Crop rotation and cannabis

M

MedN00b

New Member
I was listening to a Jeff Lowenfels interview on KIS' podcast and it got me thinking about the issue of crop rotation and reusing soil. Both Jeff (author of teaming with microbes) and tad seem to be strong proponents of reusing the soil without break. As an organic market farmer this seems contrary to the principles of succession planting and crop rotations. How do you successfully grow in the same soil without issue of disease, pest incidences, nutrient depletion, etc. It's so contrary to everything I know and have practiced for years.

Crop rotation is standard practice for organic farming which is why I don't understand how cannabis can continually be grown in the same spot without issue.

This seems so foreign. Is there something that makes cannabis different from otherannual vegetable crops that allows this?
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
You're conflating agriculture (growing in a field in actual soil), with horticulture (growing in containers with a 'soiless' mix that you've constructed).

If you were growing canna in a field like your market garden veggies you would be absolutely correct about the crop rotation, but it just doesn't apply to a container mix that you can reamend as needed or, completely replace with entirely new mix.

My soil based raised beds are treated very different than stuff in containers with a soiless mix and is close to what you are talking about with the rotation, pests and so on.

Wet
 
Miyagismokes

Miyagismokes

Well-Known Member
Wetdog said:
You're conflating agriculture (growing in a field in actual soil), with horticulture (growing in containers with a 'soiless' mix that you've constructed).

If you were growing canna in a field like your market garden veggies you would be absolutely correct about the crop rotation, but it just doesn't apply to a container mix that you can reamend as needed or, completely replace with entirely new mix.

My soil based raised beds are treated very different than stuff in containers with a soiless mix and is close to what you are talking about with the rotation, pests and so on.

Wet
Click to expand...
That's not precisely the difference between agriculture and horticulture, horticulture doesn't imply not in soil.
Agriculture is applied horticulture.
MedN00b said:
Is there something that makes cannabis different from otherannual vegetable crops that allows this?
Click to expand...
Yeah, it doesn't fruit, ideally. We've bred her for flower production, so food crops aren't precisely comparable.

But as someone who reuses soil and grows organically, I amend each season. I use raised beds and fabric pots, though.
If there's a way to never amend, I'm all ears
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Like Wet brought up, reusing potting soil isn't the same as using a growing a high intensity crop in a field.

Although there a lot of cannabis growers that should be crop rotating and aren't. And given the inflated price of cannabis crops I wouldn't expect them to stop. You can do it! You just ruin the environment with all your phosphorus run off.
 
OPfarmer

OPfarmer

Well-Known Member
MedN00b said:
I was listening to a Jeff Lowenfels interview on KIS' podcast and it got me thinking about the issue of crop rotation and reusing soil. Both Jeff (author of teaming with microbes) and tad seem to be strong proponents of reusing the soil without break. As an organic market farmer this seems contrary to the principles of succession planting and crop rotations. How do you successfully grow in the same soil without issue of disease, pest incidences, nutrient depletion, etc. It's so contrary to everything I know and have practiced for years.

Crop rotation is standard practice for organic farming which is why I don't understand how cannabis can continually be grown in the same spot without issue.

This seems so foreign. Is there something that makes cannabis different from otherannual vegetable crops that allows this?
Click to expand...
I farm about 4 acres of organic vegetables. Yep crop rotation. I hear you.

Some crops actually do well growing on the rotting remains of the previous crop, as long as their was disease. I believe pot to be one of those crops, as wild hemp grows in dense stands year after year, slowly expanding the circle.

So I suppose if one composts all of the remains and adds them back in to the soil that help with nutrient balance. Me I grow pot in pots of soiless mix that I do not reuse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top