
- from fusarium (together with asters);
- from a nematode (next to clematics and phloxes);
- for subsequent use as a spice or medicinal crop.
What marigolds to choose?
Seven types of marigolds were introduced into the culture, those that are most popular among flower growers are shown in the table below.
Table. Popular types of marigolds.
Name, photo | Short description |
---|---|
A compact crop with little branching, but a straight and strong stem. Large densely double inflorescences of different colors - from dark orange to cream. All varieties of this group can be of two types - chrysanthemum and carnation. | |
Spreading plants with thin shoots and relatively small (about 4-9 cm in diameter) inflorescences. The height varies between 20-90 cm. Also note that the inflorescences can be one- and two-color. These varieties are also divided according to the degree of terry into terry and simple. | |
Marigolds thin-leaved | Small spherical plants 20-40 cm wide/height. Lots of thin shoots. As for the inflorescences, they are small (no more than 2 cm in diameter), orange or yellow. |
Prices for marigolds
marigold seeds
Dates of planting marigolds for seedlings
Marigolds reproduce by seeds. The latter can be sown in the ground when the frosts are over, and then, after thinning, plant the plants more freely. There is another option - to plant marigolds in the form of flowering seedlings immediately after the end of frost. As a rule, about 40-50 days pass from the first shoots to the beginning of flowering (more exact dates depend on the particular variety), which means that the optimal time for sowing marigolds is the beginning of April.
Note! It is very important that the soil for sowing is exceptionally loose and fertile. Here is one possible soil mix: 1 part compost (can be replaced with humus), 2 parts peat and 1⁄2 parts washed river sand.
Video - How to harvest marigold seeds
Step-by-step instructions for sowing marigolds for seedlings
First you need to carry out some preparatory activities. The main enemy of marigold seedlings is the black leg, from which seedlings often die. In order to avoid such troubles, the container with the soil mixture is spilled with a fungicide solution even before planting (you can use, for example, Fitosporin-M) or, alternatively, with a solution of dark pink potassium permanganate. The best results are shown by steaming the pre-sifted soil for 60 minutes in a double boiler. Thanks to this, not only fungal spores will be destroyed, but also weed seeds.
Once prepared, follow the instructions below.
Step one. First of all, you need to slightly compact the prepared soil in the container, and then make grooves about 1 cm deep. It is important that the soil mixture is slightly moist.
step two. Next, you need to distribute the seed along these grooves. It is convenient to do this using a small sheet of white paper (as in the image below). If there are few seeds, they can be spread out along the grooves with tweezers. If there are several varieties, it is recommended to take care of labels with names.
Step Three. Seeds should be sprinkled with the same soil mixture with a layer of about 1 cm. If the thickness is less, then at the first shoots, the seed coat will remain on the cotyledon leaves. Seedlings will not get rid of the peel, which will make their subsequent development difficult.
Step Four. Sprinkled crops should be moistened. Moreover, this must be done especially carefully so that the earth does not erode, and the seeds do not appear on the surface.
Step five. After that, the crops must be covered with a transparent lid or film - so the soil will always remain moist. The container with crops must be moved to a warm and bright place. At a temperature within + 15-20 ° C, the first shoots will appear in a week.
Note! The temperature here is very important, because if it drops below + 15 ° C, then the seeds will not germinate well. If it is above + 25 ° C, then they most likely will not sprout at all.
Step Six. When the first shoots appear, the seedlings must be aired every day, because it is during this period that the black leg is especially dangerous for seedlings. But if signs of the disease were nevertheless found, lodging plants should be immediately removed along with earthen clods, and the remaining holes should be sprinkled with fresh soil mixture. Then it is recommended to shed the crops again with a fungicide solution.
step seven. When all shoots appear together, the cover must be removed altogether. As for watering, it should be done only after the soil in the container is completely dry; You also need to ensure that moisture does not accumulate in the pan. Every 14 days, marigolds should be fed with special seedling fertilizer (such as Mortar, Agricola).
Step eight. When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, you can start diving.
How to dive seedlings of marigolds?
When diving, seedlings can be buried to the lower oblong leaves (also known as cotyledons), but at the same time they (leaves) should not touch the soil.
For picking seedlings, a simple one can be used. By the way, even flowering seedlings of marigolds can dive, and it is not necessary to save root clods. However, it is most convenient to grow it in cassettes. The soil mixture may have the same composition as when sowing, but it is no longer necessary to sift it. But you need to add a complex mineral fertilizer (1 tablespoon per 5 liters) and wood ash (half a glass for the same volume of the mixture). To evenly distribute fertilizer, the soil must be thoroughly mixed.
Next, the mixture must be poured into cassettes, slightly compacted and deepenings of such dimensions should be made in it so that the roots of the seedlings fit freely there. In case of too long roots, their slight shortening is allowed. During the dive, the seedlings should be deepened by 10 mm.
Spread seedlings should be carefully watered. When the soil settles, it can be added from above. In the future, you need to water regularly - after each drying of the soil mixture. Here is one of the main rules for growing marigolds: it is better to underfill than overfill. Remember this.
Planting marigolds in open ground
About 14 days before transplanting, you can begin to gradually accustom the seedlings to natural conditions. But it should be remembered that marigolds can die even with the slightest frost, and therefore planting in the ground is possible only when the threat of cold weather has passed. For example, for the middle lane, this is the beginning of June.
