Marigolds are some of the easiest and most versatile plants to grow in your garden. These blooming powerhouses produce bright and cheerful flowers from late spring to the first hard freeze in winter. The blooms attract beneficial insects and deter many common garden pests. Use these easy-to-grow annuals in mixed borders, edible gardens, and ornamental gardens for color and charm.
All marigolds require full sun and well-draining soil to grow vigorously through the season. Rich soil promotes the best and largest blooms and simplifies seasonal maintenance. A supplemental feeding with a diluted liquid fertilizer after the 4th of July will keep the marigolds going strong well into the fall season.
Shrubs To Plant With Marigold
Shrubs that prefer rich, moisture-retentive soil make for great companions for marigolds. Plant English marigolds in soft shades of yellow and cream in front of sun-loving hydrangeas, roses, and butterfly bushes. The brighter and fiery colors of the upright African and French marigolds look amazing with spirea, Mexican orange bush, and weigela.
Marigolds are somewhat drought tolerant, but grow best with regular watering during the summer. Water all plants in the bed with drip irrigation or soaker hoses to keep the top growth dry and reduce the risk of mildew and fungal diseases.
Perennials To Plant With Marigolds
Marigolds are a lovely way to edge perennial borders with long-lasting and bright colors. Plant the taller African types alongside herbaceous perennials like bearded Iris, daylilies, dahlias, yarrow, and agastache. The eclectic mix of colors and flower textures lasts long into the fall and requires little to no upkeep other than deadheading spent blooms.
In the kitchen garden, use marigolds to protect perennial vegetable crops like asparagus and artichoke from common garden pests. The marigolds will additionally attract beneficial insects, increasing your harvest.
Annuals To Plant With Marigolds
In the vegetable garden, marigolds help to repel beetle and worm pests that feed on foliage and developing produce. Marigold’s strongly scented foliage and flowers also deter larger wildlife like deer and rabbits and can be used to protect more appealing plants from excessive damage. Surround tomatoes, peppers, salad crops, and melons with a protective border of marigold plants.
Marigolds can also serve as a color accent for garden beds filled with other bright and cheerful warm-season annuals. Include long bloomers such as petunias, zinnias, moss roses, nasturtiums, and flowering vinca, which look great well into the fall.
Best Companion Plants For Marigolds in Containers
Marigolds grow easily in a planter or hanging basket with other hot season annuals and shallow-rooted perennials. Although regular watering is required for any plant in a pot, marigolds will tolerate short periods of dryness, making them low-maintenance for the first-time gardener. Use the smaller French and English types as a filler element. For a spiller, try a robust sweet potato vine in a contrasting color to the broad and colorful leaves of a dwarf canna lily, which makes an eye-catching thriller.
Plants Not To Grow With Marigolds
Marigolds release chemicals into the soil that can disrupt the regular growth of some plants. Scientific studies have shown that these chemicals can inhibit germination of cabbage, brussels sprouts and other brassica crops. Avoid sowing these crops where marigolds have been grown or are currently planted. The effects of marigold allelopathy can also reduce harmful nematodes in the soil, particularly root-knot nematodes, adding to the list of marigold benefits.
Best Plants To Grow With Marigolds
Marigolds are a useful ornamental plant and pest deterrent in containers, raised beds, and established garden borders. Grow them with annuals that prefer full sun and moderately moist soil, such as caladium, sweet potato vines, dichondra, and nemesia. This blend of tropical-looking plants can add a dramatic punch of color to an outdoor seating area or front entryway display.
Sources:
“Garden Scoop.” UF/IFAS Extension Lake County Office. sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu
“One secret to “organic” gardening. Companion Planting.” University of Florida IFAS. blogs.ifas.ufl.edu