Companion planting is all about planting flowers, shrubs, fruits or vegetables that help one another. Marigolds are a powerhouse in the vegetable garden, and serve to help protect you vegetable plants and improve soil. Find out the benefits of planting marigolds in your vegetable garden.
Marigolds Make Great Companion Plants
Marigolds are beautiful, bright orange annual flowers that grow quickly and easily. These cheerful blooms should be considered an add on to your vegetable garden. They are easy to grow in containers and directly sown into the garden.
Marigolds Attract Pollinators
Gardens can’t produce without pollination. Bright flowers are natural attractors for pollinators. Orange and yellow are incredibly inviting colors that will attract bees, butterflies and other helpful bugs. Plant marigolds in containers right next to your vegetables. That way, it doesn’t matter if the soil content needs to be the same, the pollinators will visit your marigolds, and most likely visit your veggies as well!
Marigolds Repel Pests
Both African Marigolds (T. Erecta) and French Marigolds (T. Patula) produce alpha-terthienyl. This substance repels nematodes – which are tiny worms that attack the roots of plants. The French Marigold provides the best protection against nematodes. Tomatoes tend to be prone to nematodes.
Related: Planning a Spring Vegetable Garden
These flowers also produce a strong scent which helps repel cabbageworms. This helps protect cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts. Be sure to plant a lot though, as it takes many companion plants to protect the stubborn cabbage worms.
How to Plant Marigolds In Your Garden?
There are two ways to add Marigolds to your garden. The first is to plant them right next to your vegetables in the soil. This is great if the soil type needed for your vegetables matches the soil type needed for these flowers.
Marigolds thrive in fertile, well-drained, non-acidic soil. This works well with tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers. In which case, you can plant the flowers right next to, or in the same bed as the vegetables.
If you’re using the flowers to attract pollinators and the soil of some of your plants is acidic, marigolds thrive in containers as well. Just add a pot of these lovely flowers alongside your garden bed.
The best way to take advantage of repelling nematodes is to grow them in the planter the year before planting the veggies. This ensures the substance is already in the soil when vegetables like tomatoes are planted. There is no harm in growing the plants simultaneously. However, you may not reap all the benefits.
Plant with Other Flowers and Herbs
Many other flowers act as companion plants in the garden. Some of these flowers include: nasturtiums, borage, sunflowers, cosmos and calendula. Herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage and mint can help repel pests from the garden as well.
Planting flowers and herbs can double your efforts to repel pests from the garden and attract pollinators.
Related: How to Grow and Harvest Basil
What Else Can Marigolds be Used For?
Aside from providing happy blooms in the garden, marigolds are beautiful when dried and preserved. Their carnation like blooms are a wonderful addition to any pressed flower art piece.
Or, add these gorgeous flowers to a summer bouquet. Plant them in a container and place them around your home. They are easy to grow and cheap to buy. Marigolds are also easy to start from seed and will sow themselves year after year!
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Marysa says
Marigolds are a great way to reduce pests. I’m not the biggest fan of them as flowers, but they are good repellant. I work in a greenhouse and we sell a lot of marigolds to people who need to keep critters away.
Semi-Crunchy Mama says
They are! Thank you for the comment!
Nicole Claesen says
I always love planting marigolds with my tomatoes! I also like that they repel mosquitoes.
Elizabeth says
Yes so true! Thank you for the comment!
Ethan says
I’ve been planting companion marigolds for years. As you stated, Marigolds are a natural repellent for a verity of plant destroying bugs. Another plus, marigolds add eye catching color and pollinators.
Elizabeth says
Yes, so true! Marigolds have so many wonderful benefits. Thank you so much for stopping by!
Patty says
I am 77 years old and my other before me added marigolds to her garden. It not only repel bugs, but adds beauty and color to your garden. I plant the marigolds when I plant my garden. All the way around the perimeter. PIn the fall, when the vegetables are gone, the flowers add color to the plot! I love to smell they as well!
Elizabeth says
Yes so true! Thank you for visiting!
Heidi says
I love them and have a greenhouse, so i grow my own. The deer eat alot of my flowers, so this year I’m planting tons of marigolds. They don’t like those ones.😉
Elizabeth says
Yes, great point! I need to add to my post that marigolds also keep deer away! Thank you for reading.
julie says
I have three little beds that are packed with lots of summer joy. My daughter and I have taken some time to create a little special time to our daily lives and have our garden set in our local city community garden. Flowers in one, veggies in another built up container box, all corn in another, last…watermelon and pumpkins in another. With all this….marigolds:( Now with your post, I’m off to our nursery for more! I had no idea they carry so many wonderful aids to our garden! Thank you for sharing. I will definitely enjoy more garden tips! Much Thanks! Mom and Daughter (Templeton, California)
Elizabeth says
Thank you for the kinds comment, and thank you for stopping by! I always love meeting fellow gardeners.
Phyll says
I just just found your your blog: thank you. This season, for the first time ever, I planted lots of marigolds in my veggie garden. They are so pretty. Didn’t know they reseed themselves. Next year, I will plant lots in my herb garden.
Elizabeth says
That’s so great! I’m very happy you found my blog and appreciate you reading. I’m crossing my fingers for an incredible gardening season for you next year!
Debbie says
I plant marigolds every year and something eats them down to the stem. I can’t figure out what is eating them!
Elizabeth says
That’s odd! Not many things eat marigolds. Are you in an area with a lot of slugs? They will come out at night an devour them.
Linda Gibbons says
I have used marigolds as my mother did for years. Planting them along side my veggies and for their bright colors is a great combination. Not such a fan of their sent but the colors, stunning. As another commented replied, I’m off to the nursery for more. Thank you for all the information.
Elizabeth says
I’m so happy you found it helpful, thank you for stopping by! They certainly don’t smell nice, but they are pretty to look at!
Tara says
I’ve planted marigolds around the perimeter of my garden for over 20 years! Never a critter in the garden and when they grow and expand help make the garden look prettier
Elizabeth says
That’s so great! Yes they love to self seed, and you really don’t have to do much to make them grow, that’s one of the reasons I love them!
Mary says
Thanks for your post!
I love marigolds!
I always dead head the flowers & save the seeds for the next season! I always find new areas to plant them. They’re great for gardens and are hardy plants to grow around the yard. I live in a rural area so I have many acres so I can’t water everything. Marigolds are easy to grow & add color to dull hard to reach (with a hose) areas.
This year I planted marigold seeds on tree stumps! They are growing not only on top of the stump (I added soil on top w/ bark to hold it in place) but seeds fell onto open spots on the sides of the stump, yes they’re growing out of the sides! I also planted seeds on the ground around the stump!
Talk about a stunning piece of art!
So natural and very beautiful!
Thank You!
Donna says
I would love to see pictures, please
Diana Pennington says
Marigolds are suspose to be good to keep snakes awy
Elizabeth says
That’s good to know!
Conchita says
Since Marigolds have a smell, do they by chance keep squirrels away from veggie and fruit plants?
Elizabeth says
Sadly, they don’t. I find the only thing that really keeps squirrels away is cats or small dogs.
Jan Atwater says
Please leave comments about Rhubarb My grandmother grew it in our yard back inthe1930-40 cooked it up–always loved it. As I remember she threw out the first bit of water, to get rid of the bitterness then added water & a bit of sugar! just bought some today will cook it up tomorow—BUT would love to grow some in my yard.
Elizabeth says
I’ll see if I can get a post out about rhubarb in the next couple of months!
ZJ Mercadante says
This is my first year trying a raised garden bed. I planted a couple marigolds near my tomatoes but now after reading your blog I will add more around the bed as well. Thank you for your posts!