Cannabis Companion Planting: Marigold

Miguel Antonio Ordoñez

Freelance Cannabis Journalist

Miguel Antonio Ordoñez

June 13, 2019

Marijuana hobbyists are an innovative bunch, constantly reaching for new thresholds of plant-based perfection in terms of medicinal effectiveness and recreational potency.

Certain strategies employed by growers to obtain maximum yield, optimum potency, and plant health include encouraging the fungal growth of mycorrhizae in the soil to increase plant nutrient absorption, a variety of pruning and training methods and many techniques of defying insect intruders and male plants entering the growing environment. Another extremely useful and effective method, which we will cover today, is companion planting.

BRIEFLY, WHAT IS COMPANION PLANTING?

A method that can make the often more difficult task of outdoor growing somewhat easier. Ultimately, companion planting is a gardening technique that utilises certain synergistic occurrences within nature; the partnership between specific plants helps to increase factors such as pest resilience and enhanced growth. You can read our full explanation of what companion planting is in our more in-depth guide.

MARIGOLD: GREAT FOR CANNABIS COMPANION PLANTING

One such companion plant that works particularly well with cannabis is the marigold. Marigold is an incredibly versatile plant that will thrive and survive in many different soil conditions and can tolerate relative amounts of shade and heat intensity. Marigold is an annual herb that is native to southern Europe and reaches a height of around 30-50cm tall. Once they have settled into their growing environments, they tend to grow at a rapid speed with little need for attention.

Marigolds sport a bright, sunny orange glow that will light up any garden with beauty. However, this feature spans far past mere aesthetics. The bright colour of this flirtatious flower, along with its potent fragrance makes them extremely appealing to roaming pests. For this reason they can serve as a natural protective barrier in your cannabis garden, drawing in hungry insects and keeping them away from your precious marijuana buds. Marigold will successfully deter beetles, beet leaf hoppers, Mexican bean beetles, and nematodes.

Cannabis harbours natural insect repelling qualities and has even been used as a companion crop itself. Dried leaves and flowers, as well as extracts, have been shown to deter insects, nematodes, fungi and disruptive weedy plants, as well as bacteria and protozoa. Plus, cannabinoids have even been shown to prevent and kill bacteria, fungi, and insects. Although cannabis is a hardcore and often sturdy plant, pairing it with marigold in a companion planting will only enhance its ability to defend against environmental threats.

A chemical exists within the roots of French marigolds, that is so potent, it can act as an effective pesticide, even for long periods after the plants have been removed or died off. Mexican marigolds produce an even stronger type of this chemical. However, it may inhibit the growth of some herbs.

That said, marigold can serve as a revolutionary ally in the gardens of organic marijuana growers, which wish to refrain from applying chemical pesticides to their beloved herb. Such nefarious chemicals are raising concerns over their safety for the environment as a whole, as well as human health. They most certainly have no place on cannabis if you plan of inhaling the smoke of the plant.

When companion planting using marigold, consider creating an outer protective layer of the plant around your cannabis bed, place them fairly close to your weed, but not so much so that they start to compete for space within the soil. However, utilising the power of marigolds is not only limited to outdoor growing. It can also be sowed in the pots of indoor plants to act as a living sheet of mulch that acts to defend against pests.