Tagetes: description, useful properties and cultivation

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Decorative flowers of tagetes are popularly called marigolds . Indeed, the petals of the plant are velvety to the touch and have a specific aroma. And the plant owes its Latin name (tagetes) to the Swedish healer Carl Linnaeus, who named the marigolds in honor of Tages, the son of Genius and the grandson of Jupiter. The description of Tagetes, Linnaeus believed, is as beautiful as this young man.

Description and useful properties of tagetes

In height, high (70-120 cm), semi-high (30-70 cm) and low (20-30 cm) are distinguished. The predominant colors of the inflorescences are yellow, orange, brown.

Flowering begins on the 60-70th day after sowing and continues until frost. Seeds in large quantities ripen in August-September.

The inflorescences of Tagetes are not of the same type: carnation flowers consist mainly of large tubular flowers; in shape: spherical, hemispherical, flattened-spherical; in size: large – 5-10 cm, medium size – 3-5 cm, small – 2-3 cm; according to the degree of terry: terry, semi-double, simple.

As you can see in the photo of flowers, tagetes can be single-color and two-color:

It is believed that tagetes helps to improve the soil from fungal diseases and nematodes, so it is useful to plant it in front of aster , sweet peas (or together with them), as well as in front of strawberries, that is, use it as a predecessor.

There are tips from experienced flower growers to apply crushed tops of tagetes into the soil when digging.

In addition to decorative qualities, tagetes have useful properties. The upright species are medicinal plants . Dried bright orange inflorescences are used to color cheeses, in pickles and marinades, fresh inflorescences are good as a spicy seasoning and contain vitamins B, C, P and essential oils.

Reproduction of tagetes and flower care

Description and photos of planting and caring for tagetes are presented below.

Reproduction of tagetes is carried out by sowing seeds for seedlings and in open ground in spring. When podzimnem sowing seedlings does not always give. Seeds in 1 g from 250 to 350 pieces. They germinate on the 5-6th day. Seeds are collected as they mature. Inflorescences often rot during rains.

When growing tagetes, seedlings must be buried during planting. Roots will appear on the entire buried part of the stem within a week, and the plant will give new shoots with dense foliage.

The plant is very unpretentious, drought-resistant and undemanding to the soil, grows well in open sunny places, develops well in somewhat shaded areas. However, when planting and caring for tagetes, do not forget that it is a heat-loving plant: even light frosts damage its seedlings in spring and bushes in autumn.

All types of plants are widely used in the design of flower beds due to the abundant long-term flowering and unpretentiousness. Tall species and varieties are used for planting in groups and partially for cutting, stunted, especially dissected-leaved – for arranging borders and borders.

Tagetes tolerates transplanting in a flowering state well.

The inflorescences and leaves of the plant have a specific smell, as a result of which they are not always used for landscaping balconies and loggias.

This culture is very resistant to diseases and pests. In hot years, in the absence of irrigation and low relative humidity, it can be colonized by spider mites.

Types and varieties of tagetes (with photo)

This flower culture has three distinct types:

Tagetes erect – a powerful plant up to 120 cm high with large inflorescences.

Tagetes rejected (spreading) – a plant up to 50 cm high with smaller inflorescences (up to 5 cm).

Tagetes thin-leaved (dissected) – with small abundant flowers.

All types of tagetes can be distinguished by seeds: in erect tagetes with large inflorescences, the seeds are shorter and wider than in rejected tagetes, besides, they do not have hairs; in deviated Tagetes, the seeds are sharply elongated, covered with hairs; in thin-leaved tagetes, the seeds are small, without hairs.

The most popular tagetes hybrids and varieties are listed below:

“Antigua” F1 erect dwarf, golden and orange – a new generation – up to 25 cm tall, but at the same time forms numerous shoots with huge densely double flowers. Even in inclement weather, they do not lose their decorative effect.

“Lemon Drop” – compact bushes strewn with numerous double flowers of sunny color. Spectacular flower for flowerpots and containers.

‘Spray Petit’ is a compact variety with an abundance of charming flowers. It is characterized by early, long and abundant flowering. Effective in flowerpots and containers, looks good in borders.

“Russian size” F1 – a mixture of colors. Gustomahrovye bright inflorescences up to 15 cm in diameter. They bloom 10-12 weeks after sowing. Continuous flowering until frost will decorate flower beds, borders, balconies.

“Anise Foxtrot Rio” . All parts of this unique annual have a taste and smell reminiscent of tarragon, but much nicer and stronger. The aroma is felt at a considerable distance. Blooms profusely all summer. Grows well in pots, long standing as a cut flower.

Providence F1 . Compact fast growing hybrid for patio containers. Elegant red-yellow flowers, similar to fluffy wavy skirts, are decorated with a border along the edge of the petals and attract admiring glances.

Pay attention to the photo of this variety of tagetes – the flowering is very plentiful and constant, the plants are always strewn with a mass of flowers:

Blooms 10 weeks after sowing. The bush has a medium compact habit, so it looks good both in pots and in landscape plantings.

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