Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: dawnj on May 01, 2009, 18:46
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I heard today if you put marigolds in with your brassiacs it keeps pests away what do you think? :ohmy:
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It`s called companion planting, the scent from the Marigolds deters aphids. The same applies if you use any member of the onion family.
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Do brassicas suffer much with aphids?
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Not if you plant Marigolds. :D :D
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I used them last year to keep pests off my brassicas and they worked brilliantly at detering the whitefly; didn't see many aphids so they must have worked on them too! 8)
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I planted a load out last week in the beds that we are going to use for curcubits as they are supposed to deter aphids (that carry mosaic virus). Didn't realise they deter whitefly too. Will get a load more then :)
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are the things called "tajetes" the same as marigolds? they look the same but they seem to have a completely different latin name. will they work the same way in detering whitefly etc. does anyone know?
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Work for your tomato plants too
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thanks for your replys i will be at the garden centre tomorrow......
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Tagetes erecta - "African" marigold - don't know if this is useful for anything
Tagetes patula - "French" marigold - very smelly which deters whitefly - companion-plant in greenhouse with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, aubergines
Tagetes minuta - Mexican marigold - even more smelly, the most powerful of the insect repelling marigolds, but very tall (6' / 2M)
Calendula - English marigold attracts hoverflies (which eat aphids)
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I grew marigolds right next to my purple sprouting brocolli last year and it still got badly infested with whitefly >:( maybe I grew the wrong type? I think they were Tagetes Patula
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They only deter the whitefly, they can't protect against a determined pest ::) :lol:
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Tagetes erecta - "African" marigold - don't know if this is useful for anything
Tagetes patula - "French" marigold - very smelly which deters whitefly - companion-plant in greenhouse with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, aubergines
Tagetes minuta - Mexican marigold - even more smelly, the most powerful of the insect repelling marigolds, but very tall (6' / 2M)
Calendula - English marigold attracts hoverflies (which eat aphids)
thankyou kristen, that's cleared up my doubts! i'd only come across the tagetes since coming to spain, so i didn't know they were called marigolds too.
Problem is, now i've gone and planted calendula in amongst my tomatoes which is not much use! i shall go out and buy some tagetes tomorrow!
thanks again for your help
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It also helps to know that the plain, 'single' type of marigold is superior to the double 'ruffled' types of marigold and the war against pests. Personally, I've never had much luck with them as protection but I just plain love having marigolds around and plant them to enjoy. Don't even mind the smell. The bees definitely love them and that makes it worth while.
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Just as a matter of interest, a couple of days ago I came across a video about allotments on the BBC website. Short clip by Terry Walton (the "allotment doctor"). However, he claimed that companion planting, incl. marigolds, was only useful in glass/greenhouses. Unfortunately, he didn't give reasons for his opinion.
Any thoughts on this, as we've just sown Marigold seeds here for the specific purpose of companion planting.
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the reason is you get most benefit from growing marigolds between crops .
in a bed before you grow your tomatoes or spuds .
they release something into the soil that gets rid of damaging nematodes that attack
your plants.
so plant wisely if you are using nemaslug nematodes in your battle against slugs.
Slugs Adore young marigolds.
i grow african marigolds in pots and move them about.
they are great at attracting hover flies which lay their eggs on your aphid problem
then they hatch and devour the aphids.
i put a tray of 40 young marigold seedlings and left them out the back of my house
in the morning i had three left
but loads of slug trails everywhere
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I can remember trying Tagettes as a companion plant about 40 years ago but I can't remember if they worked, but I wouldn't have a garden without Pot Marigolds, summer wouldn't be the same without them.
Sprinkle any salad with a handful of Pot Marigold petals and watch it come alive and if you have bored children, get some white sugar, Pot Marigold petals and a pestle and mortar and get them to make flower sherbet.
Bob
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still confused should I put marigolds in with my cabbages/brocoli and cauliflour?
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No not with Brassicas unless you haven't got anywhere else to put them :)
Best companion plant for Brassicas are nets to keep the cabbage whites off.
Bob
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hi Bob early posts say I should and a few webs sites, would it do them any harm if the advice is wrong?
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No not at all, I am always happy to mix flowers in with veg. Admittedly I would normally do it with Carrots and Onions, but don't worry about it, if it works great and if not you will enjoy the flowers anyway.
