Mulch. Just do it.

[mad librettist]

I agree with this intuitively, but was wondering if you'd expand on your reasoning here please.

I really love this thread! After trying clover as a living mulch, I'm pretty hooked, and quite satisfied with my results. Thanks for spreading the knowledge

sure thing.

My reasoning is thus: The outer edge of a smart pot is either very very active, or very very dormant. Moisture content fluctuates wildly, and even if the container receives sufficient water overall, the area can behave like underwatered dirt. By putting roots there, I am spreading out moisture (water travels along the outside of roots, not just inside) and ensuring my entire container is very active.

If you depend on just cannabis to colonize the whole smart pot, you are less likely to achieve the above goal unless you spend a lot of time watering just a bit, monitor moisture in multiple zones, blah blah blah. I used to do this with daily or twice daily misting, an exercise I now only perform when establishing a living mulch.

Another, less important point, is that the outer edge will be the last area that gets shaded in a horizontal grow. It's the living mulch's last stand. (vert may be the way to go FTW)

With a living mulch you can just dump the water in the container and not worry about how it disperses. Even a nasty perched water table is a non-issue if there are a hundred tap roots (crimson clover does this but not white clover).

 

[rrog]

Nice thought process. A companion plant makes a lot of sense. And it would stay in place when the MJ is harvested, I assume. Then plop a new one in and continue.

 

[SeaMaiden]

Anyone try edible covers? Beans, soybeans, legumes? I've got a couple of pounds of soybeans that I intended to sow outdoors, but due to physical issues just couldn't get it going. I need to get a bunch of cuttings going SOON, so need to get my indoor gear cleaned out and fired up. The less I have to do to care for overwintering clones the better.

 

[guest2012y]

Grabbed some crimson clover and a cover crop blend containing vetch,rye,grass,yamhill wheat,forage peas,and rye grain.

The no-tills will get planted with the seed after the harvest,then a new clone planted in the pot along with the seed mix. ...if the grass gets too tall I'll cut it.

 

[rrog]

I'd be very interested to see how a denser growth works out

 

[mad librettist]

I was going to say watch out with the vetch, but you are likely to mow it down.

can't wait to read about your result capt, welcome aboard!

 

[mad librettist]

Anyone try edible covers? Beans, soybeans, legumes? I've got a couple of pounds of soybeans that I intended to sow outdoors, but due to physical issues just couldn't get it going. I need to get a bunch of cuttings going SOON, so need to get my indoor gear cleaned out and fired up. The less I have to do to care for overwintering clones the better.

I am trying Lupinus albus next, which is a pulse. The seeds are edible raw after soaking in salt water. Pulses (lentils and such) are N fixers via rhizobium filled nodules, just like peas and beans. Other than fixing N, the white lupine is supposed to dump citric acid into the soil via its roots.

However because of its expected size, I am thinking of the white lupine a companion rather than as a living mulch (to be a living mulch it has to function as mulch, meaning it makes a nanoclimate that is dark, moist, and cool). I expect my lupine to get up into the canopy, which means it will either fit around my budsites or reduce the space available for cannabis flowers.

So far the other companions I have tried stayed small, like yarrow, chamomile, and purslane.

Crimson clover is a living mulch that starts to behave like a companion as it flowers.

 

[jaykush]

seamaiden ive had good success with chickpeas. they dont grow so tall or as crazy as say broad beans or even bush beans.

in an outdoor situation alfalfa is a great choice.

 

[mad librettist]

keep in mind too, just as cannabis stays smaller indoors, so do all these other plants. I'm sure my crimson clover would be much taller in the ground.

 

[Chong_Irie]

Has ne one tried Mustard?? Got some going outdoors I'll throw up some pics when I get a chance

 

[mad librettist]

mustard is a big family!

what kind of mustard?

I was munching on garlic mustard today on a walk

 

[Chong_Irie]

Damn I have to check it was a mix...

edit: I know one was white mustard

 

[mad librettist]

Well at this point the answer is, you can go with what's been tried and works, or contribute to the list of things we have tried.

up to you, but I vote for trying new things out of self interest

 

[unthing]

what about mint? i'll try it myself at some point, but if anyone has any experience with it.

oh, an insignificant detail but around here crimson clover is called blood clover for some reason.

 

[mad librettist]

go for it. let us know if mint is a PITA indoors.

 

[unthing]

i will, but it'll happen probably in the late spring next year.

 

[h.h.]

happy thoughts

 

[mad librettist]

happy thoughts

 

[h.h.]

happy thoughts

 

[rrog]

Surfer shares his soil with multiple MJ. I had a thread a while back and most guys were strongly opposed to sharing the soil with more than 1 MJ.

Just an opinion, but when in doubt diversity seems like the way to go. Seems that's the way it is when looking at other aspects of growing