Cannabis Conundrums......

An easy way to "mulch" your plants, especially helpful if like me, you fill your pots right up to the top. The shade cloth will greatly reduce the suns' and also the winds' ability to dry your soil out. I think the pictures tell the story, the cloth does not need to be exact, but if you are really keen, you could cut circles, the method is identical and probably more effective due to having the entire soil surface covered. Another bonus with having the shade cloth is that you can water the plants as normal, as obviously the water will pass through the holes in the shade cloth, and having the cloth also prevents the soil from being washed away or for holes/trenches/ruts to form if you are a bit heavy handed with the water volume or pressure. Pinning the cloth down with toothpicks/skewers/wire spikes/nails is actually quite important, especially if you live in a windy area, because if it not pinned down in some way, a gust of wind could lift/move the cloth and if your plants are really small, there is a chance they can be ripped out or have a broken stem due to the cloth flying away. And yes, I found out the hard way! It is also simple to pull out the pegs/spikes/toothpicks and access underneath the cloth if you want to add more soil, worm castings, or other top dressing further down the track once the soil sinks a bit. The shade cloth being synthetic will not cause a "nutrient draw down" as can occur when using straw as a mulch, as the soil microbes will rob the soil of some goodness while actively breaking down the straw. Adding a layer of manure under the straw can offset this "draw down" easily enough though. Also with straw, it can at times, form a type of dry crust that makes watering difficult and on the other hand, if kept too moist, can lead to unwanted pathogens/moulds/fungus establishing themselves in the straw mulch. Using lucerne/alfalfa is the best organic mulch as it has a high carbon/nitrogen ratio, high enough to offset any "draw down", but it is still prone to "crusting", particularly the fine chopped product that is often sold in bales. Obviously with the shade cloth there is virtually a zero chance of any moulds or fungus getting established. And finally, if washed and looked after, the shade cloth "mulch" can be used over and over again, making it very economical in the long run. If you are "guerrilla growing" this artificial mulch will greatly reduce the need for watering and if lightly covered with loose soil is virtually invisible, especially if you get the green or dark coloured shade cloth. Extending it a few feet around each plant or plot will further conserve even more water, meaning you won't have to visit as often, thereby lowering your chances of being seen as well. I find the shade cloth with around 75% shade reduction rating the ideal compromise between effectiveness and easy water penetration. Cheers, Organoman.