Bob
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they are a good crop to completely fill a bed with that could do with a rest .
as they will rid your soil of nematodes eel worms and a few more nasty critters.
then dig up when finished and compost.
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I've been looking whilst I've been out and about at marigolds. The only one's I've seen are the french ones..do you have to grow the african ones from seed at home? ???
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african ones i got from ebayhttp://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=african+marigold+seed&_sacat=See-All-Categories (http://ebayhttp://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=african+marigold+seed&_sacat=See-All-Categories)
i got a variety called spacehopper
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Thanks Bob........
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the reason is you get most benefit from growing marigolds between crops .
in a bed before you grow your tomatoes or spuds .
they release something into the soil that gets rid of damaging nematodes that attack
your plants.
so plant wisely if you are using nemaslug nematodes in your battle against slugs.
Slugs Adore young marigolds.
i grow african marigolds in pots and move them about.
they are great at attracting hover flies which lay their eggs on your aphid problem
then they hatch and devour the aphids.
i put a tray of 40 young marigold seedlings and left them out the back of my house
in the morning i had three left
but loads of slug trails everywhere
Do I understand you correctly George?
Are you saying that marigolds (common name) are not any use as a companion plant as described by other posters, but only as a) a slug detraction and b) as a fallow crop?
If so, may I ask what you're basing your views on? Your post is completely different to everything I've ever seen posted on here, and books I've read - I'm curious.
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I believe your meant to plant Thyme alongside cabbages to deter cabbage whites.
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I'm curious too, George007. In all my years I have never ever seen a field full of marigolds grown as a cover crop, not even half a field. Or a quarter field.
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the reason is you get most benefit from growing marigolds between crops .
in a bed before you grow your tomatoes or spuds .
they release something into the soil that gets rid of damaging nematodes that attack
your plants.
so plant wisely if you are using nemaslug nematodes in your battle against slugs.
Slugs Adore young marigolds.
i grow african marigolds in pots and move them about.
they are great at attracting hover flies which lay their eggs on your aphid problem
then they hatch and devour the aphids.
i put a tray of 40 young marigold seedlings and left them out the back of my house
in the morning i had three left
but loads of slug trails everywhere
Do I understand you correctly George?
Are you saying that marigolds (common name) are not any use as a companion plant as described by other posters, but only as a) a slug detraction and b) as a fallow crop?
If so, may I ask what you're basing your views on? Your post is completely different to everything I've ever seen posted on here, and books I've read - I'm curious.
certainly.... here is one] of hundreds out there
copy and paste this into your browser
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/NG045
all i'm saying is young marigolds are loved by slugs
i would not want a very young marigold loved by slugs to be a companion for my lettuce
as a random example.
i grow african marigolds which are in fact mexican marigolds
they have the strongest effect on aphids etc
they also have the largest flower and attract the most hoverflies.
i grow them in large pots and move them around my plot where i think i need them .
the only benefit of also planting it next to your veg in the ground
is controlling nematodes in the soil
and controlling aphids etc , but it can be in a pot to do that
marigold can have a herbacical effect on some plants like beans and potatoes
so read up on it.
i would also prefer to have the space in the ground for my veg rather than a flower
which can be moved around to do it's job.
and if i want to cleanse my bed of nematodes and eel worm
a whole crop of marigolds will do the job
grown this way hey can even supress rampant bindweed.
i may seem like an arrogant newbie
i may have only just got allotment
but i'm a happily self employed gardener
that somehow is able to pay my way in life
and employ two other people at the same time.
but what do i know ?
thats why i always try to research everything about everything , i have a genuine
thirst for the knowledge.
and sin of sins i copied and pasted an article .
i'm sorry
but it was relevant
i won't do it again
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I had a packet of Tagetes minuta given to me to treat an area infested with ground elder. It says on the packet blurb that its root secretions will deter the weed. I don't know if it's true but worth the try. It also had info on the pack about using it to get rid of worms in spuds by sowing it prior to where the spuds are to be planted
I noticed last year that the plants attracted lots of slugs but at least if they're on the marigolds they're not on the brassicas. They do attract loads of hoverflies which devour aphids which is why I plant them, and because I think they look lovely in amongst the cabbages and the tomatoes.
