Content
Flowers that can take first place among annuals in terms of prevalence and popularity, possessing not only medicinal and nutritional value, but also capable of repelling many pests and pathogens. Many probably guessed that we are talking about marigolds. It is these sunny, cheerful flowers that can revive and lift your spirits even on a gloomy, cloudy day, during a period of bad mood or even depression.
Marigolds have varieties only with yellow, orange and red shades and their combinations. But what a unique variety of looks different combinations of these three colors can give.
Botanists know about 30 species of these plants, but only 2-3 species are the most popular in Russia: rejected marigolds, erect marigolds and the relatively recently appeared thin-leaved marigolds.And the number of varieties has long exceeded several hundred and continues to increase every year.
Among them there are both perennial and annual plants, but in our country only annual varieties of marigold are grown. They belong to the aster family. The flowers received their Latin name Tagetes thanks to Carl Linnaeus, who was amazed by their beauty and named them in honor of the grandson of Jupiter, the demigod Tages, who was distinguished by his beauty and ability to see the future.
In each country, some special features of Tagetes were noticed and recorded in the local names of the flower. In Russia, they were nicknamed marigolds for the velvety surface of the petals, which is especially well expressed in the dark color of the flowers. In England they are called “Mary’s gold”, and in Germany they are called “student’s flower”. In China they were nicknamed “flowers of thousands of years”, and in Ukraine - Chernobrivtsy.
In this article we will talk about rejected marigolds, since these are the flowers that our mothers and grandmothers primarily associate with marigolds.
General description of plants
Rejected marigolds are drought-resistant, heat-loving annual herbaceous plants for open ground. Although, due to their unpretentiousness, including the level of illumination, they can be successfully grown on balconies, and even at home.
These flowers are native to the mountainous regions of Mexico.
The stems are very strong and strong, the central shoot grows straight, all the side shoots deviate and branch from the very base. As a result, either compact or spreading bushes are formed from 15 to 60 cm in height.The leaves are pinnately dissected, with a serrated edge, dark green in color, and can be arranged either alternately or in opposite order. The inflorescences are baskets from 4 to 6 cm in diameter, very diverse in shape, characterized by rather long peduncles. Along the edge there are usually reed flowers, which can be of a wide variety of shades - orange, yellow, lemon, dark red, brownish, brown. They are even two-colored and dotted with spots of different sizes, velvety to the touch.
In the middle of the inflorescence, as a rule, there are tubular flowers that are yellow or orange. The fruit is an elongated achene. Seeds do not lose their ability to germinate for 3-4 years. Flowers can self-sow abundantly. There are from 300 to 700 seeds in 1 gram.
In open ground they bloom profusely from June until the first frost. In greenhouse or home conditions, rejected marigolds are able to bloom year-round if appropriate lighting is provided. This type of marigold has been successfully bred since the 16th century.
Plants have a rather pungent, peculiar odor that can repel many harmful insects and other animals. Moreover, the leaves smell even stronger than the flowers.
Rejected marigolds are highly resistant to diseases and pests and tolerate drought well.
Differences between rejected marigolds and erect ones
Rejected marigolds are also called French, since they spread throughout Europe thanks to French Huguenot refugees, who, back in the mid-16th century, when moving to other countries, took with them the seeds of these flowers.Rejected marigolds were one of the first overseas plants to migrate to Russia around the 18th century.
Actually, they began to be called deviated because of the peculiarity of all the lateral stems deviating in different directions.
As a result, the bushes look rather squat and spreading, and low-growing varieties form almost continuous flowering carpets.
How do rejected marigolds differ from other species, and, above all, upright ones? After all, from the outside they seem very similar and, thanks to their beauty and unpretentiousness, are equally popular among flower growers.
- Firstly, they differ in the structure of the stem. In erect marigolds, it does not branch from the base, but grows straight and even often becomes woody at the base.
- Secondly, only one inflorescence grows on one stem of erect marigolds, while rejected ones can grow a whole bouquet.
- Rejected marigolds are usually small in size and reach a maximum height of 60 cm. And among the erect ones there are real giants, up to 120 cm in height.
- Rejected marigolds are characterized by a wide variety of flower colors - almost all varieties are two-colored. And among the erect ones you can find only monochromatic flowers.
- In terms of diversity of flower shapes, rejected marigolds have also gone far ahead. Among the varieties there are simple, double, and similar to chrysanthemums and anemones. The inflorescences of erect marigolds are all double, looking like a lush ball.
- Finally, these two species differ somewhat in terms of growing season and whimsicality.Rejected marigolds bloom faster and easier and can grow in almost any conditions (in terms of humidity, amount of light and ecology, for example, on the sides of major roads and in polluted regions.)
Classification of marigolds
All varieties of rejected marigolds can be divided into several groups according to flower shape:
- Simple – the inflorescence basket consists of one layer of reed flowers along the edge and tubular flowers in the center.
- Dianthus - inflorescences consist mainly of reed flowers; they can be simple, semi-double or double.
- Chrysanthemum-shaped - consist predominantly of tubular flowers, usually double.
- Mixed type – when there are reed flowers along the edges, and the middle of the inflorescence is filled with tubular flowers.
Variety of varieties
Thanks to the combination of different shades with different shapes and sizes of inflorescences, many varieties of rejected marigolds were obtained, which delight with their dissimilarity from each other. Everyone can choose something to their liking among them.
