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Marigolds are loved and appreciated by many gardeners and gardeners, and rightly so - after all, these flowers are not only famous for their beauty and ease of cultivation, but are also able to protect other flowers and even garden plants from various troubles, diseases and pests. The two main species, the most common in cultivation, marigolds deflected and erect, have been known in Europe since the 16th century, and although they came to Russia a little later, they are the first overseas flowers that our domestic flower growers became acquainted with.
But besides these two species, botanists know about 50 representatives in the marigold genus. In recent decades, in gardens and on personal plots, you can increasingly find a very unusual type of marigold - thin-leaved. At first glance, you don’t immediately recognize them as acquaintances from the “velvet family” - both the leaves and flowers differ quite significantly.
But if you look closely, something elusively familiar begins to appear, and you immediately want to try to grow this miracle on your own plot. This article is dedicated to thin-leaved marigolds; it will help you decide on their varieties, look at their photos and learn the features of growing them from seeds.
History of names
Thin-leaved marigolds, like other species, belong to the Asteraceae family. In Latin the flower is called Tagetes tenuifolia.
The first word in the name owes its origin to Carl Linnaeus. He named him in honor of the grandson of Jupiter, who amazed everyone with his romantic beauty and had the gift of foresight. His name was Tages. In the modern world, Tagetes, regardless of type, also continue to amaze everyone who sees them with their beauty.
The second word in the name of the flower is translated as thin-leaved.
Well, as many probably guess, they were nicknamed marigolds because the petals of their inflorescences look very velvety both in appearance and to the touch.
This type of marigold is also called Mexican. And here everything is very simple and with the popular name of the flower, unlike other marigolds, we finally hit the mark. After all, all known species of marigolds come from the American continent.
Fine-leaved marigolds have been known in cultivation only since 1795.
Description of plants
These unusual annual herbaceous plants do not grow tall; any of the known modern varieties of fine-leaved marigolds does not exceed 30-40 cm in height.
But they are distinguished by very branched, fragile shoots, which, together with small, delicate, light green leaves almost floating in the air, create the feeling of a whole small spherical flower bed created from only one flowering plant.
The leaves live up to their name and look thin and narrow, they contain pinpoint glands that are responsible for the light aroma emanating from the plant.This aroma is not at all similar to the usual smell of ordinary marigolds, it is lighter, soothing, with a slight citrus note.
The inflorescences are very small, their size varies from 1.5 to 3 cm in diameter. They are distinguished by a simple shape; there are practically no double flowers. But their number can surprise even an experienced gardener. Usually the entire bush is so densely covered with pretty, often bicolored inflorescences that the foliage serves only as an additional background. The inflorescences are attached to such short peduncles that sometimes it seems that they are simply hanging in the air.
The color of the inflorescences can be various shades of yellow, orange or red. You can often see petals with double colors. At one and the same time, bushes are covered with buds just preparing to bloom, with fully open flowers, and with flowers that have already faded and have formed seeds. Moreover, faded inflorescences somehow imperceptibly fade into the background, without spoiling the overall picture of flowering.
The seeds are smaller than those of other common marigold species. One gram contains about 2000 seeds.
Today, about 70 varieties and hybrids of this variety of marigold are known.
Varieties and hybrids
Varieties and hybrids of thin-leaved marigolds are practically no different from each other, except for the color of the inflorescences. That is, the characteristics of a particular variety of marigold are much easier to see in a photo than to describe them in words. Therefore, below are the most popular varieties and hybrids of fine-leaved marigolds known today in Russia with photos.
- Golden Gem
- Golden gem
- Golden Ring
- Red gem
- Lulu lemon
- Tangerine Gem
- Mimimix, mixture
- Paprika
- Starfire mix
- Starshine, color mixture
- Ursula
Growing from seeds
Fine-leaved marigolds can be grown quite easily either by seedlings or by sowing seeds directly into open ground.
Seedling growing method
In terms of growing season, they are closer to rejected marigolds, that is, about two months pass from emergence to flowering. Thus, if you want the plants to bloom from the very beginning of summer, then you can sow fine-leaved marigold seeds for seedlings already in early April.
