Marigolds
The marigolds, also known as tagetes, are edible and belong to the Asteraceae family. Its warmly colored petals have a nutmeg-like flavor. They give a slight sweetness to soups. The colorful leaves can be added to a salad. There are many varieties of carnations, with single leaves like the "Legion of Honor" or double leaves like the "Feria" or the "Carmen". Sacred plant for the Amerindians, the carnations of India are an excellent digestive.
The flower is easily cultivated. In addition to its ornamental qualities, it acts in a vegetable garden as an insect repellent, and protects the tomato for example. Under cover, it can be sown from February. It fears the cold, so we will wait until May to sow it directly, favoring a sunny exposure. Not very demanding, the marigold adapts to almost all types of soils. It appreciates a mixture of sand and compost. For the composition of a bed, it is advisable to respect a distance of twenty to thirty centimeters between each plant.
In pot, watering must be very regular to avoid that it dries. In the garden, it can be more spaced. A trick consists in pinching delicately the stems in order to obtain a plant which ramifies more. It starts to bloom in late spring and can last until the first cold weather. Regular pruning of the dead flowers is very useful to obtain new buds.
Marigolds
- Type : Flowers
- Botanical family : Asteraceae (composites)
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Annual
- Exposure : Sun
- Hardiness : Not frost resistant
- Cultivation difficulty : Very easy to grow, requires little maintenance (difficulty : 1/3)
- Adult height : 30 cm
Sowing & planting
- Plant spacing : 25 cm
- Row spacing : 25 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Low
- Water requirements : Moderate