Dwarf marigolds, up to 20 cm high
Dwarf varieties of marigolds appeared relatively recently, but managed to gain popularity, especially in industrial floriculture. Because they can be used to make flower carpets with amazingly colorful patterns.
Baby
This is a whole series of varieties of different colors, up to 20 cm high. There is a bright baby, a gold baby, an orange baby and others. The bushes of this variety are super-compact and even. Double inflorescences with a predominance of reed flowers can reach 5 cm in diameter. They bloom early, bloom long and abundantly.
Harmony
This amazing variety fully lives up to its name.With a small height of the bush, the flowers reach a diameter of 5 cm. Dense and dense bushes can reach 25-30 cm in width. There are so many flowers that sometimes the foliage under them is not visible. The inflorescences themselves are two-colored, mixed in shape, double - unusually harmonious. In addition, they easily withstand bad weather and excellently retain their shape throughout the warm period.
Primo
Another series of varieties of dwarf marigolds of rejected monochromatic color, among which there is a subvariety of an amazing shade - apricot primo.
Rumba
The inflorescences are the simplest, single-row, but on the petals you can see alternating orange and bright yellow colors, which gives the flowers unusualness and additional volume. Despite their miniature size, the bushes are distinguished by their power and strength, successfully resisting all weather disasters.
Eye of the Tiger
One of the most popular varieties. The lush, terry, golden-colored core of the inflorescence is bordered by a single row of reed petals of a rich dark red color. The coloring is a bit like harmony, but the middle is more lush.
Low, from 25 to 40 cm
The vast majority of the most famous rejected marigolds belong to this group. And this is not without reason - breeders simply satisfy the needs of flower growers, who find it very convenient to deal with bushes of this size.
Rock'n'roll
The variety has the simplest inflorescences in shape, but the dark burgundy spots on a lemon background give it sophistication.
Cherry bracelet
The flowers have a unique ruffled petal shape with variegated two-tone colors.
Hero's Gold
The inflorescences are uniformly yellow in color, but the petals are varied in shape and size and create a mesmerizing sight.
Aspen
Densely double inflorescences of dark shades are decorated with splashes of bright sunny color.
Bolero
One of the most popular varieties of rejected marigolds. In terms of brightness and multicoloredness, you can hardly find similar colors.
Aluminum
How unusual marigolds look with a yellow-cream tint. This unique variety is so far the only one of its kind. In addition, the plants are characterized by ultra-early flowering periods.
golden head
The flowers of these marigolds immediately stand out against the general background with both the contrast of color shades and the brilliant center.
Chameleon pink
This luxurious variety was born thanks to the efforts of American breeders.
Thus, on one bush you will be able to observe flowers of several shades at the same time. In addition, the flowers have a powerful vitality, like all rejected marigolds.
Medium and high varieties, from 40 to 60 cm
Varieties of rejected marigolds of medium and tall sizes are not so numerous. In this size niche, erect marigolds are much more common, but there are still a few varieties worth mentioning.
Cheerful clown
Bushes of this variety can reach a height of 60-70 cm. The diameter of the flower is 6 cm. The inflorescences are the most common, but it is impossible to resist the unique, eye-pleasing colors. The long stems make the flowers easy to cut for bouquets and last a long time in water.
Golden ball
Simple inflorescences of the most common, non-double form, however, cannot leave anyone indifferent. The bushes reach 50-60 cm in height.
Sowing and cultivation
Rejected marigolds can be grown either by sowing directly into open ground around mid-May, or by seedlings. The period from germination to flowering for these flowers is about two months. Accordingly, if you want to enjoy the flowering of marigolds from the beginning of June, then sow them for seedlings in early April.
Seeds germinate 5-10 days after planting.
Rejected marigolds are considered the most undemanding of all species in terms of soils and growing temperatures. Seedlings grown in a greenhouse or greenhouse will be especially strong and hardened.
These flowers tolerate picking and replanting well at any age, and even in bloom.
When growing marigold seedlings at home, experienced gardeners recommend first germinating the seeds in order to then sow them with optimal density. To do this, they need to be laid out on a damp cloth, placed in a transparent plastic container or bag and placed in a warm place. After just a few days, the seeds may sprout.
Seeds with tiny sprouts that have sprouted should be carefully placed in shallow grooves at a distance of 1.5 - 2 cm from each other and covered with a small layer of light soil, 0.5 cm thick. Sprinkle well on top and place in a bag so that the sprouts do not die from drying out.
When shoots appear, the container with the seeds is placed in a cooler (+16°+20°C) and bright place.
Rejected marigold seedlings can be planted in open ground in early June in the middle zone.
Use of colors
Rejected marigolds are unique flowers that can not only decorate a flowerbed and balcony, but also protect your garden from uninvited guests.
- If you grow them on unused land and then plow them into the ground, you can free the soil from nematodes and fusarium.
- When planting marigolds in the garden, they are able to protect potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle, and cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetable crops from a variety of crawling and flying pests. They only go poorly with plants from the legume family.
- When planting marigolds in flower beds, they repel aphids from roses and help asters and other rot-prone flowers feel better.
- Dried and ground flowers, buds and leaves of marigolds serve as a good spice for canning and preparing various dishes.
- Marigolds play a significant role in folk medicine. Flowers and leaves have antiviral, laxative, sedative and anthelmintic effects.
It is difficult to imagine flowers that are more popular, easy to care for and at the same time so versatile in use than rejected marigolds. On every site there is sure to be a place where you can use these wonderful and useful plants.