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I had a packet of Tagetes minuta given to me to treat an area infested with ground elder. It says on the packet blurb that its root secretions will deter the weed. I don't know if it's true but worth the try. It also had info on the pack about using it to get rid of worms in spuds by sowing it prior to where the spuds are to be planted.
Uh oh that's the one that grows up to 4ft high though.....perhaps not such a good idea round the edge of your beds. :(
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Mustard is the seed of choice in North America to kill a lot of ground pests and 'cleanse' the soil. You'll see fields and fields of brilliant yellow flowers growing in 'fallow' fields to prepare them for future crops. I'm sure I've seen pictures of fields of mustard also grown in the UK for this very purpose.
As for slugs loving marigolds, it's the very reason why I grow them....because the slugs detest them.
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and sin of sins i copied and pasted an article .
i'm sorry
i won't do it again
Many thanks George !
If you knew how much bother it causes us with google and copywrite issues then you would understand how bad copy and paste is for forums.
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Mustard is the seed of choice in North America to kill a lot of ground pests and 'cleanse' the soil. You'll see fields and fields of brilliant yellow flowers growing in 'fallow' fields to prepare them for future crops. I'm sure I've seen pictures of fields of mustard also grown in the UK for this very purpose.
As for slugs loving marigolds, it's the very reason why I grow them....because the slugs detest them.
yeah, they use mustard round here when they have a field fallow, inbetween crops of barley. I think John mentions it in his book as well, as a good thing for planting after a potato crop. I was thinking of looking for some to plant over winter where my potatoes are now. Meantime i'll follow George's advice and plant my tagetes in pots to be moved about as the fancy takes me. one thing i don't have to worry about is slugs, they don't seem to live here, weirdly enough. plenty of whitefly though!
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Spent a rainy day yesterday sowing Calendula 'Marigolds' as a deterant among my veg plot. Now I find out I have planted the wrong ones also, will beu some plantlets later in the month and plant those. The others I will pull out when they start to show their heads.
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I have read that website article.
It is an American article, and relates to the effectiveness of marigolds against nematodes which are present in the US and not the UK. It also states that in fact the marigolds are susceptible to nemtodes in the UK.
Lazy Daisy, you can always leave your plants where they are - the flowers will at the very least attract pollinating insects.
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Calendula (Pot Marigolds) are great, see my earlier post, I have about 50 seedlings (From saved seed) to get put around my garden (Veg/herb and flower parts) and I always have a few in pots, real summer time flowers.
Bob
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Calendula petals are great in a herbal tea mix, which is mostly what I use them for. made a huge batch a few years ago and have since lost the recipe. :(
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I have em in Ham and salad sandwiches, roll on summer :)
Bob
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I have read that website article.
It is an American article, and relates to the effectiveness of marigolds against nematodes which are present in the US and not the UK. It also states that in fact the marigolds are susceptible to nemtodes in the UK.
well as you see then there is not much point in growing it in the ground as a companion plant
at best it would not rid all nematodes anyway.
thats why i grow in pots .
why not somebody find some actual facts themselves
like i would like read what the benefits of growing marigold as a companion in the ground are
myself. i'm all ears.
what other benefits are there other than controlling white fly aphids etc.
which can be grown in a pot.
or growing as a catch crop to help control nematodes.
but if your totally discounting the nematode contol
what else is there
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I have read that website article.
It is an American article, and relates to the effectiveness of marigolds against nematodes which are present in the US and not the UK. It also states that in fact the marigolds are susceptible to nemtodes in the UK.
well as you see then there is not much point in growing it in the ground as a companion plant
at best it would not rid all nematodes anyway.
thats why i grow in pots .
why not somebody find some actual facts themselves
like i would like read what the benefits of growing marigold as a companion in the ground are
myself. i'm all ears.
what other benefits are there other than controlling white fly aphids etc.
which can be grown in a pot.
or growing as a catch crop to help control nematodes.
but if your totally discounting the nematode contol
what else is there
You don't have to water them so much in pots, or lug them about either, both of which are fairly key for me :)
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I have read that website article.
