Companion FlowersAsteraceae

Marigolds.

Warm seasonPollinator magnetDeer-resistant
At a glance

The spec sheet.

Indoor start
Optional
Direct sow / out
May 15
Germ
5–10 days
Days to harvest
50–60 to bloom
Spacing
8"
Depth
¼"
Square-foot
4 per square
Qty target
Plant 4–6 in every vegetable bed as living pest management.

Plant

Direct sow or transplant. Scatter throughout vegetable beds — do NOT confine to one flower area.

Care

Deadhead for continuous bloom. Full sun. Almost indestructible.

Harvest

Save seed heads at end of season for next year.

Preserve

Dried heads for seed saving.

Companion planting

What marigolds likes, and doesn’t.

Good neighbors

  • Every vegetable bed — plant liberally
  • Tomatoes
  • Brassicas
  • Beans

Avoid nearby

  • Nothing significant

French marigolds (Tagetes patula) repel whitefly, Mexican bean beetle, and root-knot nematodes. Plant them at bed corners as guardians.