Do Marigolds help protect Veg?

twopenny

Mjm, good to know.
I had thought of planting nasturtiums to attract blackfly but wondered if it just meant more blackfly.

mjm3346

twopenny said:

Mjm, good to know.
I had thought of planting nasturtiums to attract blackfly but wondered if it just meant more blackfly.

They certainly attract them, had some in a flower bed a few years ago and the stems were completely covered in them.

I use good old dilute Fairy and/or finger and thumb to squash them on the runner beans when required, this year squashing them a couple of months ago on a few stems seems to have got them all - I had some bedding Gazanias last year that survived the winter and look better this year but they have green/black fly on them so not something I will grow again (Unlike Veg I simply don't grow ornamental plants if they suffer with pests/diseases)

Silvertabby

Woolsery said:

Farway said:

Woolsery said:

I've always planted marigolds with my tomatoes . It doesn't stop whitefly as sometimes claimed, but the toms do well and I like the visual effect, Without a hefty government grant I'm afraid I can't experiment to see what would happen if I left the marigolds out.

Are these the French marigolds, not "pot" marigolds?

I did try them a few years back, but they just didn't like the conditions in my conservatory and promptly died

It's the French type that are  recommended. I even grew some from Great Dixter that could reach 3 or 4 feet in the polytunnel, no problem, but the whitefly just go higher as the season progresses!
Edit: I also grew Tansy for similar reasons with similar results. All of them are good insect plants anyway.

I've got a large pot of French Marigolds in the greenhouse.  So far so good - no whitefly on the toms or chillies.

Every time I go into the greenhouse I rub the marigold leaves to release the scent.