Companion plants. You might have heard of it, or maybe read about it in our article about organic cannabis growing.
Companion plants are put next to your weed plants. And of course, you don’t just do that for companionship. Using companion plants can have some major advantages. For example, some plants help to keep pests away, while other plants keep the soil in optimal condition.
So companion plants have a positive effect on your cannabis plants. Would you like to know more about this? Then read this article thoroughly. We will discuss the major advantages of growing cannabis with companion plants
3 Advantages of companion plants
There are many ways in which companion plants can help you growing cannabis. On top of that, you can use them outdoors as well as indoors. Companion planting creates an optimal growing environment. In this article, we'll discuss some advantages of companion planting.
Natural insect control
Insects - the worst nightmare of every weed grower. They can damage your plants, which is why you probably want to keep them as far away from your plants as possible. There are many different chemical insect repellents on the market. But why would you choose to spray your plants with chemicals if there’s also a cheap, natural solution?
Some companion plants have a smell that keeps annoying insects away. Other plants attract animals that are more than happy to eat insects.
Suitable plants:
- Garlic keeps snails and maggots away. It’s also really handy for cooking.
- Dill is effective at repelling aphids. It also attracts insect eaters like bees and wasps.
- Basil repels aphids, mosquitoes and whiteflies.
Improved nutrient intake
Companion plants can give nutrients to your weed plants. Other plants add nitrogen to the soil or make more minerals available. You can also trim certain plants, and leave the trim to get absorbed by the soil, which provides extra nutrients to your weed plants.
Suitable plants:
- Alfalfa can be grown between the plants. It produces nitrogen, and the deep roots allow for better water absorption. Alfalfa is a fast-growing plant that can be trimmed to provide extra food for your weed plants.
- Red & white clover produce nitrogen, just like alfalfa does. The weed plants can feed themselves with the decomposing clovers.
- Chamomile gathers calcium, potassium and sulphur. If the plant dies, these nutrients get absorbed by the soil. This makes for a nice meal for your weed plants! Chamomile also enhances the oil production in the surrounding plants.
Better Yields
That’s right - you can even use companion plants to improve the yields of your weed plants. There are several plants that (just like chamomile does) stimulate the oil production in your plants, which makes for denser buds.
Suitable plants:
- Marigold stimulates the growth of surrounding plants. It also repels insects.
- Yarrow does not just prevent soil erosion - it also increases oil production in surrounding plants.
- Stinging nettle might be an annoying little plant - but your weed plants beg to differ! Stinging nettle stimulates oil production in surrounding plants.
Other advantages of companion planting
There are several other ways in which companion plants can help you. For example, by concealing the smell of your weed plants, so that nosy neighbour will not find out about your new hobby. You can also hide your weed plants behind bigger plants, and keep them out of sight. The bigger plants will also protect them from strong winds. Two birds, one stone.
So there’s many reasons to add some companion plants to the mix. Are you using them?
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Author: Joris