fellow traveler planting is one of those garden practice that many of us engross in despite there being a want of solid grounds support the proficiency in many eccentric .
That ’s not to say there is n’t anybenefit to associate planting , just that it has n’t been thoroughly studied and quantified , and the recitation is often imbued with fabulous timbre .
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That ’s why many experts today pick out to call beneficial relationships among plants “ intercropping , ” “ polyculture , ” or “ plant association ” rather than referring to familiar planting .
In the case of marigolds and tomatoes , the science backs up what many have suspected to be true . Namely , marigold can aid tomato to mature well . Whatever you call the practice , these plant make good friends .
Coming up , we ’ll talk about why you should imbed these two garden marvel together . Here ’s what you may expect :
Benefits of Planting Marigolds with Tomatoes
If you ’ve alwaysplanted your marigoldsand tomatoes together and are just looking for some scientific backing to explain why this drill works , or you ’re not trusted if it ’s worth the effort to grow them together , this guidebook will aid to make things clean-cut .
Here we go !
Pest Repellent
This is the best reason to plant marigold and tomatoes together .
As you ’ll receive out coming up , these prime do the heavy lifting in the relationship between the two plants in this paying attention , and they ’re deserving their exercising weight in Au ( or red , or sensationalistic , or orange … ) for pestilence ascendancy alone .
Marigolds can help to keep numerous pestis away . That means your tomato plant is less likely to abide from an infestation that could destroy your fat , delightful crop .
A 2019 report show that these flower deterwhiteflies , for illustration .
The outcome ofresearch publish in Plos Oneby Niall Conboy at Newcastle University ’s School of Biology and Dr. Thomas McDaniel at Newcastle University ’s School of Natural and Environmental Science show that the limonene in marigolds deters the glasshouse whitefly ( Trialeurodes vaporariorum ) .
Now , there ’s a catch . You need to implant and produce the two plants together at the same sentence for the mean benefit to work .
If you have whitefly on your tomato plant plant already and you hie out to nab some marigolds , this wo n’t inevitably egest an existing plague .
The same researchers are also be after to take care at ways to repelspider mitesandthrips – two other major tomato plant pests – using intercropping .
Basil , Formosan Brassica oleracea , andnasturtiumsalso make for to repulse whiteflies , so do n’t feel limited . Why not try a combo of several of these plants ?
marigold also repelroot - naut mi nematodes . They secrete a chemical called alpha - terthienyl that inhibits the development of nematode eggs .
A study publish in theCanadian Journal of Plant Scienceby researchers at Yunnan Agriculture University evince that both craw rotation and intercropping with marigold reduced populations of base - knot roundworm .
They usedangelicaas a associate in their study , but the gist in the soil is just as useful for other plants , include tomatoes .
Astudy published in Plant Diseasesfrom the University of Hawaii at Manoa by nematology specialist Antoon T. Ploeg showed similar upshot .
love apple planted in the same spot after marigolds grew there had higher yields because of a step-down in root - knot nematodes and subsequent root gall .
To harvest the benefits , you must implant the flower either the year prior to or at least a few months before your tomato plant .
Marigolds are n’t sorcerous , and they ca n’t rebuff all the spoilt things that might set on our plants .
For illustration , they do n’t repel cabbage flies ( Delia radicum ) or Allium cepa fly ( D. antiqua ) . But not have to interest about nematodes and whiteflies as much is well worth keeping the sunny flowers around .
Read more about using marigold as pest control .
Attract Beneficial Insects
for certain , marigold can repel some bad insects , but they alsoattract some good ace .
Honeybees and many native bee love the heyday . So do butterflies and ladybugs . For that reason alone , it ’s worth having a patch or two of marigolds . you’re able to never have too many pollinators and lady beetle in your garden !
That ’s because ladybugs kill many bad dirt ball , let in some character ofaphids , weevils , wanderer mites , whiteflies , andmealybugs – and that ’s just a partial list !
Tomato flowers want to be pollinated to bring on yield , so it ’s of import to encourage bees and butterfly stroke to visit your veggie speckle .
Trap Cropping
Marigolds also attractslugs and snails , which might sound like a unsound matter .
But if you think about it , would n’t you rather boost the slugs to down some crummy efflorescence that you reseed from last twelvemonth ’s ornamentals than learn them run through your expensive veggie showtime ?
you may plant the flower on the periphery of more valuable plant to attract slugsas a trap craw . Hopefully , you ’ll be able-bodied to win over the slugs to leave your more authoritative plants alone and feed your bloom instead .
Marigolds also seem to be a favorite meal forspider jot , so you ’ll require to keep a good sentry on your tomato plants so those midget small arachnid jerk do n’t take hold .
With any luck , the drouth - resistant flowers might also serve as a ambuscade for pinch , entice them away from your Lycopersicon esculentum as well .
Disease Control
There ’s no clear grounds that show marigolds can definitively control or prevent any particular diseases in other plant , including tomatoes .
However , astudy release in Microbiological Researchindicates that a methanol extract made fromFrench marigoldscan act as as an antifungal .
Researchers at the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources at the University of Ferrara , the Department of Evolutionary and Experimental Biology at the University of Bologna , and the Department of the Museum of Paleobiology and of the Botanical Garden at the University of Modena , show that the extract serve control the fungiBotrytis cinerea , Fusarium moniliforme , andPythium ultimum .
The effect was even greater when light was used in addition to the extract .
It ’s not too much of a stretch to guess the plants themselves , rather than an extract made from them , could potentially have a little wallop on the incidence of ailments triggered by these pathogens and other fungal disease .
Having said that , there has n’t been enough inquiry conducted to confirm that this is the case – not yet , at least .
Your attitude in planting these heyday to control tomato diseases should be one of low expectation . In other words , do n’t expect marigolds to guard off all the baddies that might come calling .
On the other hand , it for sure ca n’t hurt and might even rise to aid – so why not try it anyway ? Just keep a keen eye on your plant in event disease strike .
The Science Has Spoken
We gardeners can be stuck in our traditions sometimes . I still finger guilty when I irrigate the foliage on my plants on a hot daylight , for example .
It ’s break down to burn the leaves ! Right ? Nope , that ’s just one of the manygarden mythsthat I arise up with .
But when it come to placing marigolds and love apple near each other , the science is in . There are many good cause to maturate the two plants together . By deter the spoilt bugs and pull the good , marigolds make excellent neighbour .
Another reason to grow the two together ? I think tomatoes and marigolds savor fantastic tossed in a salad together with some greens and a nice vinaigrette .
And if you need to brush up on your tomato growing know - how , checkout our growing guide .
If you ’re curious about discover more plants that seem to play well together in the garden , we have a few other guides that might strike your phantasy . Read these next :
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About
Kristine Lofgren
