OT: Marigolds and Spider Mites PICS

14 years ago

This isn't TOTALLY off-topic as this was discussed in a previous post about tomatoes. It was brought up that certain strains of marigolds are more or less an open invitation to spider mites. I had mentioned in that particular post my marigolds were at one point infested with them. Well, the little buggers are back in the marigolds and look nothing like the little red bugs that were overtaking the tomatoes. Needless to say I have yanked the marigolds from my garden for good. Anyway, check these pics out:

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Comments (13)

bigdaddyj
14 years ago
It's true. Marigolds planted in full sun will attract spidermites. The little devils LOVE Marigolds!

Want them gone? Greenlacewings will take care of them naturally, cheaply and easily.
korney19
14 years ago
Deja vu...............
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Hank, I do remember the heat wave of 1980 although I was living in Texas at the time. It was the worst summer ever and I know that I will never forget it. I was in college and working full-time, and I had a car with NO air conditioner. (That was the absolute last car I ever bought without an air conditioner!) My dad had a garden that year, as always, and all I remember about it is that he had a HUGE crop of the biggest, tastiest tomatoes we'd ever produced until the red spider mites got the plants in early August. In Fort Worth we went 69 days between June 23 and September 6 with high temperatures over 100 degrees, a record which stands to this day. We also recorded the all-time highest temperature ever officially recorded in the D-FW area on June 26 and June 27---113 degrees. That same year the second highest temperature ever recorded in Texas was recorded in Wichita Falls--119 degrees. In Oklahoma City, y'all had 50 days of triple digit high temperatures and recorded OKC's all-time high temp of 110 degrees--the hottest day on record outside of the Dust Bowl days. The Heat Wave of June-Sept. 1980 did an estimated $20 billion in damages/costs to agriculture and related industries. In addition, an estimated 10,000 deaths during that time-frame were classified as heat-related deaths including those caused by heat-related stress. I worked for an international airline and I remember that people would walk off the air-conditioned aircraft into the UNAIRCONDITIONED jetways, which were said to be in excess of 140 degrees, and they would collapse right there in the jetway. It happened over and over again. We sure kept the police officers, paramedics and firefighters busy that summer with all the medical calls. I also remember that you just couldn't seem to cool off, no matter what you did, because the nights were so incredibly warm too. I have been thinking along the same lines as you that we ought to have good gardening weather next year. For as long as I can remember, we have often had several hot and dry years in a row, but I don't ever remember having two excessively wet years in a row.....well, maybe in the late 1960s, but I was a kid then, so am not sure the memory is accurate. Dawn
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gardener_sandy
14 years ago
Great pictures! I'm sorry you had the infestation but some good came of it when you posted the pictures to educate people about the little critters. Thanks.

Sandy
daisy735
14 years ago
I didn't know mites were attracted to marigolds-- I purposely planted them to discourage aphids(!) Well, I have lots of mites AND aphids. Yes, a bunch of the marigolds are presently dying. I was puzzled. Thank you (!) -this gardener learned something important here.(again)
rocky_acres
Original Author
14 years ago
Daisy, I planted them for the aphid control as well and guess what...? My tomatoes were OVERRUN by red aphids! But, I am considering the marigolds again for next year because they supposedly put something off thru their root system to kill bad nematodes....above-ground bugs can be handled (once you know about them) - nematodes are a whole 'nuther story.
struwwelpeter
14 years ago
Well, the little buggers are back in the marigolds and look nothing like the little red bugs that were overtaking the tomatoes. Needless to say I have yanked the marigolds from my garden for good.

Why "Needless to say"? If the mites on the tomatoes are a different kind than those on the marigolds, why bother?
rocky_acres
Original Author
14 years ago
struwwelpeter, simply because the bugs were different doesn't mean I would want to leave something that is infested anywhere near something ELSE that could become infested.

Why bother?? So I can hopefully make LESS work for myself in the long run.
jean001
14 years ago
It was said: "I am considering the marigolds again for next year because they supposedly put something off thru their root system to kill bad nematodes..."

Not quite right.

1. The marigolds must be a solid planting for an entire season.
2. The nematodes can attack marigold roots but don't multiply there.

So bottom lines:
1.you are decreasing the nematode population, not getting rid of it.
2. You "lose" the area for the season for other things.

Beyond that, are you in a region with nematode problems?
rocky_acres
Original Author
14 years ago
Honestly, I don't know if there are nematodes in this area or not....lol. I am in central Texas.
struwwelpeter
14 years ago
struwwelpeter, simply because the bugs were different doesn't mean I would want to leave something that is infested anywhere near something ELSE that could become infested.

Why bother?? So I can hopefully make LESS work for myself in the long run.

Your first sentence suggests that you also pulled out all of your infested tomato plants. If not, what are you doing about the mites on your tomato plants? The time that you spent on the marigolds could have been spent controlling the mites on your tomato plants.
patsynana
13 years ago
Hi, my tomato plants are overrun with spider mites, they are also on my marigolds and I just sprayed them with soap and water and we'll see what happens and I'll post next week to let you know if it works, my plants are growing like crazy 6 ft tall but we'll see what my crop is like.
irenep
13 years ago
I second the green lacewing solution.
I picked some up online to eliminate the aphids & whiteflies on my basil & tomato plants; one week later nary an aphid to be seen. I have tried the soap & water solution, but it worked for a few days and then the buggers came back. Lacewings all the way..... they work so much better than ladybugs.
-I
cynphony
13 years ago
I just planted my first garden ever in a 3'x5' box and put in three tomato plants along with a couple herbs and peppers. I scattered a few marigolds around as well, because i heard it helped with pests. Does this mean I should take them out? Is there anything I should replace them with for pest control?
Thanks for the info!
cynthia

OT: Marigolds and Spider Mites PICS

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