How to Plant Marigolds for Bug Control

Marigolds are a natural pest repellent.

The strong odor of marigolds means that they can act as a natural pest and bug repellent in gardens. Planting and maintaining marigolds is not difficult, although using them as an insect repellent in your garden will require some advance planning. Using marigolds as part of your garden design is also a way of adding splashes of bright color to your garden. Marigolds can also be used as cut flowers to brighten up a room.

Things You'll Need

• Seed tray
• Seed tray cover
• Seed tray container
• Potting soil
• Marigold seeds
• Spray bottle
• Hand spade

Instructions

Starting Marigold Seedlings

1. Decide on where you will be planting which plants for your garden. If it is a vegetable garden, choose vegetables that are compatible with one another. For example, pairing together tomato and basil plants not only helps to save space in your garden, but also encourages healthier and stronger growth in the individual plants. Leave space for marigold plants between every three plants and at the end of each garden row.

2. Fill the seed trays with potting soil until the tops of the trays have been reached. Gently depress the potting soil until it is firm but not hard packed.

3. Scatter the marigold seeds into each seed pot -- there should be at least five to seven seeds per seed pot. Sprinkle additional potting soil on top of the seeds. Gently depress this layer of soil until the pots are well-packed. Place the seed trays into the seed tray container and fill the bottom of the container with a 1/2 inch of water.

4. Cover the seed tray with the seed tray cover and leave the tray in a sunny space. When the seeds have begun to sprout, unlock the seed tray cover so that it only loosely covers the seed tray. Fill the seed tray container with water as needed. The soil should be moist, but not wet at all times.

5. Remove the seed tray cover when the seeds have shown their first set of true leaves. Mist the seedlings with water until they have reached about 1 inch in height.

Planting Marigold Seedlings

1. Select the strongest seedling from each seed pot and remove all other seedlings until there is only one or two seedlings per seed pot. Harden off the seedlings by leaving them outdoors in their seed trays during the daytime for one week. Bring them indoors in the evenings.

2. Dig a shallow hole with the hand spade. Each hole should be the same depth as your seed tray pots and there should be one hole for each of the reserved spaces in your garden for marigolds.

3. Remove each marigold from each seed pot and transfer gently to the hole in the garden. Do not disturb the root structure of the marigold plants. Plant one to two marigolds at the end of each garden row and try to have a marigold plant between every three plants in your garden.

4. Push back the extra soil from the hole, using both palms to carefully depress the top of the soil surrounding the marigold. Do not press the soil down too firmly. Do not break the stems or leaves of the marigold plant. Do this for each marigold plant you transfer to the garden.

5. Water each of the marigold plants thoroughly after transplanting. Check on them every day for one week to make sure they appear healthy.

References

• Toadstool Aquaponics: Why Do I Plant Marigolds in My Garden?
• Arizona Cooperative Extension; Backyard Gardener -- Marigolds and Nematode Management; Jeffery Schalau; 2004
• Yardener: Planting Marigolds

Resources

• Alabama Cooperative Extension; Dispelling Marigold Myths; Robin Howe, Mary Beth Musgrove
• The Herb Gardener: Marigold Bug Spray