Marigolds in vegetable garden are an excellent plant choice for different reasons. They provide loads of benefits that help uplift your vegetable garden to flourish in more ways than one and they also are animal-resistant.
Today, we’re breaking down a list of why you need to grow marigolds in your veggie patches and retrieve all kinds of benefits, so continue reading.
List of Reasons to Grow Marigolds in a Veggie Garden
1. Attract Important Pollinators
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Marigolds are said to be beneficial for veggie gardens because they help attract many pollinators. Specifically, marigolds attract bees and other facilitative pollinators like butterflies.
The nectar these plants produce acts as a special scent that helps attract these pollinators. Attracting these crucial pollinators to your veggies is essential as pollination can help develop better fruit and aid in seed production, and soon enough your garden would be blooming.
By having marigolds in your garden, you naturally increase the chances of better productivity from such creatures, helping you achieve the very best produce growth each time. It is not only the marigold plant’s nectar that helps attract these predatory insects but also the flower’s bright colors.
It is also crucial to note that while marigolds bloom for relatively long periods at a time and therefore are able to provide nectar to pollinators during so, you should still consider planting other flowers like zinnia and nasturtium to encourage pollination year-round! Marigold companion plants in veggie gardens are an ideal choice.
2. They Fight Against Harmful Pests
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Pests can be quite a common problem, especially in vegetable lawns. But not to worry, marigolds in garden for pest control have been a common solution for most gardeners. These plants can effectively control most kinds of formidable pests in your veggie plants.
When we talk about marigolds, African and French marigolds, which are considered the best marigold for vegetable gardens, in particular, produce a natural chemical known as alpha-terthienyl has pest-repelling benefits. It is most powerful against harmful nematodes, microscopic worms, invisible to the naked human eye, and can damage and affect the plant’s roots.
Consider planting African or French marigold varieties, as they produce a distinct scent that allows them to naturally repel some commonly found garden pests like aphids and mosquitoes. When you’re planting your produce, you want some of the highest quality veggies free of harmful chemicals and pests, the flowers can also act as effective trap crops.
Marigolds attract beneficial insects like ladybugs that will also use harmful lawn pests as food sources and get rid of them that way. The companion planting of these flowers with the rest of your veggies, including tomatoes, cucumbers, and potatoes, will surely be beneficial.
3. They Can Be Used as Natural Food Color
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If you’re planting your own veggies, chances are you like to go the more “natural” route on things. Well, planting marigolds next to your veggies is great because you can use them as a natural source of food color. This is due to their non-toxic nature, you can grow the flowers and use their petals as a natural food colorant.
Many have used this flower as an alternative to saffron, which can be extremely expensive to get your hands on. And while it may not taste the same, it can surely give you that nice yellow hue. You can use the flower for various things like sauces, salads, beverages, and more. The list can go on!
Be mindful of thoroughly cleaning the flower’s petals thoroughly before extracting any color. Once you pluck the petals, remove any green plant parts and rinse thoroughly.
Most veggie plants will almost always have lingering dirt from the soil, which needs a good rinsing away. Remember that once fully clean, you can boil the petals in hot water to extract most of the color and use them in your kitchen for safe food coloring, and it would bring in the rich pigment that it contains.
4. Make For Beautiful Landscapes
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Besides giving your veggie garden a list of benefits, marigolds do an exceptional job at improving the overall appearance of your gardens because they add color. The flowers range from a bright yellow-orange to a mahogany tone which looks strikingly gorgeous in any setting.
So, if you add this beautiful flower to your plants, get ready for some bright and vibrant aesthetics. Thy have some real vibrant colors, and keeping this in mind you can add more variations and even different kinds of the same flower to your landscape.
The pops of color help improve your garden’s look, making you happier with each visit. Seeing such vibrant colors introduce to your lawns also gives a mentally soothing effect to any gardener, which will come in handy during stressful planting days, as you should consider including these flowers.
