White marigolds: description of varieties and growing rules

Marigolds appeared on the American mainland, they were once brought by the Spanish conquerors. Despite the fact that the habitat of these flowers is overseas. they fit perfectly into the European, and then into the Russian climate. White marigolds are a derivative of breeding, the purpose of which was to develop new varieties. They look the same as their yellow-orange, more familiar to the look, brothers. However, due to the color, they look a little more refined, more tender on the flowerbed.

Marigolds have different variants of names:

• black shaves (in Ukrainian);
• "Student flower" (among the Germans);
• "Mary's gold" (from the British).

The Latin name is Tagétes.

Marigolds are herbaceous plants, come from the Aster family (or Compositae). There are more than 50 varieties of this representative of the flora, most of which are decorative. Distinctive features:

• sprawling stems, grow in height from 40 to 120 cm, depending on the variety;
• separate or dissected feathery foliage;
• flowers can be of different shades - brown, yellow, orange or white.

Many consider the unusual aroma of marigolds to be intrusive, and insects do not like it either. Therefore, they are used by gardeners not only as ornamental plants, but also to protect plantings. Marigolds do an excellent job with pests, they are often planted next to the beds. White marigolds are effective against the following garden troubles:

• aphids of all kinds;
• whitefly;
• fungal diseases;
• bear;
• nematodes;
• mice;
• most types of harmful insects.

Thus, the decorative effect of marigolds is combined with the strong action of phytoncides. Gardeners use dried marigolds for the same purpose, placing them on the surface of the soil.

White marigolds are not very common, but breeders are constantly working on developing new varieties with white flowering.

Florists suggest considering the following varieties for planting, which have a white color.

• "Kilimanjaro". One of the most common hybrid plants in our country. Stems grow up to 70 cm in height, they are of a straight type, foliage branches, very spectacular, openwork appearance. The flowers are terry, have a snow-white color with a cream tint, the diameter is rather large - about 12 cm. In the center, the flower is slightly darker than at the edges, which gives it elegance and a high degree of decorativeness. Blooms until late autumn, until frost comes.

• The Beatles White Moon... A low-growing hybrid plant, it was bred not so long ago, so it is just beginning to conquer the hearts of flower growers. The height of the bush is up to 45 cm, the flowering is very beautiful. The diameter of the flower is about 10 cm, the shade is white, with a slight sheen of greenery closer to the center. It promises to take a leading position in the rating of gardeners due to its high resistance to cold weather, drafts, strong winds, rain and other bad weather.

• "Eskimo"... Stunted type, barely grows up to a quarter of a meter in height. Peduncles are pale cream, about 6 cm in diameter, decorated with pronounced doubleness. This variety blooms for a very long time, from early summer to mid-autumn.

• Vanilla. Plants of an erect type, rather tall, up to 70 cm. The diameter of the inflorescences is about 12 cm. They are distinguished by a luxurious creamy white color. Gardeners recommend growing this variety only in seedlings.

• "Snow White"... It is not a hybrid, but a varietal species of marigolds, so it is easy to propagate by seeds. The average height for this type of plant is about 45 cm.The flowering is snow-white with a shade of cream, with a diameter of about 15 cm.

Growing white marigolds is not a troublesome business due to their high adaptability to any climatic conditions. They are propagated in different ways:

• seedling;
• seedling and picking;
• by sowing into the ground.

To get the earliest flowering, it is recommended to use the seedling method. Fundamental rules:

• sow marigolds with the expectation of subsequent planting under the open sky, that is, the seedlings should be ready by the time the frost leaves;
• be sure to add time for shoots and 7 days for picking;
• the optimal sowing time for flowering in early summer is mid-spring;
• when planting marigolds, follow the individual instructions for each variety, as they are different.

Sowing directly into the soil has its own characteristics:

• doing this before mid-May is not recommended if we are talking about the middle lane, and you do not expect flowers before the first week of June;
• sow more seeds, this is a kind of insurance that compensates for insufficient germination;
• if there are too many sprouts, they are thinned out taking into account the optimal distance between plants, depending on the selected variety.

Marigolds do not need fertile soil. If you decide to prepare the ground yourself, combine equal parts of turf, humus and peat, fill it with a 1% manganese solution. Prepare the ground approximately 7 days before sowing. Easier to purchase ready-made mixture in a specialized store.

Regardless of the method of planting, prepare the seeds if you are unsure of their quality. In other cases, preliminary procedures are unnecessary. They consist in germinating seeds, for which they are laid out in a plate with a small amount of warm water, and then covered with a cloth and removed for two days in a dark, warm place. A pick is not required in most cases.

Algorithm for creating seedlings:

• use plastic dishes no higher than 7 cm and with drainage holes;
• fill in a drainage layer of broken brick, pebbles or expanded clay;
• the soil is introduced, leaving ¼ of the top without it;
• create furrows at a distance of 3 cm;
• spread the seeds, separating from each other at two centimeter intervals;
• tread with soil;
• moisten abundantly with warm water, after letting it settle;
• cover with plastic or glass to create greenhouse conditions until sprouts appear;
• ventilate periodically.

Very often, marigolds emerge after self-seeding. This is because the flowers are inseminated in the fall and are ready to emerge in the winter. This moment has its drawbacks, since the seedlings are formed chaotically, spreading without control. On the other hand, flower growers point out that such seedlings decorate the site in a very original way. At the very end of autumn, seeds are harvested for sowing in the spring.

For information on how to grow seedlings of white marigolds, see the next video.