It is an American article, and relates to the effectiveness of marigolds against nematodes which are present in the US and not the UK. It also states that in fact the marigolds are susceptible to nemtodes in the UK.
well as you see then there is not much point in growing it in the ground as a companion plant
at best it would not rid all nematodes anyway.
thats why i grow in pots .
why not somebody find some actual facts themselves
like i would like read what the benefits of growing marigold as a companion in the ground are
myself. i'm all ears.
what other benefits are there other than controlling white fly aphids etc.
which can be grown in a pot.
or growing as a catch crop to help control nematodes.
but if your totally discounting the nematode contol
what else is there
I personally grow them in the ground to attract the slugs first before the veg, and also to attract beneficial insects to the plot. There doesnt have to be a nematode aspect, they have other uses, just as other plants have other uses
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I grow them coz they're pretty ;)
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I grow the cuz the is orange and I like Orange. I also likes the smell when I pick the eads off of them. :blink:
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i know i'm daft (you don't have to tell me) but in the flower border i like to stick to a restrained and hopefully 'tasteful' colour palette. but in the veg garden i love all the bright colours for the bees and butterflies so red and yellow calendula, orange daisies, the ones that open in the sun (can't remember the name) and mixed californian poppies that i wouldn't use elsewhere. :lol:
silly really cos the gardens small and you can see it all at once anyway :wacko:
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i know i'm daft (you don't have to tell me) but in the flower border i like to stick to a restrained and hopefully 'tasteful' colour palette. but in the veg garden i love all the bright colours for the bees and butterflies so red and yellow calendula, orange daisies, the ones that open in the sun (can't remember the name) and mixed californian poppies that i wouldn't use elsewhere. :lol:
silly really cos the gardens small and you can see it all at once anyway :wacko:
Are they osteospermums perhaps? :)
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or mesembryanthemums (livingstone dasies) ?
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I grow 'um coz it reminds me of my Grannie :)
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I grow 'um coz it reminds me of my Grannie :)
Best reason of all :)
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why not somebody find some actual facts themselves
I would like to add that many people are extremely experienced as they have learnt facts as they go along, simply by trial and error. And in many cases over a lot of years. Im sure you have done the same thing in your experiences with your job. Just because its says it on a research paper somewhere on the net doesnt make it true..after all its research. Initial findings dont necessarily show long term benefits.
If this turns out to work and people start using it then you would know about it straight away from this forum. We have many experts as well as newbies, and the whole spectrum in between.
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why not somebody find some actual facts themselves
I would like to add that many people are extremely experienced as they have learnt facts as they go along, simply by trial and error. And in many cases over a lot of years. Im sure you have done the same thing in your experiences with your job. Just because its says it on a research paper somewhere on the net doesnt make it true..after all its research. Initial findings dont necessarily show long term benefits.
If this turns out to work and people start using it then you would know about it straight away from this forum. We have many experts as well as newbies, and the whole spectrum in between.
:) :) :)
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Here's some substantiated government findings published on paper as well as the net on the pros and cons of marigolds. As you can see, the cons outweigh the pros. These experiments would have been done in small test fields scattered around the province. Mustard is still the seed of choice to cleanse fallow soil.
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i know i'm daft (you don't have to tell me)
Ok :roll:
¥
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marigolds and poached egg plants attract the preditors of the insect world , in turn the preditors munch away on the aphids , greebflys , small catapillars haha haha haha
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why not somebody find some actual facts themselves
I would like to add that many people are extremely experienced as they have learnt facts as they go along, simply by trial and error. And in many cases over a lot of years. Im sure you have done the same thing in your experiences with your job. Just because its says it on a research paper somewhere on the net doesnt make it true..after all its research. Initial findings dont necessarily show long term benefits.
If this turns out to work and people start using it then you would know about it straight away from this forum. We have many experts as well as newbies, and the whole spectrum in between.
lol i'm not arguing
if i had listened to all the doom merchants on the allotment where i am
who all have many years experience.
they all told me nematodes don't work , that i would need to buy slug pellets .
i listened knowing full well they do work
and they are working , i don't suffer any slug problems,
so i'm used to the fact that everybody has their own opinion
but i do laugh as one person says the slugs never touch their marigolds
another says they use as a tasty treat for their slugs to munch on .
nothing like a wide range of opinions
very helpful indeed:)
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Not much we can teach you here is there George ;)
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I get my french marigolds from Aldi and plant them in pots in the greenhouse with my tomatoes. I haven't had any whitefly in them but on my front room windowsill with no marigolds I had whitefly on my peppers.