5. Low Maintenance Nature
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Another reason to plant marigolds in your garden is because of how low maintenance they are in nature. These flowers have the ability to be super easygoing planters.
These flowers are relatively drought-tolerant plants and won’t bother you too much when it comes to watering. Plus, they can easily adapt to most kinds of soils, making them even less difficult to plant. When it comes to sunlight, marigolds may withstand partial shade as long as you’re giving them five to six hours of direct sunlight. However, you should not overwater them because you will face a lot of issues.
Plus, as we mentioned before, these flowers are pest resistant, meaning they won’t get easily damaged by plant-eating insects and instead aid in keeping them away. Just give them the right care, and they won’t ask for so much attention, and this way you will see them adding color and vibrancy.
You also won’t have much to worry about when it comes to seeding, as marigolds will begin to seed on their own. By now, it is evidently clear how beginner-friendly marigolds truly are and can quickly become a staple in your garden.
6. Use Them For Decoration
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Another reason to grow them in your veggie garden is that you’ll have easy access to them for when you want to decorate. Marigolds can be used in various floral arrangements like weddings, dinner parties, table decor, and day-to-day flower decor.
Their beautiful color allows you to use them alongside monochromatic displays while using a single color to create a uniform appearance. On the other hand, you can simply use the marigolds in an arrangement of other colors too. The best part is that marigolds are relatively long-lasting, even in vases or other decorative states.
In such a short time, you will be able to achieve that fragrant and beautiful color from the flowers on display anytime you want. The foliage on the flowers can also be used to complement the blooms perfectly. You will have many options on how exactly to decorate with them, and they will look gorgeous – even if you’ve only picked them right from your garden.
7. They Can Be Used As Soil Food
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While these flowers shouldn’t be the primary source of food for your soil, you can still contribute any flowers you don’t harvest into the ground. The organic matter present in these flowers can aid in the overall health of your vegetable garden when given as a food source.
Marigolds repel pests in the soil naturally, making your produce even healthier from the ground up. This is when you will realize that while they may not be able to resurrect any part of the soil solely, they can be a perfect companion food source to add to planters.
8. Use Them As Fabric Dye
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The color of the blooms of this flower is quite powerful and can even dye most fabrics. If you grow marigolds in your garden, you can pluck a few flowers and extract the color to use as a fabric dye. It will successfully work on most fabrics and dye clothes like t-shirts and even linen if you would like to use them on and keep them with the orange color.
The natural colorant will help reduce the risk of negative or allergic reactions, especially if you’re sensitive to different fabric dyes available on the market. While this may not be everyone’s objective with this plant, it certainly could come in handy to more than a few. To use, extract the color like you would for food dye, and you’re just about good to go.
9. Make Your Own Essential Oil
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Some ancient cultures have used marigold flowers, specifically pot marigold and signet marigold (calendula), for hundreds of medicinal purposes. It is said that it can help heal wounds, ulcers, and also for open sores or wounds.
Do what you will with ancient beliefs, but marigold essential oil will truly make for remarkable scents whether you choose to use it on your body or for aromatic candle making. Once you have started growing marigolds in your garden, you can make a good amount of batches and use them to your liking.
You could also use the marigold essential oil in a blend of other essential oils to create a customized fragrance of your choice. So, whether you decide to do it or not, it will be a fun and aromatic activity either way.
Conclusion
Now, you have a complete guide to all the wonderful reasons you need marigolds next to your veggies. Keep in mind:
- If you’re wondering what not to plant with marigolds, try to steer clear of beans and cabbage.
- Marigolds are some of the most easygoing plants, but not giving them what they need may backfire on your veggies.
- “Where should I put marigolds in my garden” is a common question with this plant. If it also occurs to you, try planting them where they can receive enough light.
Now you have the right approach to know the different things that you can do if you have these beautiful flowers planted, and how they serve more than adding beauty to your garden.