Why marigold leaves turn black. Tips from gardeners: why do marigolds dry and what to do about it? The foliage dries up and the buds turn black

It is not easy to create zones of continuous flowering in the garden. To do this, you need to know well the biological characteristics of each plant species, properly prepare the earth mixture, choose the best place for planting, take into account height and tiering, and, of course, flowering time.

Marigolds bloom all summer and autumn until the very frosts.

For planting such complex flower beds, perennials are used. But a well-chosen mixborder requires constant attention. Another option is to fill the flower beds with flowering annuals.

Such flower beds require annual planting, but are attractive because of the possibility of creating bright spots. The color scheme of the summers is unusually wide, allowing you to place the necessary accents in various parts of the garden. But here, too, pitfalls are possible. Either it’s too hot - the flowers grow smaller, then endless rains pour - and the letniki get wet, lie down, take on an untidy look, or even the seedlings just got frail and don’t want to grow up and bloom. An absolutely win-win option is to use marigolds to create bright and constantly blooming spots.

Marigolds are so unpretentious that one cannot do without them, not without reason in urban flower beds, where the conditions for plant growth and care are very difficult, the main emphasis is on these flowers. It is marigolds (or tagetis) that give the very effect of constant flowering, which is so difficult to achieve. Planted in the ground in the spring, but already blooming, they will continue to bloom until serious autumn frosts. For five long months, flower beds decorated with marigolds will be bright and sunny. The color scheme of tagetis falls on the yellow, orange, red and brown sectors. The use of varieties of different heights will allow you to create the necessary tiering.

Marigolds are so unassuming that you can't do without them.

Marigolds, or tagetis, grow wild in North America. In decorative floriculture, many varieties obtained from three species are used.

Marigolds are erect, or African (Tagetes egesta), grow into a large bush, 80–120 cm high, compact or sprawling, but with a distinct main shoot. The shoots are not numerous, but all are directed upwards, which is why the shape of the bush seems to be reverse pyramidal. Inflorescences - large single baskets, semi-double, simple, but more often double in shape, 6–13 cm in diameter. The color of the inflorescences is usually monophonic, bright yellow, bright orange, less often two-color. Sometimes the edge of each petal is slightly lighter than the main tone.

Marigolds rejected, or French (Tagetes patula), are much lower than erect ones (15–50 cm), but form sprawling bushes, branching almost from the ground. Inflorescences-baskets are single or collected in inflorescences with a diameter of 4–6 cm. The shape of the baskets is: terry, semi-double or simple yellow, orange, red-brown, often two-tone. They bloom very profusely. This species includes the largest number of the most widely distributed varieties.

Thin-leaved marigolds, or Mexican marigolds (Tade "e $ (epshgoNa), are undersized plants that form elegant compact bushes 20–40 cm high. Small simple baskets 1.5–3 cm in diameter are collected in corymbose, abundantly flowering inflorescences. The color of the inflorescences is often yellow and orange Varieties derived from this species are excellent border plants.

Planting marigolds

Marigolds are grown both by sowing in the ground and by seedlings. The second way is preferable, providing the longest flowering and immediately, after planting, making the flower garden decorative. Seedlings appear 5–7 days after sowing, after another couple of weeks the seedlings dive, which favors good growth of the root system and the production of strong plants. Seedlings of marigolds are usually strong, strong, not afraid of transplants. Even if the seedlings are not grown in separate cups, but in boxes, the tagetis roots do not suffer too much during division. Often, after planting marigolds in the ground, the leaves of the seedlings acquire a dark red, burgundy or purple hue. The anthocyanin color that appears is the reaction of plants to bright sunlight. Over time, having adapted to the new habitat, the marigold leaves will turn green again. The value of marigolds is also in the fact that they significantly heal the soil in which they are planted.

Marigolds are herbaceous ornamental plants. family Asteraceae, or Compositae.

The Latin name for marigolds is Tagetes, they are also called Chernobrivtsy or, thanks to the British, marigold "Mary's Gold".

In the wild, Tagetes are found in the west of Transcaucasia. They have a developed root system and strong erect stems. Their leaves are all shades of green. Depending on the species and cultivar, they are also high, from 20 cm to 2 meters in height.

Marigold flowers are both simple and terry, both large and small.. They can be modestly colored, or they can be bright and elegant, yellow, orange or red-brown. They are characterized by rapid flowering and they do not have special requirements for.

In addition to decorative purposes, marigolds are used as a medicine (to improve digestion and immunity) and as a spice. They contain essential oils, vitamins, microelements and biologically active substances.

