You might investigate achillea millefolium otherwise knows as yarrow. Depending on where you live you can collect this in the wild, dry the flowers, and save the seeds. Yarrow is indicated to help stimulate the essential oil production in some varied plants. Pick your companion plant wisely. Much of the science on companion planting relates to one plant benefiting one or two other plants but not necessarily a broad range of plants. In fact what might improve taste and flavor in tomatoe might destroy the flavor in onlions. Then there is the alleopathic qualities that some plants have in effect on other plants so be careful with that as well. Otherwise, since you are growing indoors it might serve you as well to focus on cultivating the best best crop you can by tending to the basics so the plant can grow to the limits imposed and be all she can be based on how well you take care of her. Inducing enhanced secodary metabolite production in plants is not understood very well. In the case of terpenes and flavanoids the pathways of their synthesis is known only for a handful of the thousands of known plant species. It is a chemistry that nature provided for and one that mankind (and pharma compaines) continue to this day to explore and understand. Outdoor companion planting might be more realistic and more forgiving than indoor companion planting since one is fairly limited in container size.
Wise words. By this time in my grow experience (3+ years, ~ 2 organic), I'd have to say that I've got everything dialed in. From beginning (mixing soil) to end (proper curing). I just can't seem to bring out the aesthetic characteristics of odor and flavor. Medicinally, my herbs are right on the money! It may have to do with the fact that I've grown mainly from seed. But I've grown out a lot of seeds. You'd think I'd have found a killer keeper by now. So companion planting and using molasses during flowering were going to be the next things that I tried. Maybe just molasses for now. And I "water only". Maybe some botanical teas will add that little something that my soil seems to be lacking. I wish I could grow outside. Frost comes too early here for cannabis to reach full maturity. Even for 8 week strains! I think a greenhouse may be in my future. Let me propose my original question in a different way. Who amongst us has had rock solid, verifiable results, through a complete grow cycle, of improved flavor and odor by using any of the companion plants that we have discussed for such? This means improvement of canna' strains grown before without companion planting, and then grown after, with companion planting. INDOORS, please!
Have you tried dry trimming? It's made one hell of a difference in odor for my herb. I'll need a month or so before I'd have the ability to keep detailed records of companion planting, though it has crossed my mind quite frequently lately.
I think that's what I do, lol! I remove the large fan leaves before harvest (just started doing this last grow). Then hang for 7-10 days in a dark grow tent. Manicure when there's still some moisture left, then into jars (with burping) for around 2 months. Anything faster (especially the 7-10 day hang in the tent) and my herbs wind up smelling/tasting like straw. I've even resorted to using humipaks during the jar cure to slow the process down even more. It's really dry where I live, average RH around 20% when it doesn't rain. Sound about right? I know this is a very relative question and dependent on the judgment of the grower, and hard to actually describe, but I'm going to ask anyway. How moist would you (or anyone else!) describe your flowers to be when you put them into jars? If you use jars for curing, that is.
Just put jiffy pellets with Chamamile into seedling in my 7 gallon Critical Kush, Snowcap LA, Blueberry headband, Lemon Thai Kush. Going to make tea outta them and want not, ill let you guys know how it goes.
Try hanging the whole plant without removing anything until ready for jars, then trim and breakdown. I jar when the main stem snaps but the small auxiliary still bend.
Main BRANCH stem, or the main PLANT (middle) stalk? Is it insanely dry where you live? If we're talking branches, waiting until they snap is too long for the conditions that I deal with.
Entire plant middle stalk, not normally but I have had to dry a rather large harvest during a 100+ heat wave. Since you need longer dry times it makes sense not to remove anything from the plant and maybe even water her a day before.
Really? Since you would only be cutting the stalk that would be the only spot on the plant releasing large amounts of moisture, bud sites would be releasing the least amount since they have no exposes spots. The buds will try to retain as much water as possible, sucking it from the stalks. Just look at how people dry other herbs besides cannabis.
Sorry if my question seemed "ignorant", for it most certainly was. My learning over the last year+ has concentrated mostly on the soil food web and soil structure/chemistry. I am unfamiliar with the working intricacies of how a harvested plant releases moisture (cures) once its vascular system has been compromised. And I, unfortunately, am someone who NEEDS to know HOW all this shyt works. And thanks for the tip on curing herbs. I'll be looking into it.
Come to think of it, Skunk has a thread call Curing for smell and taste, I believe. Deff worth the read mist of the big guns list how they dry.. HaGGard
I forgot about something I noticed last year. Cannabis seeds always sprouted when planted in a container with a spider plant. I'm not sure of the particular cultivar this is. But they were always prompt and very healthly. Matter of fact...Imma go do that right now. EDIT: Here's the plants I'm talking about. I spread atleast a dozen seed between the two Full Image: http://imgur.com/0nSQH1r
I think one of the classics is growing Tomatoes with your cannabis, and tomatoes have the added benefit of being repellent towards spider mites.
Here's what happened with my pennyroyal companion planting (lemon tree). I added a single cell from a seed starting tray, and as you can see it thrived. Low growing, fragrant, pest repellent, and even though the tree is in too small a pot and shares it with a Christmas cactus to boot no ill effects are apparant. Helped keep the top soil level moist and curbed evaporation even in the hot outdoor summer sun. If I ever get growing again rolleyes I'll be sure to add some seeds to the pot! If nothing else, a small pot growing solo (for pest deterrent and harvesting for teas) might be a good thing
Reviving the Ol' thread. What companions will you all be using this year? I am looking to use two different companion type setups consisting of mainly a 'vegetable' companion setup and a 'herb' companion setup. In a 100-150 gal pot/mound I'm going to try a combination of Broccoli, Cabbage, Squash, Peas, Fava Beans, and Dill (I know not a vegetable, but it will be necessary for all the vegetables' sake). In a separate 100-150 gal pot I will be trying a Combination of Borage, Roman Chamomile, Stinging Nettle, Marigold, Yarrow, and Chia. While both vegetable and herb plants have their place in cover crops/green mulch, my goal is just to see if there are any obvious differences in the two setups. The actual mmj strains grown will be different too; not too many controlled variables.
Hey Tea good to see you around! I would avoid the Dynamic Accumulators in your pots, they like a lotta room and might choke someone out! This year I'm doing Lemon Balm and Basil while I wait for my Bahia Grass to arrive, upgraded to 20gal Smart Pots indoors.
OK as I have just came across this thread I did this by accident but not with a cannabis and a different plant it's two cannabis plants. Interesting they have had the least amount of problems and are growing healthy and happy together side by side in a 7 gallon potSent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Absolutely, i am hoping that I don't run too much a risk here and I feel as if I keep 'em all trimmed low (save for the nettles), and I do mound instead of smart pots I might be okay. We are looking to produce only 5 pounders tops in 100-150 gal mounds so I think we should be okay with a few dynamic accumulators, hopefully. With a few of these, they have anywhere from 1-3 harvests per outdoor mmj harvest, so I will be able to chop down the dynamic accumulators a few times throughout the season. My partner has grown herbs for years and her sister is an herbalist so with her herb knowledge i'd like to see this happen.