Planting Marigolds in Your Vegetable Garden
Marigolds, with their vibrant orange, yellow, and red flowers, are a great addition to any vegetable garden. Not only do they look beautiful, they have great pest-controlling properties, helping to keep away bad bugs and ward off pests. Here’s how to plant marigolds in your vegetable garden:
Getting Started
- Choose a spot in your garden to plant your marigolds. Make sure that they will get 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day.
- Test the soil pH, and adjust it to 6.5-7.1
- Dig a hole for your plants that’s about 7-10 cm deep.
Planting
- Position one plant in each hole, and cover the roots with soil.
- Water the plants until well-established, making sure that the whole root system is covered.
- Firm the soil around the plants and water again.
- Mulch the plants with straw, compost, or wood chips.
Caring For Your Marigolds
- Check the soil around the marigolds at least 2-3 times a week and water as needed.
- Deadhead the flowers as they wilt, to promote new ones.
- Apply a general-purpose fertilizer once in spring and again in mid-summer.
- Watch out for aphids, whiteflies, and other bugs.
- Remove wilted or dead plants to reduce the spread of disease.
Enjoy Your Marigolds
Marigolds are beautiful, easy to grow, and have many benefits for your vegetable garden. With a little care, you can enjoy their vibrant blooms all season long!
1 You can use a test kit to measure the soil pH, or get your soil tested professionally.