Common diseases with photos of damaged plants

Why don't they bloom?

Diagnostics: on average, up to 2 months should pass from planting to flowering (depending on weather conditions).

If this period has expired, and flowering does not occur, most likely the flowers were not properly cared for.

We talked in detail about the features of caring for marigolds at home and in the open field.

In this case, often all the forces of the plant go to the development of green mass.

For what reason do they wilt?

Diagnostics: bushes quickly wither.

Causes: marigolds can be affected by root rot, blackleg, slugs, aphids, as well as other diseases and pests. Often for this reason they wither:

• The black leg is the first most common ailment of marigolds. Light, darkening and decaying spots appear from the bottom of the stem, leading to wilting.
• At later stages, under adverse conditions, marigolds can be affected by root rot. In this case, the plants begin to grow more slowly, turn yellow, and then they die.
• It happens that at the end of summer marigolds appear in group plantings with yellowed shoots and deformed leaves with yellow, cream, bronze spots and patterns.

  You can also notice the underdevelopment of buds and the absence of seeds. All these are signs of viral diseases.

• In greenhouses, in hot conditions, in the open field, plants can be affected by the greenhouse whitefly. This small butterfly feeds on the juice of marigold leaves. On the sugary secretions of its larvae, sooty fungi often settle and the leaves are covered with a black coating.
• With high humidity (rain), slugs and snails come out. They gnaw on the stems and leaves of Tagetes.
• Thrips (small insects) eat marigold buds, drinking juice from them. Thrips infection can be seen by small punctures on the petals of the buds. The bud begins to rot, then dries up and falls off (read more about why marigolds dry and what to do about it).
• Very often, caterpillars begin to eat foliage. The caterpillars eat the leaves and the plant loses its appearance. In addition, the caterpillars use the leaves for their larvae.
• In some cases, aphids appear on marigolds. It sticks around the entire surface of flowers, tops of shoots, buds and stems.

What to do: Conclusion

Among those who like to grow gardens and work on the plots, they are the most popular type of flowers. They decorate these areas with their flowering. These flowers are often planted along the edges of the beds, as they protect nearby plants from pests. Marigolds are unpretentious, but require attention, since with improper care they themselves can get sick, although this happens in rare cases.

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What does the plant look like?

1. The stems are straight, forked, which form a bush with a height of 20 to 130 centimeters.
2. The root system is pivotal.
3. The leaves are pinnately dissected, arranged alternately on the stem. In rare cases, there are marigolds with whole leaves. Light green to dark green color.
4. Different varieties of marigolds have different inflorescences: from flattened to spherical, from yellow to orange. Some combine several flowers in an inflorescence.

Due to the long flowering (until the first frost), marigolds are the favorites of gardeners. It is not necessary to plant these flowers on open ground, some summer residents plant marigolds in pots or planters, hang them on windows or put them on the porch. Read about whether it is possible to grow this plant at home in a pot.

Common Diseases and Growing Problems

In most cases, marigolds are unpretentious and resistant to diseases and pest attacks. But when the protective properties are weakened, infection can occur. Most often, the following pests and diseases appear.

In addition to diseases and pests the gardener may also have a number of problems with.

• Slow growth due to lack of moisture in the soil.
• Inexpressive and small inflorescences due to lack of moisture.
• Rotting of the root system with frequent rains.
• Stopping growth due to a sharp drop in temperature to +10 degrees, which is accompanied by reddening of the leaves.

You can read about diseases and pests of a flower, and we wrote about methods of dealing with the most common diseases and insects in.

Causes of wilting

There are several factors that lead to wilting.

1. Light. The leaves dry up depending on how the sun's rays fall on the plant. Direct rays can cause burns. If the gardener limited and hid them from the sun, then after planting in open ground, the leaves dry from an excess of sunlight.
2. Water. The drying of marigolds is a process that may indicate that the plant does not receive enough liquid. Marigolds for intensive growth and lush flowering require daily watering. At the same time, it is important to prevent stagnation of moisture, since a dangerous fungus quickly appears in such an environment.
3. Place of sowing. When planting flowers, many gardeners limit the space between the bushes. Due to this limitation, the buds and leaves of the plant begin to wither and dry. When you do not need to part the holes and take free space from the plant.

Attention! The optimal distance between the bushes depends on. For tall varieties, a 40x40 scheme is suitable (40 cm between bushes and rows). For medium height - this is 30x30, for - 20x20.