Note! The plot of land selected for planting should be well lit. Yes, marigolds develop well in partial shade, but they bloom much worse in such conditions.
Step one. The soil does not have to be fertile, it only needs to be loose, well-permeable to moisture and air. If the ground is heavy, clayey, it can be improved with peat and sand.
Before planting, the soil should be dug into the bayonet of a shovel, and then nitroammophoska (or other complete mineral fertilizer) should be applied. Approximate consumption - 30 g per 1 m². Then it remains only to embed the fertilizer into the soil by re-digging.
- 40x40 cm (for tall varieties / hybrids);
- 30x30 cm (for medium);
- 20x20 cm (for undersized).
Also note that the recommended planting distances are often indicated by the manufacturer on the seed bags. Therefore, they (bags) must be preserved, and the marigolds must be provided with stickers with the names of the varieties. As for the depth of the holes, it should be such that the stems can be deepened by about 1-2 cm when planting. Root systems must be placed in the finished holes.
Step Three. After this, the voids remaining around the root systems must be well filled and lightly compacted.
Step Four. The final stage is watering seedlings planted in open ground. You can water the leaves, because marigolds are not afraid of this (as well as rain).
As for further care, it consists in supporting the looseness of the soil. If mineral fertilizers were applied to the soil, then one or two top dressings with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers throughout the season will be quite enough. By the way, thanks to these elements, the flowering of marigolds will be more magnificent. And if there is too much nitrogen in the soil, then the plants will grow strongly, which, of course, will be to the detriment of the formation of new buds.
Prices for nitroammophoska
nitroammophoska
Diseases and pests of tagetes
Marigolds have a lot of "enemies", not only the black leg mentioned above. Let's get acquainted with pests and diseases in more detail.
Table. Pests and diseases of marigolds.
Name, photo | Description of how to fight |
---|---|
As a rule, affects young shoots. The main signs of the disease are light spots in the lower part of the stems, which darken and rot over time. Soon constrictions form on the stems, because of which the marigolds wither and die. We have already considered the prevention of the black leg - this is treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide. If the disease still manifests itself, the affected sprouts should be removed, and watering should be reduced. You can additionally sprinkle the soil around healthy plants with perlite or wood ash. If all else fails, transplant the marigolds into fresh soil. | |
They are observed already in open ground and manifest themselves in the form of growth retardation, yellowing of foliage and stems. If nothing is done, the plants will die. In order to avoid illness, care must be taken to ensure that the land on the site is loose; also, water stagnation should be prevented and weeding should be carried out periodically. Do not use fresh manure for top dressing. | |
Mariana F.
Learn how to properly collect marigold seeds. When and how should this be done?
Many people wonder how to properly collect marigold seeds and is it worth it at all? Perhaps they will come up next spring? But in order to preserve the decorativeness of the flower, it is still worth devoting a little time to the correct collection of seeds, which is guaranteed to give you good seedlings and save varietal characteristics.
Once the marigolds bloom, you can mark the plants that look the most attractive and are suitable for collecting seeds. You should know that inflorescences in marigolds are of two types:
- bisexual tubular flowers, the petals of which are located around the center of the inflorescence;
- female reeds, the petals of which are located on the periphery, the so-called terry varieties.
Marigold female flowers
Simple tubular flowers produce many more seeds due to the fact that they are self-pollinating. Terry inflorescences consist of only female flowers and need cross-pollination, because seeds on such flowers are formed much less than on simple ones. However, it is the seeds collected from terry inflorescences that carry "fluffy" signs. Therefore, if you want to get decorative offspring, it is recommended to collect seeds from such flowers.
Since the tages has blossomed and until the seeds fully ripen, it takes about 40 days. You can start collecting when the inflorescences you have chosen turn yellow and become completely dry, and the stems turn brown. It is necessary to cut off the seed box and carefully pour the seeds into a cardboard box or paper bag so that the seeds do not get moldy or damp.
Ripe box with marigold seeds
It should be noted that the full ripening of seeds is possible only in sunny or dry weather. If it is constantly raining and damp outside, then you can not leave the seeds to ripen in such conditions. Most likely, they will dampen and rot. To prevent this, it would be advisable on a warm, clear day to cut wilted, but not dried inflorescences along with the stems. Cut flowers are collected in a bunch and hung upside down in a dry place. Under the bundles put a large sheet of paper. As it dries, the ripened seeds will fall on the leaf themselves, and you will only have to collect the finished “harvest”, pack it in a paper bag and store it until spring.
Seeds collected in this way are no different from those that ripened directly in the ground, and are able to store germination for 3-4 years.
marigold seeds
How to care for marigolds to get quality seeds
In order to collect high-quality seeds, you must follow some rules for planting marigolds:
If you have different varieties of marigolds growing on the same bed, then pollination will inevitably lead to a change in the appearance of the flowers. Perhaps a few varieties will even disappear. However, do not be upset - tages seeds can always be found on sale. And if you are a gambler who loves experiments, then feel free to collect seeds from your pollinated flowers, maybe next year you will grow an unusual new kind of beautiful marigolds.
How to collect marigold seeds: video