Companion Plants for Cannabis: 5 Herbs That Help Your Grow
Chamomile, dill, basil, lavender and alfalfa can keep pests off your weed, bring in the good bugs and build better soil.
The best companion plants for cannabis include chamomile, dill, basil, lavender and alfalfa, which help keep pests away, draw in beneficial insects and improve the soil. Companion planting is a permaculture technique that supports healthy growth in plants, weed included, by growing other plants and herbs alongside your main crop to make it more efficient and productive. Chamomile and dill are two standouts thanks to their protective, insect-repelling qualities.
It's also worth thinking about cannabis pests and crop pairing if you want a healthy grow. Companion planting charts can help you figure out which plants help cannabis and which ones hold it back. Good plant care is still essential for a successful grow, and you can pair plants like lavender with your weed to take advantage of what they bring. When pests do show up, focus on prevention first and use natural treatments to get rid of them.
Beyond that, any garden needs the basics covered to grow healthy: the right soil, sun exposure, regular watering and feeding. When you mix plants in the same growing area, you get the perks of crop pairing, like natural pest protection and better soil. So companion planting and smart plant combos can be an effective way to grow sustainably and keep your plants healthy.
These herbs and flowers help cannabis grow more efficiently and productively.
Chamomile
Chamomile is a great defender against pests and whiteflies. It's best known for making calming tea, but chamomile is also a tough bodyguard for cannabis, especially early on. Besides keeping bugs away, it can give younger plants a nutritional boost.
Dill
Dill has strong protective qualities that make it an ideal defensive companion plant. It lures pests like caterpillars away from your cannabis, since they'd rather munch on dill than on other plants. It's also a strong repellent against insects, mites and aphids. And it's easy to plant.
Basil
Basil is another great companion plant for cannabis. Lots of gardeners believe basil improves the flavor of crops like tomatoes. With cannabis, some growers say it can boost terpene production, terpenes being the aromatic essential oils found in cannabis. Beyond that, it attracts insects that help your cannabis plant while driving off harmful ones like mosquitoes and whiteflies.
Lavender
Lavender comes in really handy in a cannabis grow. Fleas, ticks and mice can't stand the smell of lavender. Nectar-feeding insects, which are good news for a cannabis grow, love lavender and flock to it, and that helps your weed plants too. Plus, a lot of people enjoy it as a relaxing herb alongside cannabis.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is known for repelling lygus bugs, a pest that's particularly hard on cannabis plants. As a legume, alfalfa also helps balance nitrogen levels in the soil, which are key for any plant and especially cannabis, while storing iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, all very important nutrients.
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Why use companion planting with cannabis?
Companion planting can benefit your cannabis in several ways. First, the right mix of plants can improve soil quality and cut down on exposure to diseases and pests. Some plants that get along well with weed are chamomile, dill, lavender and rosemary, thanks to their protective, insect-repelling qualities.
On top of that, proper care is essential for a healthy cannabis plant. That means giving it the right amount of water, sunlight and nutrients, and keeping temperature and humidity in check in your growing environment.
In a vegetable garden, picking the right plant combos can boost soil fertility and prevent erosion. For example, carrots and tomatoes pair well: carrots help improve soil structure and prevent erosion, while tomatoes provide shade and protection from pests.
Finally, companion planting can help improve heavy clay soil, since the right plant combination can help hold moisture and improve soil aeration.
What are the benefits of companion plants in a grow?
Plants can do a lot for the other plants growing around them. Here are some of the most important benefits:
Pest protection: some plants have repellent or protective qualities that can help prevent or control pests that go after other plants in the same growing space.
Better soil: some plants improve soil quality by adding nutrients, fixing nitrogen in the soil or improving soil structure.
Erosion control: deep-rooted plants can help hold soil in place and prevent erosion.
Shade and shelter: some plants provide shade and protection from direct sun, which helps plants that don't handle direct light or extreme heat well.
Pollinator magnets: some plants attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, which can improve pollination for other plants in the same space (just keep in mind that for sinsemilla buds, you don't want your female cannabis plants pollinated).
Aromatherapy: some plants can make the growing space feel calmer and more relaxing, which can be good for the mental health of whoever works there.