If the flower stopped growing, became lethargic, its leaves began to dry and the stem or bud turned black - these are symptoms of a bacterial infection. The main reason is over watering. Marigolds love water, but too wet soil is much worse for them than too dry.
It also provokes infection with an excess amount of fertilizer, a compacted clod of earth.

Bacterial damage occurs in the form of:

• bacterial rot;
• bacterial spotting and burns;
• vascular bacteriosis.

What to do?

General actions for any problem - preliminary help to the plant. All damaged or heavily infected parts must be removed with scissors, secateurs. For 2-3 days, the plant should be left without watering to dry the soil. Be sure to set a watering schedule, normalize the moisture balance.

Further actions depend on the diagnosis.

- the guarantee of the future harvest. Already at the seedling stage, the potential is laid in the plants, helping them to grow healthy fruits and leave seeds. The task of any gardener is to grow seedlings strong and healthy.

Unfortunately, seedlings living in an apartment are subject to the negative effects of dry air, drafts, and are affected by diseases and pests. Sometimes it happens that, despite all the efforts, the seedlings die. Let's take a closer look at the factors that need to be considered in order to obtain healthy seedlings.

seed quality

It is clear that it is impossible to obtain healthy seedlings from diseased, underdeveloped, improperly stored seeds.

Ways to solve: do not buy unknown seeds in dubious places. When obtaining seeds on your own, collect them only from healthy plants, store them in a dry, dark place, apply seed preparation methods in accordance with their biological characteristics. Seeds are recommended to be treated with a weak pink solution of potassium permanganate before sowing, and then washed 2-3 times.

Soil quality

One of the most common causes of seedling death is poor quality soil containing harmful microorganisms and insects that destroy young seedlings.

Solutions: take fresh purchased soil from trusted companies for growing seedlings, or prepare the soil yourself in compliance with all conditions. The soil from the garden should be taken fertile, but in no case from greenhouses. It is highly discouraged to take land in those places where the crop that is supposed to be sown grew, or plants of the same family. The soil is kept in the cold during the winter. For greater precaution, it is advisable to roast it in the oven or microwave in a wet state at least 2 weeks before sowing.

Wrong watering

If you do not water the seedlings for a long time, they will, of course, die. Drooping sluggish leaves, dry topsoil means the seedlings need moisture. However, watering seedlings is not so simple. Plants watered too heavily, with stagnant water at the roots, will suffer greatly from lack of oxygen. Their leaves will lose elasticity, sink down, as if from a lack of moisture, and the plant will quickly die. At the early stage of seedling growth, the soil should not be waterlogged at all, as this leads to the development of blackleg - a common disease that can kill all your plants. It occurs when waterlogging, low temperature, lack of light. With this disease, the stem of the plant near the soil becomes thinner and breaks. The plant dries out very quickly.

Solution: Don't water the plant while the soil is still damp. Instead of watering, maintain air humidity, spray seedlings regularly. At the same time, do not allow the soil to dry out too much. Water the seedlings as soon as you notice that the leaves have begun to lose their elasticity. Provide a drainage hole in the pot where the seedlings are grown.

Violation of the temperature regime

Being on a window blown by all the winds, seedlings can sometimes even freeze slightly. A sharp decrease in temperature inside the soil is especially harmful. After all, plants growing in the soil, if they are able to get used to air vibrations, then their roots are always protected by soil, which cannot be said about plants in pots on the window. Cold water during watering can damage sensitive roots. When airing the premises on frosty days, seedlings may freeze. Heated rooms are often too hot for plants. In spring, plants suffer from excessive sunlight.

Solutions: make sure that the seedlings are not in a draft. If there is a draft from the window, install wide strips of insulation between the pots and the window, which will protect the plants. Install seedlings away from hot batteries, maintain high ambient humidity. Shade from the midday sun. Water the plants with settled water at room temperature.

Violation of the light regime

Growing seedlings usually begins in early spring, or even in winter, when there is clearly not enough light for plants. On the southern and southeastern windows, when planting in March, seedlings of vegetable and most flower crops can be grown without additional illumination. With a lack of light, the seedlings are strongly drawn out, its leaves turn pale.

Solutions: if there is a lack of light, use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps. Do not use incandescent lamps. They give off too much heat. Or plant seedlings later, try to keep the plants cool, then they will stretch less.

Diseases and pests

In addition to the black leg, diseases such as late blight and mosaic most often damage seedlings. With late blight, the leaves of plants turn brown. With a mosaic, light green spots appear on the leaves. The leaves become wrinkled, small and weak.

