Marigolds are one of the most versatile flowers you can grow in your vegetable garden Not only do they add a pop of color, but they also provide pest control, attract pollinators, and can even be eaten
When it comes to choosing the best marigold for your veggie garden there are a few key types that stand out above the rest. Here are the top 5 best marigolds for your vegetable garden
1. French Marigolds (Tagetes patula)
French marigolds, also known as African marigolds, are by far the most popular type to grow alongside vegetables. These marigolds are relatively small, reaching between 6-18 inches tall. They produce an abundance of single or double flowers in shades of yellow, orange, mahogany and rust.
French marigolds are highly effective at controlling soil nematodes. Their roots exude a compound that is toxic to nematodes which can ravage vegetable crops. Intercropping French marigolds with veggies like tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash can significantly reduce nematode damage.
In addition to nematode control, French marigolds also deter aphids, potato beetles, squash bugs and other common vegetable pests. Their pungent smell confuses these insects and makes it harder for them to find their host plants.
2. Signet Marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia)
Signet marigolds, also called gem marigolds, produce hundreds of tiny single flowers. They have a neater, more compact growth habit than French marigolds, reaching just 8-12 inches tall.
Signet marigolds bloom prolifically in shades of golden yellow, orange, rust red and mahogany. Their edible petals have a citrusy, spicy flavor perfect for garnishing salads and desserts.
Signet marigolds are just as effective as French marigolds when it comes to pest control. Plant them liberally throughout the vegetable garden to deter nematodes, aphids, cabbage worms, squash bugs and other pests.
3. Mexican Marigolds (Tagetes lucida)
Mexican marigolds have bright green, anise-scented foliage and small golden blossoms. The leaves and flowers have a tarragon-like flavor and are used as a culinary herb.
In addition to being edible, Mexican marigolds secrete oils that suppress weed growth. Interplanting them with vegetables helps reduce competition from weeds.
They also contain compounds that are nematocidal and insecticidal. Their strong scent confuses many garden pests, protecting nearby vegetables.
4. Lemon Gem Marigolds
As you may have guessed from the name, Lemon Gem marigolds have a delicious lemony scent. Their edible flowers have a citrusy taste that makes a tangy, vibrant garnish.
Lemon Gems produce mounds of petite yellow blooms on compact 10-12 inch plants. Their bright, cheery color and happy fragrance makes them a joy to have in the vegetable garden.
Aside from their culinary uses, Lemon Gems help mask the scent of vegetable plants, making it harder for pests to find them. Their prolific flowers also attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings and hoverflies.
5. Crackerjack Mix Marigolds
For a beautiful, diverse marigold display, go with a Crackerjack mix. These mixes contain a variety of marigold types like French, signet and triploid marigolds in an array of colors.
The diversity of Crackerjack marigold mixes helps attract more pollinators than single varieties can on their own. You’ll find bees, butterflies and beneficial insects flocking to your vegetable garden.
Crackerjacks bloom from spring until frost, providing a continuous burst of color and nutrition for pollinators. Plus their assortment of scents help confuse pests all season long.
How To Use Marigolds In Your Vegetable Garden
Now that you know the best marigold varieties for the vegetable garden, let’s look at the different ways to incorporate them:
Intercropping
One of the most effective ways to use marigolds is to intercrop them directly within your vegetable beds.
Try planting a marigold every 1-2 feet down the rows of your tomato, pepper, eggplant and other beds. You can also alternate marigolds and vegetables in a checkerboard pattern.
Intercropping marigolds this way maximizes pest protection and pollination for your veggies.
Border Plantings
Another option is to use marigolds as a border around the perimeter of your vegetable garden beds.
Plant a row or cluster of marigolds 6-12 inches away from the edge of your beds. This “wall” of marigolds helps repel pests and attracts pollinators from all sides.
Containers & Pots
Don’t have an in-ground garden? No problem! Marigolds also thrive in containers mixed with veggies.
Try pairing marigolds with tomatoes, peppers, bush beans, lettuce, spinach and other veggies in patio pots or window boxes. The marigolds will help deter pests on your container plants.
Cover Crop & Green Manure
At the end of the season, cut down your marigolds and turn them into the soil as a green manure cover crop.
The decomposing marigold roots will continue to suppress nematodes and enrich the soil with organic matter over winter.
When To Plant Marigolds
Marigolds are a hardy annual flower. They take about 2 months from seed to bloom.
To get the most out of your marigolds for pest control and pollination, be sure to time your plantings correctly:
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In warm zones (9-11), marigolds can be direct sown in fall for overwintering or early spring.