This to me says that something was keeping those critters at bay :D :D
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lol i'm not arguing
if i had listened to all the doom merchants on the allotment where i am
who all have many years experience.
they all told me nematodes don't work , that i would need to buy slug pellets .
i listened knowing full well they do work
and they are working , i don't suffer any slug problems,
so i'm used to the fact that everybody has their own opinion
but i do laugh as one person says the slugs never touch their marigolds
another says they use as a tasty treat for their slugs to munch on .
nothing like a wide range of opinions
very helpful indeed:)
I think we'd all agree that nematodes do work, and old timers and new timers in some cases do have their own ways and means..nothing wrong with that of course. Its a shame we cant all afford them.
And then you'll find some who only quote pages from a website or another and present it as facts..coupled with a sorry shake of the head at all these people (from all over the world which offers a different perspective may I add?) who know nothing. I know which I found most helpful. Im wondering if you find this amusing and a little twee and strange why you are here in the first place? Or is it to pass on your wondrous websearching knowledge to all and sundry?
But lol Im not arguing
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i'm sorry i must be in the wrong place
i was told this was a friendly forum
from my very first post on growing long carrots
the first answer wondered if i was drunk and wondered if i just felt the urge to write something
the second person
wrote in bold letters
not impressed
i attacked back venomously as i wondered
why all the negativity
apparantley i misunderstood what was said .
like hell i did
and you have been unfriendly ever since .
yes i am now enjoying myself your such likeable people:)
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And I also thought that there was some replies that werent necessary myself..if you remember I was the first positive reply to that thread and was very impressed also by another posters reply that said it was a good idea to keep kids interested..
However you have since then come across as rather hard to understand at times and slightly patronising...possibly because you have cut and pasted a lot of your info as facts and not a possible way to introduce a new idea, there seemed to be no communication with you, just a set idea
I can see in a that it was a bad start that I personally hoped wouldnt put you off, but please dont lol at people who probably know more than you or I will ever do
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And I also thought that there was some replies that werent necessary myself..if you remember I was the first positive reply to that thread and was very impressed also by another posters reply that said it was a good idea to keep kids interested..
However you have since then come across as rather hard to understand at times and slightly patronising...possibly because you have cut and pasted a lot of your info as facts and not a possible way to introduce a new idea, there seemed to be no communication with you, just a set idea
I can see in a that it was a bad start that I personally hoped wouldnt put you off, but please dont lol at people who probably know more than you or I will ever do
i copied and pasted two just two articles that were relevant to the topic
it was my mistake and i said i would not do it again
i'm sorry but you lot got my back up from day one post one .
and most of what i have posted has been questioned constantly.
which i don't mind in the least
tell me why should i believe a word anybody says here
they don't believe a word or they disagree with everything i say .
and i have such healthy vegetables
i must have magic seeds , it must be pure fluke, i'm just very lucky,
because i so obvously know nothing of any importance or relevance
concerning gardening.
of course i you don't have to believe a word i say
.
and after a week of contributing relevant info that could help or not
i really don't care to be truthful
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Not much we can teach you here is there George ;)
i'm not so sure
if a marigold can attract a slug and repel it at the same time
thats magical
there could be some energy source we could tap.
or does the marigold attract slugs during the day and repel at night
even the other way round
so many possibilities
it's opened up new avenues of possibilities in my mind
thankyou
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Not much we can teach you here is there George ;)
i'm not so sure
if a marigold can attract a slug and repel it at the same time
thats magical
there could be some energy source we could tap.
