| Plants That Say No Go Buddy – Not On My Shift! Predatory and Companion Plants The beauty and benefits of companion planting. Techniques to introduce different flowers, plants and herbs with an attitude that can support and improve soil conditions, increase fertility, offer shelter and attract and repel insects simultaneously. |
| Marigold |
| Marigolds are a fantastic flower to have in your garden. I have them here in pots, and they also act as a colourful companion to flowers, vegetables and herbs alike. There are two types – French and African; l have grown both here, and both varieties l believe have acted as deterrents to some insects. There is a lot of controversy concerning the natural repellant properties of the marigold from gardeners and ‘scientists’. So from my personal experience and opinion, do l write this. There are many benefits to having marigolds in your garden, from pest control to colour and even inclusion in the kitchen. They can release a chemical from their roots to the soil to keep nematodes away. Nematodes can be challenging to get rid of once they have a firm hold of the origins of plants, so any help is hugely beneficial. Equally, the marigold can aid in keeping beetles, mosquitoes and aphids at bay. You can also make your own homemade marigold insect spray if you want to by placing water and petals into a blender and blitzing for a few seconds only. Pour contents into a bottle and sit for 48 hours with an occasional shake. Once done, strain the contents and pour into a spray bottle and should you wish, add a few drops of non-chemical washing liquid to aid in ‘stickability’ and a few cups of water to dilute further and away you go. The mixture is suitable for a week, and anything not used at that point is disposed of. Marigolds are great attractors to pollinators and beneficial bug life. Some gardeners report slugs and snails loving this plant, and others like myself have never experienced that behaviour and l have a lot of both in this garden. Some use marigolds as a distraction, planting as ‘fodder’ for slugs and snails to keep them away from other plants. As companions, they are great with tomato plants, potatoes, cucumbers and peppers, amongst a few others, but some plants are not keen on their closeness like beans. Above everything else, they are just so charmingly attractive as a plant and add some superb colour to your beds and herbs. |
| Hope you enjoyed this article and l’ll see you again soon. The Autistic Composter |
Earthly Comforts 
Thanks for sharing this info Rory. I’ll be sure to plant some marigolds next season
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Hey Sadje, very welcome – marigolds are really a lovely flowers to plant 🙂
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They are and their anti – slug/ pest effect is very desirable
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Hey Rory! I found Marigolds to be an excellent companion plant here in the deep south where aphids are a real problem. I planted a variety of them around the perimeter of the garden. When they went to seed, I saved the seed for the next planting season. They are quite the hardy, happy little flower and I think I enjoyed them as much as the pollinators did. 😊
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Hey Betty – they are indeed a very hardy plant that always comes back for more 🙂
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😊
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So I’m told marigolds will ward off spiders 🕷?
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Yes they will 🙂
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I will have them ALL over my house ❤️
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Well that is possible, they are mostly an outdoor flower, but there is no reason to not have them in the house 🙂
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