Old-Fashioned French Marigolds
by Bill Pitts
French marigolds (Tagetes patula) get a bad rap, especially among serious gardeners who tend to dismiss them as gaudy, weak, smelly and — worst of all — common. The marigold’s reputation for deterring pests, they say, is overrated. All of this can be true of the marigolds sold by the big box stores, but the old-fashioned, “grandmother’s garden” varieties of French marigolds are a different story.
Every veggie garden should have a patch of French marigolds. Photo by Ana Eire
Commercial marigolds look gaudy mainly because they are so ill-proportioned. The pom-pom blooms are too big for the stunted plants. The roots are even smaller, confined by the black plastic cell of a six-pack. Old-fashioned varieties of French marigolds have much more grace. The blooms may be large, but the plants match them, often reaching two or more feet tall and sprawling even wider. The stems grow longer, holding the flowers up over the foliage, creating a much more airy and carefree effect.
Unique color patterns can be found on even the usual carnation-type blooms. Photo by Ana Eire
Old-fashioned French marigolds are also a lot tougher than the mass-marketed ones. Thanks to their extensive root systems, they can get by with surprisingly little water, compost or fertilizer. While all marigolds look best in mild weather, the antique varieties can withstand the worst jungle heat of July and even a light frost in winter. Grasshoppers — slantfaced varieties, not lubbers — may nibble the leaves, as do snails and slugs, but old-fashioned marigolds grow so vigorously it’s almost like free pruning. Thanks to the cut-leaf foliage, the damage isn’t very noticeable.
For me, the smell of marigolds fits right in with other strong scents of the vegetable and herb garden, such as tomato and squash leaves, wet earth, pepper plants, compost, rosemary, basil and dill. But if the odor bothers you, consider ‘Tashkent #1’, a beautiful mahogany single variety discovered outside an old school in Uzbekistan. Its leaves have a milder scent.
Unlike garden center marigolds, which always seem to have the same yellow or orange pom-pom blooms, old-fashioned varieties are anything but common. Plenty have the carnation-type flowers we expect from a marigold, but there are many variations. Some are dainty like a bachelor’s button. Others, such as a family heirloom marigold my neighbor grows, are the color and nearly the size of a Dancy tangerine. The petals may be neatly and tightly layered, elegantly ruffled, or loose and casual to the point of frumpiness.
Bees love old-fashioned marigolds. Photo by Ana Eire
And the doubles are only the beginning. In my marigold patches I have come across velvety semi-doubles trimmed with gold, simple daisies the color of butter, an eighteenth century variety with crazy candy stripes, maroons so dark they look almost black and orange-reds blurring into yellows like a tequila sunrise.
Opinions on the French marigold’s value as a companion plant vary widely. At one extreme are those who believe a lone marigold will drive every bad bug out of the veggie garden. On the other end of the spectrum are the skeptics who blame marigolds for attracting pests, especially spider mites. In my experience, modern marigolds do have problems with spider mites while heirloom varieties have few.
Numerous trials have shown that most French marigolds really do reduce the levels of root-knot nematodes in the soil, but you have to use them in the right way. A marigold tucked between the tomato vines won’t cut it. Plant a bed or row solid with French marigolds - and only French marigolds. This exclusion is important. Any other type of plant, even a weed, could provide a haven for the nematodes you’re trying to drive out of the bed.
The marigolds will bloom for months, attracting butterflies and other beneficial insects to the garden. Pinching off faded blooms will extend the show. When the plants finally get ratty, cut them down and dig them into the soil - or, if you are a no-till gardener, cover them with mulch. Now the bed is ready to grow vegetables or herbs, or if you want to be extra careful, another nematicidal cover crop, such as sunn hemp. Even nematode bait like okra and tomatoes can thrive where French marigolds have just been grown. Last, but certainly not least, plant more French marigolds in another bed. My rule is to always have a patch going somewhere.
This dazzling example of a French marigold is anything but “common.” Photo by Ana Eire
Caveats: while French marigolds can reduce root-knot and lesion nematodes, they won’t help with other types, such as sting, stubby-root, and awl nematodes. (Your county Cooperative Extension Service can help you figure out what kind of nematode you are dealing with.) When fighting nematodes, it is best to see French marigolds as just part of the battle plan. Following a broad rotation scheme that includes various nematode-resistant cover crops, including French marigolds, and a wide variety of vegetables and herbs grouped by family, is the easiest way to reduce diseases and pests of all kinds.
Even the best nurseries are unlikely to offer old-fashioned varieties of French marigolds, but few flowers are easier to start from seed. Once you get a patch going, you’ll soon find volunteers popping up all over the place. They’re a snap to transplant.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange offers ‘Spanish Brocade’ and ‘Tashkent #1’, both of which have done well for me. Several companies sell the antique striped varieties. ‘China Cat Mix’ contains a huge range of French marigolds collected by Dr. Alan Kapuler. You can get them from Peace Seedlings. Some of the best marigolds are passalong plants from generous neighbors.
Bill Pitts grows his French marigolds in DeLand. He also wrote A Tropical Garden in Zone 9.
© 2014 Bill Pitts. Originally published in Florida Gardening, Aug/Sep 2014. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.