Into open ground or for seedlings: what is the best way to grow marigolds

Unpretentious and bright marigolds are the favorites of many gardeners.

These plants will not only beautifully decorate your garden, but will also become excellent companions for other crops, repelling pests: nematodes, wireworms, Colorado beetles, cutworms, mole crickets, cabbage whites, weevils, ants, onion flies, aphids and others.

But what is the best way to grow them – in open ground or on seedlings? The expert of the online publication BelNovosti, agronomist, landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh spoke in detail about the two options.

Growing Marigolds from Seedlings

If you want your flower beds to be decorated with blooming marigolds as early as possible, this method is for you.

To obtain marigold seedlings, summer residents from the middle zone plant them from the second ten days of March to mid-April, but you can start sowing even in February.

After two true leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into separate cups or boxes.

To harden off transplanted plants, lower the room temperature or keep them outside or with the windows open for a few hours a day – this will prepare the plants for transplantation.

Growing marigolds in open ground

If you decide to sow marigolds directly into the soil, it is recommended to do this in May, when the threat of frost has passed.

The bed should be prepared in advance by leveling it and adding double superphosphate.

There is no need to prepare the seeds for sowing, but soaking them in Epin or potassium permanganate will help speed up germination.

When sowing, the seeds are placed in furrows up to 1 cm deep at a distance from each other. They are covered with a thin layer of soil and watered from a watering can, avoiding strong pressure so as not to wash out the seeds.

The seedlings appear within a week, and to speed up germination you can cover the bed with film.

As in the previous case, picking seedlings in open ground is carried out after the appearance of 2 real carved leaves.

When planting marigolds in a permanent “place of residence”, it is necessary to adhere to the following scheme: for tall varieties – 40x40 cm, and for dwarf and low-growing varieties – 20x20 cm.