The Carrot Tops Allotment Blog!

Last year I was given a tray of marigolds to deter white fly from going to town on my tomato patch – the great thing about this is, not only did it work, but if you collect the heads of the dead flowers at the end of the season, you never have to buy these seeds again.

Marigolds are a great pest control plant and the reason is because of the smell that they give off. They also look fantastic and that means that they’re going to attract and encourage bees into your garden or allotment.

You can afford to sow marigolds quite thick and I intend to plant some in every bed at the allotment. I’ve simply sowed these in cells of six, and covered with compost.

Depending on how the weather goes, I’ll probably look to plant these straight outside.

Here are some facts about growing Marigolds

• Marigolds are an extremely effective herb for skin inflammations, ulcerations, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, cysts and impetigo.
• They’re also an excellent cosmetic remedy for sunburn. The sap from the stem is reputed to remove warts, corns and calluses.
• In the 12th Century Reinald Macer (A Cistercian Monk) wrote – “Merely looking at the Marigold plant would improve the eyesight and lighten the mood.”
• Pigments in Marigolds are sometimes extracted and used as a food coloring for humans and livestock.