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In cooler zones, start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost.
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Transplant marigolds into the garden after all danger of frost has passed.
Succession plant marigolds every 2-3 weeks for continuous blooms. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage new blooms until fall.
The Many Benefits Of Marigolds
As you can see, marigolds offer an abundance of benefits for your vegetable garden:
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Deter pests like nematodes, aphids, cabbage worms and beetles
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Attract beneficial insects for pollination and pest control
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Provide a long season of bright, cheery color
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Add edible flowers, herbs and greens
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Enrich soil when tilled under as green manure
When leveraged properly, marigolds are one of the gardener’s best friends. Add them to your vegetable beds, borders, containers and more to reap nature’s bounty in your garden.
15 Reasons To Grow Marigolds In The Vegetable Garden
French Marigolds (Tagetes patula) are an excellent plant to grow.
They look beautiful in hanging baskets, planters, and ornamental beds or borders. They are also a great addition to a vegetable garden. They are even number one on our list of the best flowers to plant in a vegetable garden.
French marigolds should not be confused with another useful plant –Calendula
Nor should they be confused with African marigold
Not only are these two other plants great for your garden, but we’re here to talk about French Marigolds.
Many gardeners do not think to plant flowers in their vegetable garden. But creating polycultures of fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs can help you to garden organically.
By adding flowers to your vegetable garden, you can attract a wider range of plants and animals, make the soil stronger, protect it, and keep your garden growing strong.
But why grow French marigolds? Why are they such a great flower? (It doesn’t even matter how pretty they are!)
Here are 15 other reasons to grow these marigolds in your vegetable garden:
The first reason that marigolds are such a popular choice is that they are so easy to grow.
Marigolds will grow in a wide range of soil types and conditions. All they really demand is plenty of sunlight. As long as you plant them in areas of full sun, they should be particularly trouble-free plants.
Marigold seeds can be planted 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date in your area, and the plants will usually sprout in one to two weeks.
You can also consider picking up inexpensive bedding plants from a local garden centre or plant nursery.
If you buy marigolds just once, you can let some of them go to seed. The next year, they will easily spread to other parts of your vegetable garden and grow back as “wanted weeds.”
It’s easy to gather your own seeds if this more natural and wild style doesn’t appeal to you. You can then sow them and plant them where you want to next year.
Some people don’t know this, but marigolds are one type of flower that can be eaten along with fruits and vegetables. Marigolds are not just a good companion plant – they are an edible crop in their own right.
Egg and Tomato Salad With Marigold and Chive Flowers
The petals of French marigolds can also be used to decorate cupcakes and other baked goods. They can also be used for a lot of other kitchen decor.
Marigolds are famously excellent as a companion plant. Some people say that marigolds help their neighbors because they kill nematodes that can hurt crops.
What Are Nematodes?
Nematodes are tiny organisms, roundworms, which constitute the phylum Nematoda. The Latin word “nemat” means “thread” (from the Greek word “nema”) and “odes” means “like” or “of the nature of.” There are a huge number of different species of these small, thread-like creatures.
Some nematodes cause problems for plants and people. But others are beneficial – involved in some important jobs in the soil and around your garden.
Can Planting Marigolds Really Help With Nematode Problems?
There is a lot of confusion surrounding this issue. The subject is not as clear cut as some gardeners believe. Marigolds do produce compounds in their roots that are nematicides.
As a warning, though, it’s important to know that nematodes come in a lot of different types and that most home gardeners won’t be able to tell which ones are in their soil.
When certain nematodes infest certain types of French marigolds, the plants kill the nematodes there and reduce the number of them. This can bring harmful nematode populations down.
Marigolds may also excrete a chemical which can repel nematodes in the surrounding area.
By planting marigolds in a certain spot in your vegetable beds before the vegetables, you can get rid of some nematodes that live there and make it less likely that the crops that come after them will be affected.
Growing marigolds can help control a nematode population, such as root rot nematodes.
Marigolds can bloom over quite a long period of time. Their blooms are therefore an excellent resource for bees and pollinators throughout the growing season.
Many marigolds can help bring pollinators into your garden, but some are better for some types of bugs.
A lot of pollinators like single flowers better than double flowers because they can get to the heart of the flowers more easily. But make sure you pick as many types of flowers as you can for your garden so that all the pollinators that live in your area will be happy.
They not only bring in pollinators, but also bugs that can help you get rid of pests naturally.