Solutions: provide all of the above factors in the proper amount. It is advisable to treat the plant with substances such as copper sulfate, a solution of garlic, potassium permanganate. You need to spray once a week. Severely damaged plants should be removed.

Of the pests, the sprout fly is especially dangerous for seedlings. It can penetrate the house along with the soil. The fly reaches a size of 2-3 mm and lays eggs in the upper layer of the earth, damaging young shoots.

Seedlings are often damaged by aphids, which move to plants from indoor flowers, sucking the juice from the leaves, leading to severe stunting and death.

Thrips - a butterfly about 1 mm in size, sucks out the juice. Silver spots are found at the site of damage. Can be transferred with soil.

Spider mite - leaves droop and turn yellow in plants, black, white or brown dots are visible on the lower part of the leaf, cobwebs may appear at the petioles. Solutions: compliance with all safety measures, maintaining high humidity, but without waterlogging the soil. At the first appearance of pests, you need to spray the seedlings with tobacco dust or an infusion of garlic with the addition of soap. In case of severe damage, treatment with Actellik, Fitoverm.

Lack of batteries

If you are using rich garden soil or purchased fertile soil, it is unlikely that the lack of any element will be so critical that it will lead to the death of the seedlings.

But with an improperly composed soil mixture, a lack of some nutrients may occur.

Nitrogen deficiency Phosphorus deficiency Potassium deficiency
Magnesium deficiency Calcium deficiency Sulfur deficiency
Iron deficiency Copper deficiency Manganese deficiency
Boron deficiency Zinc deficiency Molybdenum deficiency

nitrogen deficiency- the leaves, especially the lower ones, turn pale, become lethargic, small. The whole plant is pale, the leaves are underdeveloped. With an excess of nitrogen, the leaves become too dark, large, brittle, young leaves curl and break easily.

Phosphorus deficiency- the underside of the leaf becomes red-violet, the leaves move away from the stem at an acute angle, growth decreases.

Potassium deficiency- especially manifested on old leaves. Lightening appears on their edges, spreading between the veins. Then it gradually turns into a brown spot and the leaf curls.

Magnesium deficiency- yellow or white spots appear between the veins of old leaves. turns pale.

lack of calcium I - the upper leaves turn pale. The growth points of the shoot die off, the roots become sluggish. The apical points of growth die off.

Sulfur deficiency- small yellowish young leaves appear on elongated stems.

Manganese deficiency- Young leaves turn yellow or white, but the veins remain green.

Boron deficiency- The edges and lower part of young leaves dry out, the leaf curls, growth buds die off.

Copper deficiency- the tops of the shoots wither, young leaves turn pale.

iron deficiency- young leaves turn yellow and stunted. At the same time, their veins remain green.

Zinc deficiency- gray-brown spots on the leaves of the middle shoots. It appears suddenly, the spots merge and the leaf dries up.

lack of molybdenum- old leaves turn pale, turn yellow first on the inside and dry out.

An excess of nutrients can be like a deficiency. The symptoms will be similar, so overfeeding the plants is very dangerous.

The subspecies belongs to the Aster family (Compositae). The branches are sprawling, the bush has a compact shape, its height varies depending on each particular variety - from 30 to 120 cm (read how to care for low-growing varieties of marigolds). The root system is fibrous, the usual shape of the leaves is dissected (less common is whole and serrated foliage).

Marigolds are divided into annual and perennial (you can learn about the types and varieties of perennial and annual marigolds, as well as see photos of plants). Flowers can be simple and double, the color palette is diverse (white, brown, yellow varieties). When grown at home, the inflorescences are medium and large in size, in conditions of wild germination, the flowers are small.

You can learn more about the varieties of marigolds, as well as see photos of plants.

Common diseases

On a note. Flowers emit a specific smell, which creates a natural defense against pests.

A special aroma is formed due to the high content of phytoncides. Diseases and problems with the structure of the bush most often arise as a result of improper care.

The lack of color can cause an abundance of fertilizer and moisture (the bush gives all its strength to the formation of green mass), drought, lack of air in the soil, or lack of natural light.

How to diagnose a problem? The bush looks healthy, but there is no ovary on the stem. A distinctive feature of this problem is thick and fleshy leaves. What to do to activate flowering?

