Own planting material is available, less expensive and proven. Beginners wonder how to collect seeds from marigolds. There is nothing complicated about this. It is enough to properly grow large, healthy flowers and collect material from them for planting.
How to care for marigolds to get quality seeds
If you grow flowers correctly, the gardener will receive his own seed material.You won’t need to purchase it in a store at affordable prices.
Plants need to choose the right place. Then, throughout the summer, water generously, without overwatering or allowing the marigolds to dry out. Periodically, 1-2 times a month, it is necessary to feed the bushes. Organic or mineral fertilizers are used. If plants receive the necessary nutrients, they will be strong and powerful. The seeds of such bushes will be healthy.
Sick and deformed plants must be removed from the flower bed.
It is advisable to plant marigolds by variety so that they do not pollinate with each other. Because as a result of sowing pollinated planting material, completely different specimens with distinctive characteristics grow.
What marigold seeds look like on faded flowers
When the flowers fade, boxes appear in their place. Future seeds ripen in them. There are many of them in one box. After ripening, they acquire a characteristic color. The bottom becomes dark, the top is straw. The planting material itself looks like a thin needle.
The length of the achenes depends on the variety. Tall marigolds have large seeds, low-growing ones are small.
How to properly obtain marigold seeds
It is important to collect planting material from mature bolls. To do this, select dry specimens and carefully remove the achenes.
If the planted plants are hybrids, then the collected achenes will not produce offspring with similar properties.
It is advisable to take seeds from single bushes growing to the side. It is more likely to maintain the required characteristics.
To get clean sprouts, do not collect them in flower beds where many varieties of tagetis (marigolds) grow.
Tubular
This species has bisexual petals, so they do not require human or insect participation for pollination. The collected seeds generally have high germination rates. There are a lot of them, enough to plant a large area.
Reed
They are unisexual and therefore require the participation of insects during pollination. There is little planting material, but large and beautiful bushes grow from it.
When is the best time to collect
Each region has its own deadlines. Approximately August-October. It is advisable to choose mature specimens. High-quality planting material is collected from them.
Gradual ripening allows the summer resident to collect as many seeds as he needs. They sow more of their own seeds without sparing them. Then the seedlings are thinned out.
Marigolds reproduce by self-sowing. But every year the bushes and flowers become smaller. This is necessary to know. There is no need to remind you that the weather must be dry; collection is not carried out during rain.
If unstable weather prevents harvesting on time, it is necessary to cut off branches with drying flowers. Tie them and hang them under the roof. A piece of cloth or paper is spread below. Ripe planting material will fall out. Then it is dried a little more and put away for storage.
How to select good seeds
You can sort planting material in the fall. To do this, the collected achenes are placed for 30 minutes. into a salt solution. It is prepared like this:
- a tablespoon of salt;
- 1 liter of water.
Everything is mixed and settled. Then the seeds are poured into the solution. After the end of time, the emerging sprouts are removed. Those that remain at the bottom are washed and dried again.
Storage rules
An important requirement is that the planting material must be dried. Well-dried seeds last longer.
After harvesting, the marigolds are spread on thick paper or newspaper. Dry them in the shade, but in a well-ventilated place. The time varies depending on what kind of seeds. 2-3 days are enough. Then they are laid out in paper or cloth bags and put away for storage.
It is advisable to keep them in a dry, dark and cool place. Do not store near a stove or radiators. Planting material loses its viability.
If you have nowhere to put the seeds, it is better to store them in the refrigerator. But to prevent them from getting damp, they are taken out periodically. Dry for several days at room temperature. Then put it back in the refrigerator.
Undesirable for storage:
- use polyethylene, plastic, marigolds must receive air;
- expose to high humidity;
- allow the temperature to exceed +13 ⁰С.
Marigolds remain viable for up to 4 years. Then the seeds lose their properties and are not used for their intended purpose.
Use of seeds
In addition to planting, marigold seeds are used for other purposes. The flower is famous for the essential oils that all parts of the plant possess. A lot of them are concentrated in the seed boxes and the seeds themselves. They are used to make pillows or sachets.
Houseplant lovers use seed pods differently. A solution is prepared from them, which is used to treat plants and water the soil. It helps fight pests and some diseases.
Oil is prepared from tagetis, which is then used for aromatic baths. To do this, the sprouts are crushed and poured with olive oil, and left for 15 days.
Is it possible to collect seeds after frost?
Summer residents do not recommend collecting marigolds after the first frost hits. They say that the planting material loses its viability.And the bushes that grow will be weak. Flowering will be weak and uneven.
Self-collected seeds guarantee that the gardener will get exactly the plants he wants. Compliance with the requirements for collection and subsequent sorting will allow you to obtain high-quality seed material.
