No Till Living Mulch

This is my first no till grow using a subcool type pre amended mix in 10 gallon smart pots. I have had a difficult time locating any suitable shredded bark as a mulch at this time of the year so I opted for a living mulch cover crop consisting of Buckwheat, Barley, Alfalfa, Lentil and Fenugreek. From what I have researched, the living mulch will assist microbial development and once it has died back and mulched into the soil a, will assist in slightly lowering the ph and providing more fungal development. My plan was to cover the whole surface with something like Barley Straw once I go to flower. Here is a pic of my girls from seed at 35 days and cover crop planted 8 days ago. Any tips in this area would be greatly appreciated.

Canna-dian said:

This is my first no till grow using a subcool type pre amended mix in 10 gallon smart pots. I have had a difficult time locating any suitable shredded bark as a mulch at this time of the year so I opted for a living mulch cover crop consisting of Buckwheat, Barley, Alfalfa, Lentil and Fenugreek. From what I have researched, the living mulch will assist microbial development and once it has died back and mulched into the soil a, will assist in slightly lowering the ph and providing more fungal development. My plan was to cover the whole surface with something like Barley Straw once I go to flower. Here is a pic of my girls from seed at 35 days and cover crop planted 8 days ago. Any tips in this area would be greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

I can get straw at a livestock feed and supply store year round sold in either a bale or a garbage bag full of straw that has fallen off of the bales. the bagged straw is smaller in length than baled straw so mulching in smaller pots, like ten gallons works great. Plus the bag is easier to store than a bale and mine only costs $2.50. you might try checking your area for a place like that or a store that sells rabbits as pets. it's used for bedding for urban bunnies although it would be cheapest at a livestock supply. it doesn't need to be barley straw specifically either. in fact, i couldn't find a single store that knew what type of straw they had.

some of the cover crops you picked will grow very tall quickly. i wouldn't use the alfalfa as a cover crop but use the seed for a sprout tea. of the ones you picked, i've only gotten to use buckwheat. it stays pretty low to the ground and is easy to manage.

as time has gone buy, i've just whittled down the living mulch to just soley using straw because sometimes i feel like i am watering all the time because the cannabis is uptaking water and so is the living mulch. during stretch is when i notice it the most. So having a small ten gallon pot with a living mulch is going to mean a lot of hand watering. have you considered a fifteen gallon? they're just a little bit taller and about the same width of a ten gallon so it should fit in a similar space.

your mulch won't die back till mid flower because the plant stretches and shades out the mulch. if you want to use cover crop, i like to put down straw first, then add seeds on top of the straw. i take my fingers and shake the straw a bit to work the seeds down. they will sprout in the humid straw and root themselves into the soil. then when the seeds germinate, theres a nice thick layer of straw and cover crop. a lot of times, i would put out seeds but some areas wouldn't sprout leaving bare soil so i would add straw afterwards but it buried parts of my cover crop plants. so putting the straw down first and then casting seed onto the straw worked better so all the soil is covered.

Thanks thailer, appreciate your input. This is the first time I have used airpots so I already hear you on the watering frequency. I think 15 might be the way to go but will get a better feel once I complete this grow. Nice bud shots by the way!...Regards

Cover crop.
Not a mulch.
"Living mulch" would be more like "living soil". To move them.
IMO The term is incorrect. Something that was pushed here a few years back for some odd reason. Perhaps a hyper active personality looking for a claim.
That happens.


I like using 12 or 15 gallon pots. The 15's start getting a bit heavy if I decide to move them.


If youre top dressing, consider low till. Especially for nitrogen. Or get a proper mulch and bury it underneath.

I think one is better off just using a mulch like straw as thailer has mentioned. If one does wish to use a living mulch a low growing variety of clover is best, IMO.

Using straw will encourage fungal growth which is good for a living soil. As hh has alluded the term 'living soil' has been stretched to include what it is not. What it is not, is a certain mix. One cannot purchase living soil. Living soil becomes so as the life enters and flourishes in the soil.

I have learned over the years that an important component of this life is the plant [or plants] so one begins the life process when the plant is rooted. I agree that if one is growing no-till that a larger volume of soil is more viable.

Looks like things are growing good. Whatever you got going seems to be working well.
Mulch should decrease watering.


I do a cover just to get things flowing. Stoner science for sure. I'm training my soil to grow plants. Getting the right biological soup.

Not sure that makes sense, but why not?
I smother my cover crop with mulch.
I mix a lot of nutrients in my mulch. Use char, zeolite. Worm droppings, compost. Espoma.

I glue it all together with oatmeal.

Chunk it up.


Its basically soil. Well on its way to being soil.
Aeration is key to piling it on thick. Roots need air. Unfortunately shredded, fibrous material is gnat heaven. Its a bit of a balance.
Its not a dead mulch as compared to just rocks are even straw or bark to some degree, it has more life to it.

^they pretty much hit the nail on the head. Only thing I would add is to make sure and hit your cover crop with whatever ipm sprays youre using for your cannabis plant as well. Bugs like to hide out in a nice thick cover crop.

Thanks for all of your responses. I currently don't implement an IPM program as I always grow from seed and have been lucky enough to avoid any investations of any kind. With that said, I know it will happen and just a matter of when. Being an organic newbie, do most organic growers implement an IPM and in what form? Are we talking Neem and Karanja sprays? Any advice is always appreciated.

I have very few problems.
Had caterpillars destroy a couple of outside buds once. By that time it was too late to do anything.
In an attempt to hide it all, I was monicropping in a tight area.
If you interplant with flowering plants, the predators come naturally.

Plant rotation.
For me that problem never repeated itself.




Indoors, I used a fibrous mulch once and noticed gnats. Changed my mulch.

Occasionally, I like to move indoor pots outside. Saves your lights and pisses off the pests.