1. Adding sun. The sun's rays will make the flowering lush and chic. It is necessary to plant seedlings of marigolds in areas where sunlight enters in moderation (scorching rays will lead to a gradual drying of the bush). Natural lighting activates flowering in the morning and evening, and on a hot afternoon, the bush can be covered with agrofibre, forming an artificial shadow.
2. We are watering. When the first buds form, reduce the number of waterings. Excessive moisture inhibits flowering and provokes putrefactive processes. It is advisable to water the bushes 1 time in 2 days (the water should be warm).
3. We apply fertilizer moderately. It is allowed to feed the bush only when the stem is above 10 cm. Complex fertilizers must be applied before or after flowering. It is forbidden to use fresh and clean humus. A suitable option is a mixture of nitrogen and potassium, phosphorus and trace elements. For 10 liters of water, add 2 tbsp. top dressing and apply to the soil in the evening.
4. We provide air supply. The soil must be loosened and weeded after each watering. For the best effect, moist loosened soil should be covered with hay or sawdust - this minimizes the rapid evaporation of moisture.

Reference! For better flowering of marigolds, regular pruning of dried inflorescences should be carried out. Faded buds delay the formation of new ovaries.

Why do they wither?

Flowers are unpretentious in care, but sudden changes in temperature can adversely affect the condition of the bush. Marigolds may begin to wither due to watering with cold water (if it's hot outside).

On a note. It is better to water in the evening with water that has warmed up all day in the sun.

The bush can also wither due to bad seeds or unsuitable soil. For the next season, it is better to buy seeds in a special store (the material will be of better quality than with self-collection). It is necessary to sow marigolds in another area, having previously introduced a mixture of turf, humus, peat and sand into the soil (proportions 1: 1: 1: 0.5).

What to do if the bush disappears?

The bush most often disappears due to the development of a black leg. This is a fungal disease that affects the stem on its lower part. White spots form on it, then they turn brown, decay processes begin, and the bush withers and dies. Treatment with a fungicide or a solution of potassium permanganate (1 tsp per 2 liters of water) will help eliminate the signs.

To prevent the disease, marigolds should be planted in disinfected and pickled soil. How to disinfect soil? You can perform the procedure with the help of chemicals - treatment with a 3% solution of copper sulfate or adding a composition of oxychome and copper to the top layer.

Another option is biological disinfection. In late autumn, the Baikal preparation (model EM-1) must be applied to the soil. Under the action of its components, harmful microorganisms will be destroyed, and the soil will be healed.

Gray rot is a common reason for the loss of a bush. Among the causes of the disease are low air temperature, dampness and dense planting. The list of characteristic features includes brown small spots along the veins on the leaf, its subsequent drying out. Infected plants are best uprooted and destroyed (cannot be treated).

Attention! The bush also disappears due to the development of root rot. The infected plant is stunted, its stem and leaves turn yellow.

To prevent the disease, it is necessary to cut off the dead parts from the bush in a timely manner, and if the plant is heavily infected, uproot and discard it.

Some insects also affect the state of the bush:

• snails and slugs (eat leaves at night);
• whitefly (feeds on juice from leaves, carries the threat of infection with soot fungus).

You can get rid of pests by treating the bush several times with any insecticides of complex action. Prevention from insects - treatment of marigolds with a composition of warm water and mustard.

To prepare it, mix 0.5 liters of water and 2 tbsp. dry mustard. Put the ingredients in a water bath, wait for the mustard to dissolve. Cool the product, pour into a sprayer and treat the bush in the early morning and evening.

Another proven folk method is to pour a layer of ash mixed with lime under the bush (take the components in equal amounts).

The healthy appearance of marigolds depends on the quality of care. With an abundance of moisture, rot affects the flowers, and during drought, a tick starts on the leaves. What are the basic care rules you need to know?

1. The bush requires moderate lighting. To create a natural shade next to the marigolds, you can plant taller plants.
2. Seeds should be sown in open ground no earlier than mid-May (read about the features of growing marigolds from seeds, and from you will learn how and when it is better to collect marigold seeds). Before the first shoots appear, the soil should be covered with a protective material (lutrasil).
3. When growing seedlings in a pot, drainage (crushed stone or coarse sand) should be poured into its bottom - a preventive measure against fungal diseases.
4. Abundant spring fertilizer provokes active growth and delayed flowering. Potassium, phosphate and a low concentration of humus are suitable as top dressing (you can find out how to feed marigolds for abundant flowering).
5. Marigolds easily tolerate transplantation (even in flowering state).

- unpretentious and unusual plants with a bright flower and a pleasant aroma. For the prevention of diseases, it is advisable to treat the soil with fungicides or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. When the stem is infected with a fungus, it is better to throw out the bush in order to preserve the health of neighboring plants. Pest control consists in treating the bush with insecticides.

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