My uncle swore by planting marigolds next to tomatoes, and I finally get why

Last spring my uncle told me to put marigolds all around my tomato bed to keep pests away. I thought it was just old garden talk and didn't bother doing it. Then half my tomato plants got eaten by something and his bed across town was fine. I tried it this year with 12 marigolds for 8 tomato plants and I've barely seen any bugs. Has anyone else tested this or is it just a placebo thing?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseym4813d ago

Nematodes are the real target, not the above ground bugs.

the_jason13d ago

Are you sure your uncle didn't just have better soil or watering habits? Correlation isn't causation, and a dozen marigolds probably aren't gonna stop a determined pest invasion.

hannahw3013d ago

Works fine for me too. Maybe it's not a magic bullet for every single bug, but it sure helps cut down on the little visitors that like to snack on my tomatoes.

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