Using cannabis as a companion plant in your vegetable garden is a smart and natural way to protect your crop from pests and boost its nutrient content. Companion plants emit terpenes and other chemicals that repel or attract harmful pests and keep them away from your crop.
The right plants also improve soil quality and help fixate nutrients. This means the soil becomes more resistant to disease and pests.
Basil
Cannabis is one of the most popular plants to use as a companion plant in your vegetable garden. Not only does it have a number of health benefits, but it also helps to keep unwanted pests away. In addition to this, it provides an essential nutrient and helps to encourage high levels of resin production.
Companion planting is a technique used in permaculture which involves placing two different plants side by side for mutual benefit. These companion plants may provide shade, help with natural support, improve soil quality or prevent weeds.
The most common companion plants for cannabis are herbs, although other flowers can be used as well. Many herbs, including basil, are known for their pest fighting abilities, which can make growing a cannabis garden easier.
Some herbs, such as chrysanthemum, contain compounds called pyrethrins that kill insects and root nematodes. Others, like dill, repel spider mites and other garden pests.
Sweet basil is a great herb to grow in your vegetable garden, as it repels pests such as asparagus beetles. It also attracts pollinators to your garden, making it easier to produce healthy vegetables.
When you plant basil seeds, sow them in a large pot filled with well-draining soil. The seeds should sprout in about 20 days. Once they have true leaves, thin the seedlings to one plant in each pot. Move the seedlings to larger containers once they’re 6 inches tall.
Basil does best in moist, rich soil. Water deeply on a regular basis, and be sure to add mulch around the base of the plant. This will help to retain moisture and encourage fast, vigorous growth.
If you live in a climate where the summer sun is intense, give your basil plants six to eight hours of sunlight each day. It’s also a good idea to choose a location that receives morning and afternoon shade if you live in a warm climate.
When you’re ready to sow your basil seeds, sow them indoors about 6-8 weeks before the last frost in spring. Sow the seeds about 1/4 inch deep in a nutrient-rich seed starting mix or potting soil. Mist the seeds daily with water from a spray bottle or faucet and expect to see seedlings sprout in a few days.
Mint
When you are planning your vegetable garden, it is important to choose the right plants. Companion planting is a technique that involves growing plants that are compatible with each other and help each other flourish. Using companion plants in your vegetable garden will not only protect your plants from pests and diseases, but they will also improve the quality of your vegetables.
Mint is one of the best companion plants for a vegetable garden as it has several benefits to offer. In addition to its medicinal and flavorful properties, mint also helps keep pesky pests away from the other crops in your garden.
It can deter many of the pests that other plants in your garden are susceptible to such as carrot root fly and onion fly. It can also prevent the spread of aphids and spider mites.
Another benefit of mint is that it can help mask the scent of other plants in your garden, making them harder for pests to find. It can also repel predators like rodents and squirrels.
The aromatic oils in mint are especially good at deterring aphids and spider mites. They also work to deter flea beetles that like to chew through the leaves of brassicas (like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale).
As a bonus, mint is great for deterring hornworm caterpillars in tomatoes, which can help you avoid wasting precious time and energy trying to rid your tomato plant of these nasty insects.
Mint is a great companion plant for a variety of vegetable varieties, including bok choy and lettuce. It will protect these crops from aphids, which are notoriously bad for this vegetable. It will also help to ward off the cabbage moth and white cabbage looper, two common pests that attack a number of different types of brassicas.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are a great companion plant in your vegetable garden as they are not only pretty to look at, but also offer a number of benefits to other plants. They are a great source of pollinators, they can protect many other plants from weeds and pests, and their roots detoxify contaminated soil.
They are great companions for vegetables like beans and peas, as well as vining flowers and herbs. They help these plants by providing support, not competing with them for nutrients, and they are a natural source of nitrogen.
Another benefit of sunflowers is that they attract a variety of different pollinators, including bees and butterflies, which can be beneficial to your overall garden. In addition, they are a natural deterrent for pests and are known to repel certain kinds of ants and spiders.
You can grow sunflowers in your garden or in a container as a sunny accent. The best time to plant them is early spring or late summer, depending on the climate where you live.
Some varieties of sunflowers can be very large, with flower heads that are as big as a dining chair seat. They come in a variety of colors, including reddish-orange, yellow, and white.
They can be planted directly in the ground or in a container, and they are easy to grow. They will thrive in the same conditions as most other vegetables, though they do require a warm temperature and plenty of sunlight.
A few varieties of sunflowers are edible, and they are a good source of protein, iron, and vitamin E. They are delicious when steamed or chopped in salads. They can also be dried and ground into a powder or used as an herbal tea.
The seeds from sunflowers are also edible, and they can be roasted or fried to make a tasty snack. They are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants.
These benefits make sunflowers a wonderful companion for a number of other plants, including lettuces, snapdragons and daisies. You can plant these in partially shaded areas behind the tall sunflowers, and they will benefit from the shelter they provide.
Lavender
Lavender is a beautiful flower that can be used to add color and aroma to your garden. It is an easy plant to grow that requires very little care. However, it does need full sun and well-draining soil to thrive.
The most common type of lavender is the ” variety, which grows to 30 inches tall and produces large, fragrant flower spikes. This variety is a classic favorite for sachets, potpourri and decorative dried flowers.
Another popular variety is the ”, which is a classic choice for growing in the herb garden. Its slender stems support upright leaves that are oblong to tapered and attach directly at the base.
These foliage plants are very attractive and provide a great contrast to the delicate flowers of lavender. They also attract pollinators to the area, which helps your garden grow healthier.
Other easy-to-grow perennials that complement lavender include sedum, yarrow, and gaillardia. These native flowers bloom with burnt oranges and reds that create a unique color spectrum for your garden.
Yarrow is another low-growing perennial that loves hot, dry conditions. The small yellow blooms on this drought-tolerant flower complement the soft purple of lavender and keep your garden colorful for months.
Zinnia is another annual that can thrive in the same environment as lavender. It needs full sun and well-draining soil, but it doesn’t require much watering.
Its flowers are available in pink, white, and red, giving you a wide variety of colors to choose from. It is a versatile plant that blooms all summer and fall, keeping your garden bright even during the lavender’s off-season.
The ” variety of lavender can thrive in hot, humid climates. Its slender, silver-gray stems support upright leaves that are oblong and tapered.
This variety of lavender is a classic choice for growing in the garden. Its slender, silver-gray stalks support upright leaves that are oblong, tapered and attached directly at the base.
These foliage plants are very attractive and provide tan-colored foliage that contrasts nicely with the delicate flowers of lavender. They also attract bees and other pollinators to the area, which helps keep your garden healthy.
