Pest identification
What's eating my tagetes erecta 'inca gold'?
Spider mites
Signs: Bronze, stippled leaves with fine webbing on undersides; plants look dusty and desiccated.
Control: Regular overhead watering; insecticidal soap or neem oil spray repeated weekly; remove heavily infested leaves.
Budworm caterpillars (Helicoverpa spp.)
Signs: Large flower buds hollowed out or fail to open; frass (droppings) visible in bud.
Control: Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to buds; handpick larvae; check buds regularly and remove damaged ones.
Aphids
Signs: Dense colonies on growing tips; stunted shoots and sticky honeydew coating.
Control: Knock off with water jet; apply insecticidal soap; natural predators like ladybirds give good control.
Slugs and snails
Signs: Young transplants eaten at ground level; irregular holes in lower foliage.
Control: Iron phosphate bait around plants; use a gritty mulch barrier; hand-pick at night.
Keep tagetes erecta 'inca gold' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
- What eats african marigold — the species this cultivar belongs to
- What's wrong with my plant? — the diagnosis apps compared
- Common tagetes erecta 'inca gold' problems & fixes
- Tagetes erecta 'Inca Gold' watering schedule
- Tagetes erecta 'Inca Gold' light requirements
- Full tagetes erecta 'inca gold' care guide
Tagetes erecta 'Inca Gold' pests — FAQ
What is eating my tagetes erecta 'inca gold'?
African marigold 'Inca Gold' is tall and robust but spider mites can devastate foliage in hot summers, causing bronze stippling and webbing. Caterpillars such as budworm bore into the large blooms. Aphids cluster on young shoots, and slugs attack seedlings. The aromatic leaves keep many other pests away.
How do I get rid of spider mites on tagetes erecta 'inca gold'?
Bronze, stippled leaves with fine webbing on undersides; plants look dusty and desiccated. Regular overhead watering; insecticidal soap or neem oil spray repeated weekly; remove heavily infested leaves.
How do I get rid of budworm caterpillars (helicoverpa spp.) on tagetes erecta 'inca gold'?
Large flower buds hollowed out or fail to open; frass (droppings) visible in bud. Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to buds; handpick larvae; check buds regularly and remove damaged ones.
How do I get rid of aphids on tagetes erecta 'inca gold'?
Dense colonies on growing tips; stunted shoots and sticky honeydew coating. Knock off with water jet; apply insecticidal soap; natural predators like ladybirds give good control.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on tagetes erecta 'inca gold'?
Young transplants eaten at ground level; irregular holes in lower foliage. Iron phosphate bait around plants; use a gritty mulch barrier; hand-pick at night.