[george007]

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

[Eatyourgreens]

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

[dawnj]

still confused should I put marigolds in with my cabbages/brocoli and cauliflour?

[Eatyourgreens]

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

[dawnj]

hi Bob early posts say I should and a few webs sites, would it do them any harm if the advice is wrong?

[Eatyourgreens]

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

[george007]

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.

[Parsnip]

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?

[george007]

african ones i got from 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

[dawnj]

Thanks Bob........

[Yorkie]

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.

[janiejakemum]

I believe your meant to plant Thyme alongside cabbages to deter cabbage whites.

[Trillium]

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. 

[george007]

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

[compostqueen]

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.