The Beautiful Orange Flower That Grows Well With Cucumbers In The Garden

If you're growing cucumbers in your garden, there's a stunning orange flower you can plant nearby that will not only add beauty to your beds but also benefit your slender green fruits. Pot marigolds, botanically known as Calendula officinalis, are edible flowers that attract bees and pollinators to the garden while repelling pests and improving the quality of the soil. Planting them alongside cucumbers can help these plants thrive, resulting in an impressive harvest.

Companion planting is a natural method of pairing certain types of plants in the garden for mutual benefits. This type of gardening has been used for centuries, but up until fairly recently it lacked empirical support. However, some studies, led by experts from institutions such as the University of Nebraska, have found scientific confirmation that companion planting can significantly improve crop production. The university study concluded that planting radishes alongside pumpkin plants kept squash bugs at bay, while the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis found that planting basil near tomato plants reduced the amount of tomato pest problems. Marigolds do the same for cucumbers.

Pot marigolds are hardy annuals or short-lived perennials, depending on where you live. They produce intensely colored golden-orange flowers that measure around 4 inches across. These blooms not only add a striking touch of beauty to the garden, but they're also a huge hit with pollinators like bees and butterflies. This will benefit cucumber plants nearby, whose flowers need to be pollinated to bear fruit. Pot marigolds have a long blooming season that will attract pollinators to the garden for much of the year. They prefer cool temperatures, flowering from late fall through to the following spring in climates with mild winters, and spring through to fall in colder regions.

Pot marigolds are incredibly low-maintenance, making them an ideal companion plant for cucumber growers who don't want to spend every waking minute tending to their garden. Poor soil quality is no problem when growing these beautiful plants, as they adapt to various soil types and are considered one of the easiest plants to grow. At a typical mature height of between 12 and 24 inches, pot marigolds could become shaded by cucumber plants, which can reach heights of 6 feet. However, these beautiful flowers grow perfectly in shade, so you don't need to worry about them being sheltered by cucumber foliage. Simply plant them in average soil close to your cucumber plants and let them effortlessly attract pollinators for a more bountiful cucumber harvest.

One of the most frustrating things about having your own vegetable patch in your garden is dealing with pests. By using companion planting methods, you can deter pests naturally, saving you from having to use potentially harmful pesticides on your edible plants. Pot marigolds are ideal for this purpose since they repel a range of pests including tomato hornworms, asparagus beetles, and nematodes, and their smell is a turn-off for larger nuisances like deer and squirrels. Pot marigolds have also been used historically as a main ingredient in natural insect repellent spray, so you could harvest some of the flowers and leaves for use on your cucumber plants.

The many benefits of planting marigolds in the garden include insect repellent, pollinator attraction, and also soil improvement. Pot marigolds have roots that form relationships with soil fungi to promote enrichment. Their roots also produce alpha-terthienyl, which is a toxic chemical to some viruses, bacteria, and insects. Plant pot marigolds alongside cucumber plants so that your growing fruits will benefit from the pest-repellent properties of these beautiful edible flowers.