How Marigolds Help Your Tomato Plants (2024)

FAQs

How Marigolds Help Your Tomato Plants? ›

Planting Marigolds with Tomatoes

Marigolds help attract bees and other beneficial insects to tomato plants. Although tomato plants are self-pollinating plants, they do benefit from insect pollination to increase the fruit production of each plant. Marigolds also attract beneficial insects that will eat pests that would otherwise harm tomato plants.

They don't just draw in those pollinators, they also draw in insects to help you in organic pest control. Marigolds can help to bring in ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic mini-wasps and other predatory insects that will eat aphids and other pests which can damage your crops.

The essential oils in the marigold act as a repellent to many insects, including the moth that lays the tomato hornworm. Plant marigolds around crops that attract tomato hornworms, as well as throughout the garden. Beneficial insects are the most effective means of keeping tomato hornworms in check.

Follow these basic rules and produce a great crop of tomatoes this summer: Water correctly: Do not overwater. The first week tomato plants are in the ground, they need water every day, but back off watering after the first week, slowly weaning the plants down to 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week.

Marigolds are easy to care for and can thrive in some of the harshest conditions. Marigolds are incredibly easy to grow and maintain. They aren't fussy about soil conditions or location; all they really need to thrive is plenty of sun! They bloom in the early spring and the flowers will stick around until first frost.

Petunias

Another great flower to have in your vegetable garden are petunias. Known for warding off tomato hornworms, asparagus beetles, leafhoppers, and squash bugs, petunias are a pesticide-free way to protect your garden from unwanted pests.

The benefits of marigold

Marigold petals are rich in antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation and protect cells from free radical damage. They also contain compounds that can help stimulate collagen production in the skin, which can reduce the signs of aging.

If you plant flowers too close together, the plants get stressed and are prone to diseases, Kole says. If air can't properly circulate and the plants can't dry out between waterings, fungus sets in. Roots can rot. And once plants are weakened from stress, insects move in.

It is widely known among gardeners that the smell of marigolds can be a good fly-repellent plant, against the likes of blackflies and whitefly, and also a good way to get rid of aphids. That strong scent also makes it a great mosquito repellent plant and wasp-repellent plant.

How many marigolds should you plant together? ›

In planting beds, space African marigolds 10 to 12 inches apart, while French marigolds should be 8 to 10 inches apart. If you're planting marigolds into containers, use a pot that's at least 10 inches across for African and larger French types.

Spraying plants liberally with a mixture of 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon each of cayenne pepper and liquid dish soap will deter the caterpillars from feeding. Adding garlic to the mixture can also help prevent moths from initially laying the eggs. Make sure to thoroughly cover both sides of the leaves and the stems.

Get rid of these garden pests the natural way. As you baby your plants with tomato fertilizer spikes, plenty of water, and a little TLC, keep them secure with these anti-hornworm gardening tips: Lure them away with basil, marigolds, or dill. Apply insecticidal soap to plants to kill smaller worms.

Coffee grounds contain around 2% nitrogen as well as varying amounts of phosphorus and potassium which are all very important for the growth of tomato plants. By mixing some coffee grounds into the soil below your tomato plants you're introducing these nutrients that the plants need to thrive.

One presumes this is to add calcium to the soil (at least that's what Edna's book claimed). And it seems that tomatoes really do like to have a good bit of calcium, and having plenty of calcium on hand helps prevent blossom end rot.

Soil that contains a lot of sand doesn't hold water well and dries quickly. Because of this, tomato plants growing in sandy soil may need to be watered more often, about every three or four days. Clay soil, on the other hand, holds water well. Plants growing in clay soil usually only need to be watered once a week.

Marigold companion planting enhances the growth of basil, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, gourds, kale, potatoes, squash and tomatoes. Marigold also makes a good companion plant to melons because it deters beetles. Beans and cabbage are listed as bad companion plants for marigolds.

Plant marigold around the border of your gardening space to help keep deer and rabbits away (though they have been known to pluck the marigold and toss it aside to get to the plants they love the most).

In planting beds, space African marigolds 10 to 12 inches apart, while French marigolds should be 8 to 10 inches apart. If you're planting marigolds into containers, use a pot that's at least 10 inches across for African and larger French types.

If you're wondering how to increase flowering in tomatoes, try increasing how much light they receive. Tomatoes need eight hours of daylight to flower. Sunlight gives your tomato plants the energy to produce fruit, so if your plant doesn't have enough sunlight, you're less likely to see tomatoes fruiting.