Companion Planting Marigolds with Tomatoes in my Container Garden
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See the Entire Kentucky tomato planting series Here
Hello, fellow growers! 🌱 I’m Erin with Bloom & Peck, and I’m back with an exciting update to my Tomato Trials series here in Zone 7 KY. It’s May 15, 2025, and I’m 22 days post-surgery, still sticking to my 10lb weight limit and no-bending rule.
🍅 My Heirloom Cherokee Purple and Roma tomatoes are waiting for their next step (as a new gardener, there’s so much to learn!), and their DIY tomato trellises—the chair-height cattle panel my son made for Mother’s Day is set up, and the arched cattle panel is planned and ready for my garden helper.
🌼 Today, I’m adding marigolds to the mix, all while keeping things adaptive with my raised bed gardening setup and short stool. Let’s dive into how marigolds are joining my container garden adventure—blooms and pecks for all!
Want the complete Kentucky tomato growing guide? Start here → [Best Tomatoes to Grow in Kentucky]
Interplanting Marigolds in My Container and Trellis Garden
🩹 Since I’m gardening adaptively, I’m using containers and raised beds to keep everything at a comfortable height. I followed some great advice from the Gardener Bible on companion planting in containers. It says to tuck Marigolds into the same 12″ raised beds as the tomatoes and leave enough room around them so they don’t get overcrowded. Burpee suggests the Red Knight Marigolds as the perfect marigold for tomatoes.
Red Knight Marigolds
🍅 My Cherokee Purple on the chair-height DIY trellis will get two marigolds at its base, while the vertical trellis with both Cherokee Purple and Roma will have a row of three marigolds along the edge. This Intercropping setup ensures my tomatoes have space to grow while the marigolds work their organic gardening magic. I also added a few marigolds in separate pots near by my kitchen garden as the Tomato Bible suggests, to extend their protective benefits without overloading the main raised beds.
DIY Tomato Trellis – A Perfect Pair with Marigolds
🍅 My DIY tomato trellises are the stars of this trial, and marigolds complement them perfectly. The arched DIY Cattle Panel trellis keeps my Cherokee Purple container garden at a level I can tend without bending, while the vertical trellis maximizes space for both varieties.
🌼 Garden Patch highlights why trellising tomatoes is key: it improves air circulation, reduces disease, and makes harvesting easier—crucial for me right now! The marigolds at the base of these trellises not only deter pests but also create a vibrant border, making my kitchen garden and hobby garden a joy to look at.
With chickens milling around, it’s a picture of homestead gardening harmony.
Adaptive Gardening – Making It Work
🌼 Interplanting marigolds is going to be a breeze with my adaptive setup. Sitting on my short stool, I can use a lightweight trowel to plant the marigolds, keeping everything under my 10lb limit. The raised beds mean no bending, and the marigolds’ compact size (Red Knight grows to about 12-15 inches) fits perfectly without overwhelming my space.
🍅 This garden hack has my hopes up! I want to see how marigolds impact my tomato trials—stay tuned for updates! Want a more in-depth look at marigolds in my Companion Planting Series? See it here.
Let’s Grow Together – Share Your Tips!
🌼 Have you tried marigolds with your tomatoes? Any adaptive gardening hacks or pest control gardening tips to share? Drop your thoughts below or tag me on Instagram or Facebook @boomandpeck — I’d love to hear how you’re finding joy in the dirt! For more homestead gardening ideas, grab my free Tomato Planting Calendar.
Resources I Learned From
Here are the awesome sources that helped me with this post:
Garden Patch on the benefits of trellising tomatoes: Why Trellis Tomatoes
Epic Gardening on why tomatoes and marigolds are a great pair: Tomatoes and Marigolds
Tomato Bible on marigolds as a pest trap crop: Marigolds and Tomato Plants
Burpee for the Red Knight Marigolds I Researched: Red Knight Marigolds
Gardener Bible for container planting tips: What to Plant with Tomatoes in a Container
DIY Type for structure idea on Cattle Panel Trellis: Trellis
