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Post by lilolpeapicker on Feb 26, 2023 7:22:44 GMT -5
Do you grow marigolds for the purpose of fending off insects in the garden? I have read about French and Mexican in the www.slideshare.net/Bakas16w/companion-planting-golden-harvest. But I don't find which ones are the French or Mexican unless it says so and many seed descriptions do not say. What do u use?
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Post by breezygardener on Feb 26, 2023 13:17:37 GMT -5
I grow the edible "Gem" series of marigolds. The foliage is bushy, ferny, & lovely, & has a sort of lemony scent; and the small single flowers in shades of yellow, orange, & red, are edible. Whether or not they repel any pests, I don't know.
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Post by desertwoman on Feb 26, 2023 14:24:23 GMT -5
French marigolds is what I grow. Orange flame is a French heirloom (I think Baker Creek has the seed) and is considered the best for both repelling insects and bringing in beneficial insects. as well as for soil borne root nematodes. Once you grow some you will have seed forever!
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 26, 2023 20:17:22 GMT -5
When my husband and I took the course, botany for gardeners, at the University of Texas in Austin back in the seventies, we did the required experiment by having two identical plots, one with and one without marigolds. The marigolds kept the insects off only the marigolds. Everything else was under attack. It was a great course, mostly because they gave each student a pretilled garden near the river- great soil. We kept a pot of soup going all week with our own veggies and those of the other students, who had nowhere to keep or cook them in the dorms.
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Post by Mumsey on Feb 27, 2023 6:31:11 GMT -5
I plant marigolds at the front edge of garden sections. I have no idea what they are but they are seed saved every year from a plant I got from DS when he was in 3rd grade! It's a tradition that's been going on for 24 years. I don't notice any insects around the plants themselves.
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Post by madamezil on Feb 27, 2023 9:02:20 GMT -5
I stopped growing marigolds as I found them to be aphid magnets although not a bad as nasturtiums. Should I have been growing a specific variety?
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Post by datgirl on Feb 27, 2023 11:19:46 GMT -5
Mumsey,I love that story about your Marigolds, so I started saving Petunia seeds from a basket DS gave me for Mother's day 2 years ago. I planted the saved seeds a few weeks ago and they are up and growing. Thanks for the inspiration.
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Post by desertwoman on Feb 27, 2023 12:16:32 GMT -5
Should I have been growing a specific variety? the French heirloom 'Orange Flame' has been quite effective in my gardens. It's considered the best.
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Post by binnylou on Sept 11, 2023 9:38:03 GMT -5
My marigold of choice is First Lady, but it’s no longer available through Pinetree. Instead, they offer Marvel. Anybody growing Marvel?
I have them in pots, along with other flowers. The bloom is nice, but it appears that the stem is not strong enough to support the weight of the flower. I find them not just sagging, but the stem has a bend in it. Anybody experience this?
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Post by datgirl on Sept 21, 2023 14:34:51 GMT -5
I planted Marigolds in the tomato beds this year just for the heck of it. Don't know what kind they are or where I even got the seeds,but Holy cow are they beautiful. I couldn't appreciate them until I pulled some of the tomato plants out. The plants are huge and the flowers look like velvet. Will be saving seeds. The picture doesn't do them justice at all.
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Post by heirloomfan on Oct 11, 2023 15:24:58 GMT -5
Love those bright colors Datgirl, I'm sure you enjoyed them this season. This year I actually had some of the mini marigolds come up as volunteers - didn't know that they could winter over - and I had some good results with the tall African marigolds too. I started the tall ones in pellets and put at the end of one of my raised beds, and they grew well, lots of branching and vivid orange and yellow shades. We have a possible frost coming in by Friday, so will be interesting to see if they happen to withstand that frost.
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Post by gardendmpls on Oct 11, 2023 17:44:56 GMT -5
actually had some of the mini marigolds come up as volunteers - didn't know that they could winter over Probably wintered over as seeds. Any flower you deadhead or leave on the ground will usually contain seeds that will sprout in the spring.
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