When sowing seedlings, one should take into account the fact that it is thin-leaved marigolds that are more susceptible to blackleg disease than other species. Therefore, either the soil must be steamed and disinfected, or a fresh substrate from a reliable manufacturer must be used.
Thickened crops are more affected by blackleg, so one of the preventive measures is to sow pre-germinated seeds. To do this, the seeds of fine-leaved marigolds are first soaked in water with stimulants for 12 hours, then placed in a damp cloth in a warm place. After 1-2 days, the first seedlings may appear, and the germinated seeds are laid out in grooves on the surface of the soil at a distance of 1 cm from each other. It is advisable to sprinkle them on top with a 0.5 cm layer of light soil and moisten them generously with a spray bottle.
To protect yourself from the appearance of blackleg, you can use the method of sowing the seeds of fine-leaved marigolds into rolls or “snails”. Using this method, seeds are sown on a paper napkin or on toilet paper without using soil at all, therefore eliminating the possibility of infection with any fungal disease, including blackleg.
The video below shows in detail the process of sowing marigold seeds into “snails”.
The optimal temperature for seed germination is +22°+24°C. Under these conditions, seedlings can appear within 4-6 days. After emergence of seedlings, it is advisable to reduce the temperature of the seedlings to +18°+20°C in order to improve the development of the root system and prevent the seedlings from stretching. From the very first hours after emergence, it is advisable to provide the plants with the brightest possible lighting.
Thin-leaved marigold seedlings tolerate picking and replanting very well, like all other species. After two true feathery leaves appear, the sprouts can be planted in separate containers.
Seedlings can be planted in flower beds after frost-free weather has established. When planting, it is worth maintaining a distance of at least 40-50 cm between the bushes. Since each bush of thin-leaved marigold grows up to 40 cm in width. Seedlings can and should be deepened into the ground a few centimeters so that they take root better.
During the first time after planting, thin-leaved marigolds need regular watering until flowering begins. In the second half of summer, watering can be reduced. You can combine them with fertilizing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers for better flowering.On average, this type of marigold blooms 7-8 days later than rejected marigolds and 10 days earlier than erect marigolds.
Direct sowing into the ground
If you decide not to mess with the seedlings and sow the seeds directly to a permanent place of growth, a flower bed, then keep in mind that the marigolds will bloom only after 2 months. That is, if you sow seeds even in the second half of May under cover with non-woven material, you will see flowers only in mid-July.
When planting seeds at a fairly large distance from each other, the result will be spherical bushes. If you sow the seeds relatively densely, you can get a real flowering meadow.
When planting seeds in flower beds, sprinkle them with a layer of light soil, about 1 cm thick. If the seeds are sprinkled too heavily, the sprouts may not break through the soil, and if the layer is thin, the seedlings may simply dry out. Therefore, in the first weeks after sowing, check the soil moisture every day. In outdoor conditions, seedlings usually appear on the 7-8th day. After a week, they can be thinned out, leaving the strongest and healthiest plants.
Features of cultivation
Thin-leaved marigolds, for all their general unpretentiousness, are somewhat more demanding in terms of light, amount of heat and soil composition than rejected marigolds.
At temperatures even a few degrees below zero, plants can die. If the average daily temperature drops below +10°C for a long time, the leaves of the plants will acquire a reddish tint, and growth and flowering will stop.True, high temperatures combined with high humidity are also not very desirable, since marigolds produce a lot of foliage and flowering becomes poor.
In sunny areas, thin-leaved marigolds will show themselves in all their glory. In partial shade they will also live and even bloom, but flowering will be delayed and minimal. Flowers show particular demands on lighting in the first weeks of their development.
These flowers will feel best on light, sandy, neutral or slightly acidic soils. Overmoistening of the soil can be disastrous for them, but they can withstand drought quite well, especially during the flowering period.
For fertilizing, it is advisable to use phosphorus-potassium fertilizers with a minimum nitrogen content.
After flowering in late autumn, the marigold bushes are best crushed and embedded in the soil. Thus, you will improve and improve its composition.
With these lovely sunny flowers you can create spectacular flower beds in your garden without much effort. In addition, their presence will improve the soil on the site and drive away uninvited guests from it, in the form of various insect pests.
