The necessary materials
- Growing pots or bowls
- Special nutrient-poor potting soil
- Clear plastic bags or plastic hoods
- Plant sprayer
- Seeds of the marigold
If you plan to prefer marigolds yourself, it is worthwhile to get seeds from the plants that thrive in the garden as early as autumn. To do this, leave a few flower heads on the marigold until they dry out. Carefully snap it off and place on a piece of kitchen paper for about a week. When the flowers are completely dry, you can carefully pull out the seeds.
also read
- Is the marigold poisonous?
- The marigold: sowing and propagation
- The marigold, a natural helper against snails
Prefer on the windowsill
You can start breeding in late February or early March. Proceed as follows:
- Fill the growing vessels with substrate, press down lightly.
- Moisten well with a sprayer.
- Scatter seeds flat on the surface of the earth.
- Since the marigold is a light germinator, you do not have to cover the seeds with soil.
- Pour again carefully with a very soft stream.
- Cover the growing vessels with a plastic bag or the plastic cover. This creates an artificial greenhouse climate and accelerates germination.
Under these conditions the seeds sprout quickly and the first cotyledons often appear after a week. Don't forget to ventilate daily. This prevents mold and rot. If necessary, water the seedlings with the sprayer.
The pricking
So that the little plants do not dispute their space in the growing container after a while, they are pricked out as soon as the second pair of leaves appears. To do this, carefully lift the small marigolds out of the seed tray with a pricking stick and place each marigold in its own flower pot filled with a mixture of potting soil and sand.
Place the potty in a bright but not full sun on the windowsill. A cover is no longer required. Here, the marigolds develop into strong young plants that you can plant in the garden after the ice saints.
Tips
Pulling out the elongated seeds can become Sisyphean work. Simply put all the seeds in a plastic bag, inflate it a little and shake the bag vigorously. The seeds separate from the pods and can be easily removed.
