THE BENEFITS OF MARIGOLDS IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

Did you know that marigolds are a powerhouse in the vegetable garden?  They serve to help protect your vegetables and improve the soil.  Gardens cannot produce without pollination, and the bright, cheerful flowers of marigolds are wonders in providing attraction for bees, butterflies and other helpful bugs.

Marigolds can be planted in containers and set in amongst the vegetables, or planted directly into the garden beds.  They thrive in fertile, well-drained, non-acidic soils, so they would do well in beds, along with tomatoes, beans and cucumbers.  If you want them near plants that prefer a more acidic soil, simply plant them into pots and place the pots in-between the plants in the garden beds.

Alpha-terthienyl, a substance which repels tiny worms that like to attack the roots of plants, especially tomatoes, is found in African marigolds and French marigolds.  Planting marigolds in your veggie garden is a great way to take advantage of repelling these bothersome worms.

The flower of the marigold also produces a strong scent which helps to repel cabbage worms.  Marigolds are therefore fantastic to plant in between vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts.  Be sure to plant plenty of them though.  It takes several plants to discourage the stubborn cabbage worms.