081 A Good Neighbour
Hey Marigold, grown in a field before the vegetables come, your living roots keep some soil worms down for them.
What do we prepare for whoever comes after us?
What do you prepare for those who come after you?
Before the tomato seedlings go in, a farmer grows a field of bright orange marigolds.
Later, he ploughs them in, and in the same soil, rows of tiny seedlings begin.
What really happens
The living roots of some marigolds, especially French marigold, release a natural substance that is toxic to some root-knot nematodes, tiny worms that damage crops.
Grown in a field before vegetables, they can help keep these pests down for the crop that follows.
How we know: Research on Tagetes and root-knot nematodes is reviewed by agricultural scientists; the effect varies with the marigold type and the pest.
The turn
We often work only for our own harvest.
The marigold prepares the ground for a crop it will never see.
Three takeaways
- Prepare the ground for others.
- Some of your best work is for the next season.
- Good neighbours protect what comes after.
Grow first, so others grow well.
He that plants Trees, loves others besides himself.