or does the marigold attract slugs during the day and repel at night
even the other way round
so many possibilities
it's opened up new avenues of possibilities in my mind
thankyou
Of course it hasn't opened up any new possibilities in your mind...you just wanted to quote some interesting things at people that werent of your own making or ideas or original thought
..as previously said, (you are now making a habit of only replying to the sentences that suit you)
We are on two different continents and climates. Im actually interested in what Trillium said myself, because the marigolds I planted in front of my house this year were the only plants eaten (flower bed). Id love to hear that side of it too, it may help me in my growing in some way..thats the key word there George? Help
I wish you had shared more that your cut and paste ideas (other that your carrot thread) as we all wish to grow healthy vegetables, (not fro magic seeds..wheres the fun in that?!)but if everyone did it by reading possibilities instead of sharing the experience then we would be so much poorer for it
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One of the many very nice things about this forum is that everyone is free to contribute their opinions... :)
The other things I greatly enjoy are the humour, the help, the range of ideas and different perspectives….. as well as the patience and kindness other people show in taking time to read (when they choose to) the things that I write and ask. :)
In my humble opinion there is no single one way of doing anything that is totally right... a huge range of things work for different people in different circumstances. What works one time may well not work the same way or as well the next. I guess that's what makes growing things so very worthwhile - there's alway something to learn and other people to learn from. When I can offer my experiences to others and be helpful it's a huge added bonus. ;)
We are all experts in one way or another and to some degree or another... it's just that some are more expert than others. :wacko: I also think we all have something to learn.
I can take from posts anything that I feel is helpful and choose to ignore anything I feel is not... without (I hope) giving offence.
I also like the notion that I can simply not respond should I feel there is something that will not help further either my own or other people's ideas.
Being an awkward, often tired and miserable old f**t at times I try not to respond negatively to things that at first glance / read seem to be too controversial or are likely to be either misread (not always easy) or cause offence. I feel there's no point. There are already too many occasions when this is apt to happen in other areas of life no matter how we try to avoid it.
Everyone is entitled to their own view / idea and I am entitled to disagree. Whether I choose to express disagreement or not is also my right... I choose to stick to what I perceive to be the spirit of the forum.
Be careful and kind – polite and friendly.
Please excuse this post…. Presently I am tired and rambling… I just wanted to say:
This forum is a good place to be with fantastic members. Where else can you get to talk to a possible audience of 7000 people and meet so many caring, patient and considerate folks?
Marigolds… Yep. I’m sticking some in on the plot for the first time this year. I like the smell, the colours are radiant and warming come the first signs of summers end especially as dusk draws in.
Who knows they might even dazzle a few pests as well as cheer me up.
:)
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Well said Learner.
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i'm sorry i must be in the wrong place
i was told this was a friendly forum
from my very first post on growing long carrots
the first answer wondered if i was drunk...
I would very politely suggest you go back to said thread, re-read my post and then come back here and edit the one I've quoted.
Thank you.
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...Im wondering if you find this amusing and a little twee and strange why you are here in the first place? Or is it to pass on your wondrous websearching knowledge to all and sundry?...
...And I also thought that there was some replies that werent necessary myself..if you remember I was the first positive reply to that thread...
I'm really not quite sure how to respond to your post.
In truth, I'm wondering if perhaps you've had a good Friday night out and just needed to write some stuff?
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Well said Learner.
From me to. :)
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I had to go to bed last night during this exchange as it had been such a long day. I decided to post though before I go to work .
I whole heartedly agree with what Learner has said -- there is no obligation to reply, and indeed I often choose not to if I feel that thread is not going in the kind of direction I would choose to go myself. The ways of the world are wide and wonderful and we do not all tread the same path (Just as well or it would be worn away whilst others became too overgrown to use at all)
In my personal experience you cannot lump all the users of this forum together as 'you lot on there' ... our many paths intertwine, but we each have our own views and make our own choices. I joined this forum to widen my views and widen the choices I could make about growing healthy vegetables and other plants, and have found occasionally that my past experiences enabled me to have some experience to share as well.
George, don't give up on the forum, as the world wide members here have much to give - we try to disagree politely and accept that sometimes when something is in print it may not come out quite right... thnak goodness for those smileys :blink:
Anyway, I am off to work now for another hard day, lightnened by time on the plot at lunchtime (thinning brassica seedlings today - let's hope the children's fingers are nimble :lol:)
Oh, and Learner, I don't think you are a f*** :lol: :lol: :lol:
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I think this topic has [more than] run it's course so I'm locking it.
Get 6 gardeners together and you will have 8 opinions ::) As other posters have said we can pick and choose wich advice we take and see what works for us. Gardening is an art and nothing is absolutly right or wrong but the free exchange of opinions is invaluable.