Throwing a couple dozen marigolds into your garden creates a lively feel and a wide-open charm.
They stand out with their bright yellow color and also come in a variety of shapes and colors making for some interest in your gardens.
But how do you marry marigolds with bees? There are a lot of ways to answer that question.
So if you want to know if the marigolds in your backyard attract bees, carry on and we’ll keep talking!
Do Bees Like Marigolds?
In a nutshell, sure; marigolds do attract bees. And even though we don’t find the scent of marigolds that attractive, bees are out there looking for marigolds when they are actively pollinating plants.
In the Expressions, bees are attracted to the marigolds just because of the scent and the nectar; this is how bees ultimately choose flowers in general.
So, the more attractive the scent of a flower is to bees, the more it’ll attract.
Understanding How Bees Pollinate
Bees need pollen to feed their young so they can live.
When a bee lands on the top of a flower, bees will then obtain violet pollen from pollen sacs, using the electrostatic forces in their hairs. This is called pollination and is extremely helpful for flowers when seeding.
But how do bees determine what flowers are best for pollination?
Well, it’s neither the smell or not the color which attract us humans.
Actually bees can see ultraviolet spectrum, and can’t see color red, not that it would matter if they couldn’t.
So no matter how beautiful a flower looks or smells is nothing that means anything to bee signatures.
What matters to bees is nectar, which is the sweet liquid bees suck when pollinating flowers.
Marigolds May Repel Harmful Insects
Most people, as well as some books, will have you believe that honeybees, wasps, and yellow jackets can all fall under the bee classification. This is somewhat misleading since honeybees are beneficial insects; you can’t really say the same for the wasps and yellow jackets.
If you have yellow jackets and wasps hanging around your backyard, I would definitely consider that cause for concern. Both insects may sting and they both exhibit swarming behavior that’ll ruin your backyard picnics and barbeques!
The good news is that marigolds do not attract yellow jackets, or wasps. In fact, they can actually be repellent. This is because wasps and yellow jackets do not look for smells at all; the only thing they need is to find other insects to eat and fulfil their protein needs.
They won’t seek out something as mundane as adding marigolds to your backyard, the way honeybees might.
A Side Note: Please take note that while there is no scientific theory that states that marigolds will repel wasps or yellow jackets, we can correctly state that they’ll certainly not attract them.
How to Plant Marigolds?
When planting marigolds, you should do the following:
- Loosen the soil and prepare for planting by digging down about 5-7 inches.
- Remove any rocks or stones from the soil.
- Make sure that the soil is nutrient filled by putting a slow-release fertilizer into it.
- If this is not an option, fertilize the plants with a diluted liquid fertilizer when they begin to grow.
- Wet the soil.
- Scatter the seeds about 1 inch apart and about 1 inch deep.
- Thin the seedlings while they are still small.
- Also, don’t forget that only French marigolds will produce from seed.
You are better off buying African marigolds as plants because it will take way too long to plant them from seed.
Also, if you are using containers, soil-based potting mixes should generally work better than others for growing marigolds.
Where to Put Marigolds in Your Garden?
It’s important to think ahead when planting marigolds in your garden.
The first rule of thumb would be to pick a planting location that receives the most sunlight possible when planting your marigolds.
The reason is that marigolds love full sun, and they also can withstand drought like conditions.
If you put them in an area that is shady they will just get powdery mildew in no time.
Another thing to consider is the soil.
Since marigolds grow best in fertile soil that is not waterlogged, they don’t necessarily have to have a lot of fertile soil; even medium-fertile soil would work well for marigolds.
You should also take into consideration the spacing between your marigolds.
For instance, French and Signet marigolds should be planted 9 inches apart, while African marigolds should be spaced 11 inches apart.
Works Best: If you are planting in containers, take as much space as possible between marigolds, as marigolds always get crowded in containers.
Related Questions
What Plants Attract a Lot of Bees?
Bee balm, evening primrose, echinacea, hostas, snapdragon, California poppies. These are some of the plants that attract the most bees.
This is because they are very high in nectar, and are very good targets for the bees. If your goal is to attract many bees to your gardening area, these plants are the top options.
What Should You Not Plant With Marigolds?
Marigolds work with a ton of plants but can’t be paired with beans, cabbage, or beetles.
Correspondingly, marigolds facilitate growing when planted with basil, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, broccoli, kale, squash, and potatoes.
Additionally, their golden lion heads make a natural foil for assisting the growth of other plants.
What Repels Wasps but Not Bees?
Herbs can be great for helping repel wasps, but not your friend, the bee.
So, you can definitely plant some spearmint, citronella, thyme, or eucalyptus in your garden to help repel wasps and other unwanted pests of your backyard.
Final Words
Okay, so marigolds, do they attract bees in your garden?
Yes, but only the good ones. Lucky you. So don’t worry; there will be no wasps or yellow jackets taking over your backyard when you plant some marigolds; they don’t give a damn about marigolds.
So if your’re contemplating rearranging your garden with the beautiful marigolds, then go ahead, awesome!