Bugs that eat aphids and other pests that can hurt your plants will be drawn to marigolds. These bugs include ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic mini-wasps, and others.
If you let these helpful bugs into your garden, they will help keep the ecosystem balanced and make it less likely that pest problems will get out of hand.
Marigolds may also be somewhat effective as a trap crop for certain pest species. Crops that draw pests to them are called trap crops. This keeps the pests away from other, more valuable crops.
Like, slugs love marigolds, so putting “sacrificial” marigolds around the edges of a bed might help keep your plants safe. The slugs will be drawn to the marigolds. Most likely, you will lose some plants, but you can find them on the marigolds and pick them up before they hurt other plants in the garden.
There are a lot of claims about the bugs that marigolds will keep away from your vegetable garden.
Claims that marigolds can repel deer or rabbits are, unfortunately, completely unfounded. These flowers will not keep either of these animals out of your vegetable garden.
There is some evidence, though, that marigolds may sometimes be able to keep some pests away, like cabbage moths and Mexican bean beetles. And scientists have determined that marigolds secretion of limonene can help (at least a little) in repelling whiteflies.
Marigolds can also be a great plant choice for attracting butterflies to your garden. Tagetes patula can be particularly successful in drawing in these beautiful creatures.
Keep in mind that varieties with only one flower will be better for butterflies because they can get to their nectar more easily.
Marigold petals are often used to bulk out saffron, or as a ‘poor mans’ saffron alternative. They can impart a natural yellow colouring to food.
They can be used in soups, stews etc. , or to make a natural colored icing for cakes or confectionary.
The petals are sometimes also fed to chickens, to impart a natural rich golden tone to egg yolks.
The intense pigment in the petals can also be used to make a natural dye for fabrics.
Marigolds are wonderful for dyeing natural fabrics like silk, cotton, hemp, wool etc. They will not stick as successfully to synthetic fabrics.
In natural dyeing, marigolds are highly valued for their bright yellow tones that are easy to get and don’t always need a mordant like alum to stay put.
Scented French marigolds are also useful because they can provide a yield of essential oil. The whole plant is used in distillation.
This essential oil is used in a range of ways, including in perfumery. Marigold essential oil is blended with sandalwood oil to produce ‘attar genda’ perfume.
Marigolds will, of course, add a beautiful pop of colour in your garden. But you can also cut them for floral displays inside your home. See some beautiful examples in the link below:
You can also string marigolds together to make pretty wreaths for your garden, home, or special event. People in India wear these kinds of garlands to weddings and other important events. In Mexico, they are worn on the Day of the Dead.
Marigolds are also a flower that is suitable for drying.
To dry your marigolds, you can use a number of different methods.
Putting flower bouquets up to dry in a warm, low-humidity area is the easiest way to do it. The area should have good air circulation and be out of direct sunlight. Then simply leave your marigolds to dry there, undisturbed, for 2-4 weeks.
You can use dried marigolds in a range of decorative ways around your home.
You can also dry and store the petals for making marigold tea. A tea made from marigolds has a mild, rather bland flavour but gives good colour. Marigold petals are therefore often mixed with other botanicals, like mint, for example.
Another useful plant that marigolds can be used for is making soap and other beauty and cleaning items.
Last but not least, you can cut and drop your marigolds at the end of the growing season to the soil to add organic matter.
There is some evidence to suggest that this may help to reduce nematode issues. It may not kill the nematodes themselves after the living plants are felled. But it is thought that the extra organic matter will help to keep the number of harmful nematodes low by increasing the number of good soil organisms.
Best Companion Planting Flowers for the Vegetable Garden
FAQ
Which marigold for vegetable garden?
Which vegetables don’t like marigolds?
What flowers are best for vegetable gardens?
Are French marigolds good for a vegetable garden?
USDA Zones 4-11 TOH Tip: Like French marigolds, these can be planted in vegetable gardens to deter pests. Unlike French marigolds, this plant is effective at relieving certain insect stings. Its leaves can also be used in stews. Cosmos These long-stemmed garden annuals can grow up to six feet tall, thriving in even poor soil.
Are marigolds good for vegetable gardens?
Marigolds are just as they sound, a merry array of shades of yellow, gold and bright orange. In the summer and fall they line the borders of vegetable gardens and rows of tomatoes as protectors of a bounty yet to be harvested. Marigolds are one of the many flowers that are great companions to vegetable gardens.
Are Marigolds a good companion plant?
Marigolds ( Tagetes) are a favorite amongst gardeners for a stunning garden visual and ease in being one of the best companion plants for vegetables and herbs.