I used to think that flowers were only useful for looks. I didn’t care too much for growing flowers – I only wanted to exert my energy growing vegetables that could feed our family. But the more I have learned about gardening and growing food, the more I have come to appreciate flowers and their many uses.
Marigold is one flower that I have grown in my garden for the last two years, and they have really grown (no pun intended) on me.
Marigolds come in many different varieties, as well as Calendula, which is in the marigold family. For the purpose of this article, I will be referring only to French Marigolds (Tagetes patula), simply because that’s what I grew!
So, what good are marigolds? I’ll tell you!
1. Repellent for harmful pests and nematodes.
Some evidence may show that marigolds repel certain pests. It is believed that the strong fragrance of marigolds is what keeps pests such as whitefly away. They are often planted near tomatoes for this reason.
Growing marigolds also secrete chemicals from their roots that are said to be effective against harmful nematodes. It takes about 3-4 months after sowing the seeds for these secretions to be produced. You can even chop and drop the plants at the end of the season and that will help improve the soil as well.
2. Attractive to pollinators.
Marigolds attract insects such as bees, butterflies, a d hummingbirds. If you have these flowers in your garden, there will be no shortage of garden friends in your space!
3. Great for companion planting.
Marigolds are often planted near certain vegetables because they offer some benefit to them. They are planted near tomatoes to keep insects and pests like whitefly, tomato hornworm, and nematodes away.
They are also planted near vegetables such as bush beans, eggplant, potatoes, broccoli, kale and squash.
Marigolds are sometimes considered neutral for certain plants. This means that they are neither beneficial or harmful to those plants.
4. Beneficial if you have chickens.
Marigolds are a tasty treat for chickens. Not only do they love the plant, the flower helps to make their egg yolk a deep golden color.
Feed these flower heads to your chickens fresh, dried, or frozen for a yummy treat.
5. Brighten up your garden.
All of the splashes of orange, yellow, and red can really give life to a vegetable garden. Many gardeners use them as borders around the garden, but my preference is sprinkling the seeds around in all of your empty spaces, as nature does!
6. Easy to grow.
These may be some of the easiest flowers to grow. They are so easy, your children could do it! They grow in almost any soil, require little to no maintenance, and provide beautiful blooms from spring to fall.
7. Trap for harmful pests.
Some pests, such as slugs and Japanese beetles are attracted to marigolds. While this seems counterproductive, this can actually be a good thing. If these pests are focused on the marigolds, they may leave your vegetables alone.
When the Japanese beetles gather on your marigolds, take a bucket of soapy water and toss them in. Or if you have chickens, toss the entire flower head to them, and they will have a hay day!
8. Some are edible.
Disclaimer: Before ingesting any type of plant, talk to a professional to learn if it is edible. Not Your Mother’s Homestead cannot be held responsible for any adverse effects from ingesting any type of plant.
Some varieties, such as the French marigolds (Tagetes patula), are edible and can be used as a garnish, in salads, drinks, deserts, or other dishes. They also give a beautiful pop of color to any dish, or even when frozen in ice cubes.
9. Medicinal properties.
Disclaimer: Before ingesting or applying any type of medicinal plant, talk to a medical professional to learn if it is safe for use. Not Your Mother’s Homestead cannot be held responsible for any adverse effects from ingesting or applying any type of plant.
Some claim that certain marigolds varieties have medicinal properties. They are most commonly used for stomach issues, indigestion, sore eyes, and inflammation. The plant can also be used to treat colds and coughs, as well as treating sore breasts. Some use the flower to repel mosquitoes, the juice of the leaves to treat eczema, and the oil to treat wound maggots.
10. Used to make natural dye.
Marigolds can be used make both natural fabric dye and natural food dye. The petals of the flower have vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds that can be extracted to use to dye cloth, or to add food coloring to foods. As mentioned before, some chicken owners feed them to their chickens to get nice, rich, golden yolks in their eggs.
11. Beautiful cut flowers.
Because they are so easy to grow and are so prolific, marigolds can easily be added to bouquets for beautiful pops of color. They can also be dried and preserved to have year-round floral arrangements in your home.
12. Essential oils.
Though it takes quite a large amount of marigolds, one can extract oil from them to use for many things. Most commonly, the oil is used as a fragrance in perfumes.
As you plan for your next garden, be sure to make some room for marigolds!
Oh, and if you need a way to store your Marigold seeds, make sure you check out this post!
What flowers do you plant in your vegetable garden?
