Curious how many growers are using organic, veganic, biodynamic, biointensive or ecologically minded grow methods?
For context - We operate a regenerative biointensive farm - we have a highly develop soil food web and use processes that build soil health by supporting the fungi and micro/macro organisms. We use companion planting, cover cropping and no-till as part of our soil management regime. We feed ecosystems with compost and teas. We use integrated pest management and use a number of companion plants that stimulate and support the environment of natural predators. We are frequently told our Cannabis is some of the best our patients have ever had.
I know we are not the only ones. But in a world of hydroponics, mass market growth and increasingly tight bottom lines - what are other growers doing. Do you take an integrated ecosystem approach?
YES! My operation has just recently switched from soiless medium to a living organic system. I would be very interested in your approach to companion planting and cover crop management. We use wood mulch. Immediately we have seen the quality of our crop skyrocket. One week away from our first living soil harvest, and despite falling behind mid-flower on watering, the weight will not be lacking…
We use a combination of teas, worms, and other organic amendments for nutrition. Within a few more rotations, I expect we’ll have the highest quality product in our region. The complexity of the terpene profiles as well as density and trichome production has greatly improved already. To be fair, this operation did not have a great grip on the aforementioned soiless media techniques, but I am already convinced that if achieving the same quality is even possible in hydroponics, it would take a genius amount of exact science to achieve the same result.
I hope this thread becomes the most popular thread on the site.
We all have to make the switch to organic soil. As growers it’s our responsibility to cultivate sustainability in the portions of the earth that we were blessed to farm on and live off of. Remember if we destroy our soil, then we destroy ocean. We have to grow with the sun. That way we are working with Mother Nature and not against her.
It’s organic sun grown or nothing with me. I love the challenge of transforming dirt into soil. Taking compacted anaerobic dirt and shooting it up with compost tea and then dropping seed/plants into it and observing the symbiotic relationship develop between the developing soil and the plants. Watching the fungal to bacteria biomass ratios go from poor conditions to conditions that support later secessional plant growth.
Witnessing the rise of the beneficial micro organisms: bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, micro arthropods, etc. under the microscopes… The builders in charge of forming the micro and micro aggregates, tunnels and pore spaces for air, water… They create the enzymes that release the nutrients from the sands, silt, clay, pebbles, boulders, bedrock and converts these nutrients into plant available forms. I can go on all night about the amazing job that mother nature is capable of doing with out us and our chemicals.
Great words Cody! It’s great to hear about your switch and the results you are having. It sounds like you are well on a path to success and growing some exceptional cannabis.
@heropharms - your philosophy is spot on. Nature knows best.
A few of the covercrops and companion plants we use include:
Clovers - white, red, purple - they fix nitrogen and provide a wonderful living mulch
Clumping grasses (as opposed to spreading ones) - these we use to cut and drop for mulch, as well as to support the mychorizal layer and networks (grasses and mychrorizzae go hand in hand)
Comfrey - a living mulch and tea addition - deep tap roots it pulls up lots of nutrients
Nettles - again a compost, tea and mulch addition
Wild carrot, flowering radishes, flowering brassicas - attract and feed predatory wasps and flies that will manage your pest control
Lemon thyme - groundcover and flowers attract insects, and it smells great and is an excellent addition to the kitchen!
That’s a small sample - we have a very dynamic mix of plants and herbs - to feed the body and the soul.
I’ve done some experimenting with different cover crop combinations in Colorado organic agriculture myself. I highly recommend for any outdoor application. As of now, we are growing inside, in 30g pots, so I can’t really see us using cover crops instead of wood mulch. But since we are practicing low till/no till strategies, I really could see the benefits branching into this unique indoor sector. Something to think about…
Yes Cody! Its a big switch and we all have something to pat ourselves on the back for. Awesome info Nate! Cover crops hold down the fort in a major way. You guys are doing big thing.! Thank you for creating this thread and sharing. Respect!
I’d love to know how you handle cover crops and inter cropping specifically.
I’m growing industrial hemp. Because of such a wet end to last year, I have late oats in the ground with lots of winter annuals (not the kind I would plant). I’m going to spray a compost tea late this week to try to help finish decomposing the corn stalks from last year and give the oats a boost.
Later this spring, can I cut the oats with a bush-hog or do I need to find a way to “lay them down” before planting?
We’re working on a home-made setter which is a tobacco carousel setter mounted on a roto-vator. We are removing all the tines on the roto-vator except the two that will be in front of the sword/blades of the setter which will open the soil to drop the plants into. We’re hoping for minimal soil/microbe disturbance (only about 1 foot wide will be tilled and we’re hoping for a shallow till, just enough to get the plants deep enough in the ground).
But, I’m stressing. How will we manage the weeds? Last year the weeds were awful. I started the season working it like we would tobacco, raised beds, conventional till. Plants started dying. I thought it was because they didn’t like being cultivated. So, we mulched with wheat and oat straw. The straw sprouted. We put some under plastic, weeds were awful between the plastic. We ended up weed eating and push mowing to keep the weeds down. Tissue test said fusarium was the problem. I’ve been learning about biological, sustainable agriculture and I don’t want to go back to conventional tillage although I love “working the land”. It’s time to let the land work for me, right!?
What would you recommend to inter-crop with that won’t be a problem for the hemp and when would you put it out?
Hi Teresa, and welcome.
If you haven’t already done it, I suggest getting a soil test, find out what minerals your soil has/doesn’t have, and re-mineralize your soil accordingly to balance it out. This is a side of organic growing that I"m beginning to learn about (soil testing and minerals of the soil), and it’s very interesting. It might very much impact the weed issue, as well.
just my 2 cents
Great topic! Everyone that I’ve spoken with, even on a commercial level, is RAVING about their yield and quality going up with input Costa going down. Smart Pots, with all that oxygen to the roots, goes hand in hand with no till/ organic gardening in general. If you are commercial or home grower, get at me and I’ll help you source your Smart Pots for the best price.
