Marigold - Mexican

OH. We were given a single plant from our friends, Jan and Geoff Speeden of Millstream Gardens, a few years back. Having heard that it was a good companion flower in the garden we gave it a go. That one plant spread (29,000 seeds per plant) and now it readily self-sows around the garden each season. Native to the southern half of South America this marigold (Tagetes minuta) has spread around the globe since Spanish colonization. Also known as southern marigold, wild marigold, stinkweed, tall khaki weed, black mint and oddly, the most widely used English common name is Stinking Roger. A tall upright marigold, reaching 2m in height with small yellow and white flowers. Used in culinary pursuits as an herb and seasoning. The Peruvian potato dish called ocopa uses the leaves to give the sauce in the dish a bright green colour and pleasant taste. A sweet anise-flavoured tea can be brewed from the leaves and can be used in cooking much like the herb tarragon. The essential oil made with the leaves and flowers through distillation is known as “Tagetes or Marigold oil.” The oil is used in the food industry as a flavouring or preserving agent in a host of products. Its widest application is in the perfumery industry. Medicinally, it is used for digestive issues such as poor appetite, gas, stomach pain, colic, intestinal worms and dysentery. Also, can be used as a remedy for coughs, colds, mumps, fluid retention and sore eyes. Women use this herb to aid them at the start of menstruation and as a treatment for mastitis and to protect against miscarriage. The leaves can be applied directly to the skin for treating sores and ulcers or their juice is used to treat eczema. Agriculturally, it is used for biomass production and works well as a chop and drop cover crop as well as a biofumigant for some nematodes. Some consider it a noxious weed because it spreads fast and competes with crop plants. As it is frost tender and easy to chop and drop, I do not find this to be a problem in my climate. The foliage is very fragrant and emits its fragrance simply by brushing up against the plant as you walk past. This lends it well as an insect repellent and has been known to repel mosquitos, cockroaches and flies when hung indoors in its fresh form.  

Sow in Spring or Late Summer when soil temperatures reach 25°C. Direct scatter sow in borders and rows, or can be sown in a glasshouse into trays and prick out to 4cm diagonal spacing when true leaves appear. Transplant out to 30cm diagonal spacing in fertile soil. Requires light to germinate - DO NOT COVER the seeds.

40 seeds.