In my expreince, marigolds have done little in the way of insect protection in my garden. I have never seen the difference in using them verses not using them. This year could be different. After the mild winter the bug population has increased immensely. Farmer hay ( different than hay guy) informed me that the local alfalfa harvest was decimated by aphids. There will be no first cutting locally.
I tend to use marigolds as, what the boys refer to, as a candy crop. I will post about candy crop later. Basically this means that I do not use them as a insect repellent ( as they tend to attract their own insects) but as an edible cover crop.
I have read and have repeated in the past about marigolds as an insect repllent, however I have yet to actually see it work that way here. I have also read that they do little to help. But it is better to be safe than sorry, right? Using them as borders in your veggie garden is just fine. But don't waste those pretty petals! You can find three marigold petal recipes here. Enjoy!
I've had more luck with using them as rabbit repellent than as insect repellent. But I think that out here the rabbits are tougher than they were in town!
ReplyDeleteJudy
I read somewhere that not just any marigold works. You need the French marigolds, and LOTS of them!
ReplyDeleteI use garlic especially around broccoli and cabbage. That really seems to work.
ReplyDeleteEach year I say I am going to try companion planting and I have yet to do it. All I can manage to do rotate the crops....There's always next year. This years crop is already in the ground!
ReplyDeleteJudy, glad to hear it works so well with rabbit. Maybe I should put them around my trees, because the garlic doesn't keep them away.
ReplyDeleteDarius, hmmm. . . Hadn't heard it was a certain type only. Good to know. However lots of them just wouldn't work for me. This year I will be doubling my efforts though to keep bugs away. It's going to be nasty.
Donna, garlic works well. I use it for a few things. As well as onions. Though the chickens pulled up all my onions this year. Grrrr
Mama bear, I still have a month before I can put everything in the ground, frost date is still 3 weeks away. I do companion plant, mainly for the space saving though.
Ive only ever heard that they repell nematodes, and if you can see the differance then youve got some really good eyes :)
ReplyDeleteI don't believe I said anything about seeing the insects, what I said was I saw no difference in pest control with or without them. Meaning things got ate when they were there and when they weren't.
ReplyDeleteThe aphids ate the alfalfa. That was my example about why I think this year might be different with incest problems.
Insects, that is an awful typo to have. I do not think incest will be more of a problem this year than in previous years.
ReplyDeleteI was going to use marigolds as a "boarder" for my garden but I think I might look at using something else.
ReplyDeleteI am looking more for mosquito repellants. I am going to try lavender and citronella.