This weekend, we started companion flower seeds for the upcoming plantings at Eagle Point. Every year, we save as many seeds as we can from our gardens (literally trash bags full) to be used the following year. These are a few extra steps that may seem small but have a big impact on the overall quality of our cannabis flower.

As with our cover crops, companion plantings offer a wide variety of benefits not only to soil composition and health but also to the plants themselves. Among the mix is a wide variety of sunflowers, marigolds, daisies, zinnias, dill, and calendula (some corn too for good measure!). These plants have been chosen for their specific beneficial properties and to increase diversity in our fields.

As cannabis farmers, we are mono-croppers, and we must try and minimize the effects of this on our environment and the quality of our soil. Luckily there are several tools at our disposal. Primarily is cover-cropping, which we discussed in an earlier post, that introduces variety into our crop rotation which provides us with all of the benefits of increased organic matter, reduced compaction, and greater overall nutrient retention. We also try and migrate our gardens when we can to let our soil rest, but sadly because of permitting and compliance reasons, we are not able to do this as freely as we’d like.

Secondly is the use of ruminant grazing. This year it was cows, which adds a natural fertilizer to our gardens and increases the microbiological diversity of the soil. Not only does rotational grazing benefit our particular patch of land, but across the property they help to eliminate invasive grasses and promote the abundance of native plant species by giving them a leg-up against other plant species that might choke them out. This leads to greater biodiversity and more opportunities to support overall pollinator populations.

*Our steers enjoying the grass a few years back up on Spyrock.*

Then lastly, the reason for the season (or this post mainly), is companion plantings. These specific plants lend unique properties to our gardens and also help cut back on the redundancy of row after row of big beautiful cannabis buds and help us to fight off nasty pests that would traditionally be blasted with chemical and systemic pesticides under traditional farming methods.

Marigold- These are some of the most incredible plants in the garden! Marigolds emit a very pungent smell (from the terpene limonene!) that deters pests, like white flies and aphids, away on the spot! Not only that but their smell actively attracts beneficial insects, like lacewings, ladybugs, and hoverflies, that feast on common cannabis pests. These beautiful flowers are nature's IPM for cannabis plants. Like all flowers, they attract pollinators and help support native bee and butterfly populations that are imperative to our environment.

Below ground Marigolds act as a biofumigant, releasing natural compounds that can suppress soil-borne pests and diseases by producing an allelochemical called Alpha-Terthienyl. Marigolds also act as a trap plant, beckoning pests to the plant and then subsequently disrupting their normal functions.

Selfishly we also like growing marigolds to use alternately as dye compounds and garland decorations :)

*Pollinators in action! Marigold in or garden last year.*

Calendula- Calendula is a part of the Marigold family and acts in a similar manner to the Marigold plant, exhibiting the same anti-pest benefits by acting as a trap plant.

It is also a powerful edible medicinal herb that we typically like to infuse with our home-grown olive oil for salves and balms or to sprinkle on salads.

Zinnia- Zinnias have the same benefits as Marigolds and Calendula. They act as a trap plant for many of the same pests and tend to cover the bases where the other two might not. They are very colorful and come in a rainbow of shades that likewise attract a plethora of different pollinators.

Sunflower- Sunflowers are literal beacons to pollinators. They stand high and tall and grow in many bright flashy colors that attract many native birds, bees, and butterflies. All of these little buddies help to lend to a diverse and resilient environment for our cannabis plants to flourish. Sunflowers also help promote the growth of Mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi are beneficial fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of other plants and are essentially one of the “living” parts of living soil.

Sunflowers also help with weed suppression, which can be tricky to combat with the way we farm (row cropping in native soil, while trying to co-exist with the natural habitat we are blessed to foster). Besides their stature which naturally out-competes weeds, they are known to release allelopathic chemicals from their roots that naturally suppress weed growth.

Daisy- Daisies help with weed suppression as they naturally form networks like a blanket across the soil and lend to- you guessed it!- attracting pollinators.

Dill- Dill works much in the same way as Marigolds, Calendula, and Zinnias in deterring pests and attracting beneficial insects through its pungent small. It is also a natural biofumigant and releases compounds into the soil that fight soilborne disease, exactly in the same way as discussed in the plants above.

And believe it or not, Dill also does its part to attract pollinators! Dill produces large but dainty flowers that are a host plant for Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars.

*Swallowtail caterpillar making home last year on a dill plant in our garden!*

Corn- Why corn you say? Mainly because it is a versatile crop that is important to my ancestry, fun to grow and harvest, beautiful to behold, and a natural carbon sink. Corn is crazy effective in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, and in this climate, we take what we can get!

All of these plants work in cohesion to create an environment that is favorable to growing “clean” cannabis products.

FLORAL COMPANION PLANTINGS

420 ON SPY ROCK ROAD