Semen extraction
Daily seeds are available from specialist shops. Alternatively, you can use the seeds that are in the withered flowers. Therefore, do not remove everything that has withered during the summer, but let a few flower heads dry out, from which you can obtain the seeds for the next generation of Tagetes. Keep the well-dried seeds in labeled paper bags until next spring.
also read
- How are marigold flowers properly planted?
- Grow marigolds yourself - this is how the offspring succeeds
- Harvesting marigold seeds yourself - is that possible?
Sow marigolds
Since the marigolds are very sensitive to ground frost, the marigold should only be sown in the open ground in very mild regions after the ice saints. It is safer to grow in planters, which does not take much time and is sure to succeed thanks to the high germination capacity of the student flower. The right time to sow is at the beginning of March.
How to sow
In addition to the daily seeds, you need numerous small growing vessels and a substrate that is as low in nutrients as possible. Special potting soil or unfertilized coconut fibers are well suited. If you use soil that is too rich in nutrients, for example conventional potting soil, the plants will grow too quickly. The stems of the young plants are then hardly resistant and buckle due to the weight of the second or third pair of leaves.
When sowing, proceed as follows:
- Fill the cultivation containers with soil and press them down lightly.
- Spread the daily seeds on the substrate.
- Do not cover it with substrate, or at best cover it very thinly, as the marigold is a light germinator.
- Moisten carefully with a sprayer so that the seeds are not washed away.
- Cover the cultivation vessel with a hood or a transparent plastic bag.
- Ventilate daily. If this is not done, there is a risk of mold and rot.
- Water regularly.
Under these conditions the marigolds germinate very quickly and often the first shoots appear after one to two weeks.
Prick out
Since the marigolds are sown flat, the small plants have to be pricked out as soon as the second or third pair of leaves appears. Continue to care for the plants in a bright but not full sun place on the windowsill until after the ice saints.
Plant out in the field
So that the small student flowers can get used to the changed conditions outdoors, you should put them on the terrace or balcony on warm days and bring them back into the house overnight. As soon as there is no longer any threat of night frosts, you can plant the marigolds in the flower bed.
Tips
The marigold loves locations in full sun. However, it also thrives in partial shade.
