Marigolds

To meet the demands of their native lands–chiefly Mexico and Central America–members of the marigold family  had to flourish in hot sun as well as tolerate poor soils and infrequent rain.These qualities make them one of the most foolproof summer annuals, whether you plant them in the ground or in a container.

Their leaves have another bonus: Like other plants whose foliage contains volatile oils, such as lavender and rosemary, marigolds seem to repel many harmful insects while attracting beneficial ones. Recent research indicates that marigolds contain compounds toxic to root knot and other plant-parasitic nematodes (microscopic round worms that damage plant roots).

If nematodes are bugging your crops, you won’t see them, but you’re sure to see the damage they cause: stunted, yellow, and/ or wilted plants, often with distinctly knotted and possibly rotting roots.

There’s no safe chemical cure for these microscopic, soil-dwelling worms except French marigolds.Plant them in rows or blocks between your crops (you have to plant a lot of them to get the benefit), and you’ll enjoy their flowers all season long. Marigolds suppress nematodes only when they are planted thickly and allowed to grow for many weeks.

Then, in fall, till the plants into the soil instead of pulling them out. Doing so will reduce the number of safe places where nematodes can survive during the winter.

When you’re done, fill your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer with a can of beer and drench the soil. By spring, the beds will be in great shape for planting, and  garden pests should be a thing of the past.

Marigolds also attract beneficial insects such as lacewings, lady beetles, and parasitic wasps. And while this plant drives away many bad bugs, it also attracts spider mites, slugs and snails.

Like other members of the daisy family, marigolds also do their share in feeding nectar to beneficial insects, such as syrphid flies, who prey on aphids and other insects that attack garden plants.

There are several other advantages to having marigolds.  In the garden, they attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Watching the butterflies and hummingbirds flit from flower to flower gives you a sense of pride and peace.

Plus, moles think the roots of marigolds are distasteful. So planted around the perimeter of any garden they will deter moles from ruining flowers and vegetables.

Marigolds really do help not only with insect pests but rabbits. They hate marigolds. Last year I had several rabbits in early spring and they continued to wreak havoc on my early crops until it was finally warm enough that I could plant marigolds. Once they were planted the rabbits were gone.

Little Secret Hints to make your marigolds the best in the neighborhood.

1.) Just as the marigold begins to bloom, lop off the first flowers before they open.  This stimulates your flowers to bloom profusely.

2.) Another suggestion to extend your marigolds’ growth is to add a small amount of potash fertilizer.  As a cautionary tip, do not over-fertilize.  The temptation is there because the leafage becomes lush.  You want the flowers, not the leaves!

3.)  You may have to stake your larger-flowered marigolds.

Remember that what works in my garden may not work in yours. Every garden is different with its own microclimate, soil type, and pest control issues.

Want  to know more about marigolds?

Then, click here:

Marigold’s Treasures (Antiseptic, Antioxidant, Anti-Fungal, Anti-Bacterial) To Your Health | Natural Health Solutions

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener

For 4,000 years prior to the factory-made fertilizers, the Chinese used every bit of organic matter they could lay their hands on to return to the soil the nitrogen and other nutrients their vegetable crops removed.

Americans have never been quite so industrious. Unlike the Chinese, our culture treats the organic matter we should be putting back into the soil as waste material, shipping it off to landfills or flushing it down the toilet.

Even small gardens will benefit from the use of cover crops, or “green manures”. Tilling, weeding, harvesting and foot traffic of most home gardens tends to destroy soil structure.

Planting cover crop is an easy way to revitalize the soil, and help soil tilth and subsequent plant growth.

Cover crops are planted in vacant space and worked into the soil after they grow instead of being eaten. They provide a number of advantages to the otherwise wasteful use of space during your garden’s off-season.

Cover crops help to retain the soil, lessen erosion, and decrease the impact of precipitation on the garden by slowing the runoff of water. And,They also reduce mineral leaching and compaction, and suppress perennial and winter annual weed growth. The top growth adds organic matter when it is tilled into the garden soil.

The cover crop’s root system also provides organic matter and opens passageways that help improve air and water movement in the garden soil.

If sections of the garden are free during late spring or early summer, clovers can be planted

Although many people view them as weeds, white and red clovers are actually a beneficial kind of plant called a legume.

Plants need nitrogen to promote healthy growth, but only legumes are capable of capturing nitrogen from the air and converting it into a usable form for other plants.

The clovers are quite literally fertilizing your lawn for free. Clover is also one of the most popular foods for bees, who also contribute to the health of your garden by pollinating your plants.

Red clover is an adaptive cover crop, tolerating shade, acidic soils, and poor drainage. Nitrogen-fixing red clover is low growing, so you can dig it in with a spade rather than a tiller.

White clover has a low growth habit, provides rapid cover, fixes nitrogen, is a prolific seed producer, and reseeds well.

Here is my BIG SECRET:  rabbits don’t touch a THING if they have red clover to nibble on.  They LOVE it.  It grows like mad and they eat it like mad, so I make sure that I have some all over the place.

At one time, decades ago, it was considered prestigious to have a clover lawn, according to master gardeners at the University of Minnesota. Aside from providing a cushioned surface, clover enriches the soil by absorbing nitrogen from the air.

Want  to know more  about garden soil? Then, post your question below.

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener