Should You Be Mulching Your Cannabis Plants for Microbes?

mulching marijuana plants

For many people, the idea of mulching their marijuana plants isn’t essential, and this is understandable. But this is mainly because people don’t know why mulching is such a great idea. After all, it improves the soil’s micro-life population and enables them to diversify. In fact, regarding some special type of fungus, you cannot help but mulch your cannabis plant.

There is always a constant battle happening in your soil in your growing containers between fungi and bacteria. These are two essential substances that powers plants. Think of fungi and bacteria as two peas in a pod, like the two best friends who always fight each other but love each other regardless.

They both battle for the resources within their territory, and each of them will always want to get a vital share of such resources. Giving fungi a place to thrive in your plant containers is a fantastic movie. The activities from fungi make it possible for things such as rock phosphate, potassium, and phosphorous to be readily available to the plants.

Additionally, other things like iron and sulfur, which are great for plant growth, will also bloom as the marijuana plant grows. Cannabis plants also prefer bacterial-dominated soil, but again, they need fungi to make it happen. So let’s learn more about these ideas and how it relates to mulching.

Mulching your marijuana plants with a tree bark

Yes, you can use just about any tree bark, but this doesn’t mean there are a few exceptions. For example, tree barks from walnut and cedar trees are not ideal for indoor planting or containers. The resin and terpenes in the cedar bark are too powerful for the plant, but you can also try cedar tree bark outdoors. Walnut barks, twigs, nuts, and leaves are not ideal because their pH levels are too high.

If you use the chunky bark method, it will be a fantastic mix primarily when used as a mulch at the top: it then attracts and is colonized by fungi. This is the same type of fungi that older growers refer to as "Leaf mold.”

These are highly beneficial fungi that also work well with phosphorous such that soon enough, you will see the benefits and impact it has on the plant, especially with the flowering and root mass.

With shredded bark used as a mulch on top, it will be an attractive option for the plant and enables both the bacteria and fungi to thrive harmoniously. But soon enough, bacteria take over the entire space. The bark buried in the soil mix is also dominated mainly by bacteria, and this is irrespective of its grade, how chunky it is, or if it is shredded.

This process is one of the beautiful ideas you should know when growing your cannabis plant. Have some chunky tree barks mulch at the top of the soil and create some space for some fungal micro life.

The top three mulching errors

Some cannabis growers shy away from mulching because they have tried doing it in the past, made some mistakes, and didn’t want to try again. Well, if you know the kind of errors to avoid, you can get right back to mulching again and get it right.

Gathering mulch from the outdoors for indoor plants is a wrong move. Please don’t get dried leaves or barks outside or around trees and bring them into your cannabis container. Several parasitic issues come with using random barks. You don’t know the kind of risks such barks pose to your fragile cannabis plant. Therefore the best thing to do is to compost them first before bringing them indoors.

Using heavy things as mulch is not ideal. Remember that sand or gravel will not help the mulching process and will instead negatively affect your soil by reducing its aeration.

Buying treated, dyed, or painted bark mulch will hurt your soil and plant. The only bark to use should be 100% organic and natural.

Smart tips for mulching marijuana

In addition to tree bark, you can use many other things to mulch your marijuana plant. For example, chopped marijuana plant stems are excellent for mulch, and listen; when you implement this idea, you will never want to try anything else.

It is also possible to recycle mulch whenever you recycle your soil to refresh and renew both substances. Barks, tree leaves, twigs from the outdoors will only be great after they are composted, and remember to add a bit of green matter to the mulch.

The shredded bark used as mulch also works well because it is chunky and can last for a long time (for the entire lifespan of the plant) before it decomposes. In most cases, shredded mulch is replaced only every 30 days, which is ideal for cultivators who are always busy.

If you have never worked with mulch, and you want to give it a try because you read this article, it will help if you apply a small alfalfa meal top covering below the mulch. If the mulch is composted, you have a better option: use it and don’t worry about the alfalfa meal idea.

Bottom Line

As a cannabis grower, you will learn more about how to grow your plants excellently while on the job. You will discover new ideas, try old ones and maybe change strategies when you find out something better, but one thing is sure: you’ve got to mulch your plants.

With mulching, you can prevent weeds in your cannabis garden, especially if you are an outdoor grower. Your marijuana plant is susceptible to weeds taking over the entire area if you don’t mulch, but you’ve got to know how to get it right, and that is the focus of this article.

The next time you want to mulch or when you are set to mulch for the first time, remember all you learned in this article and ensure that you get it right with mulching—cheers to growing fruitful, bountiful, and healthy marijuana crops.