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A Beginner’s Guide to Hemp Farming

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Hemp farming is one of the most profitable ventures you can invest in. It is entirely legal to grow and sell hemp in the United States. It has already created a billion-dollar market and is predicted to grow massively.

After hemp’s legalization and the acknowledgment of its multitude of uses, it comes as no surprise that curiosity towards hemp farming has risen with the passing of the December 2018 Farm Bill

It does not matter if you decide to grow industrial hemp for its grain, fiber production, seeds, or CBD oils; the procedure you follow to produce it, right from seed to harvest, is the same.

The possibilities are still increasing massively as you learn more about this crop. You can cultivate it for several purposes, from food and nutritional applications to textiles, fuels, and plastic replacement. Industrial hemp impacts the agricultural industry and even touches the medical, pharmaceutical, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, and technology industries.

Why Should You Grow Hemp? 

Farmers are often restricted by the crops that grow in their planting regions. This can mean specific lucrative cash crops are out of reach. But if you invest in hemp, this issue will not emerge because hemp is an extremely robust crop. It can grow nearly anywhere, excluding extremely hot deserts or high, mountainous zones wherein large-scale agriculture does not take place anyway.

You can most probably grow industrial hemp at your farm effectively. Remember that hemp grows best in well-drained soil. So, it might mean a little additional work if your soil does not offer the perfect drainage.

A Versatile Option 

From paper and biodiesel fuel to health-promoting oil, you can turn hemp into a nearly endless supply of diverse products. There are more than 25,000 varied uses of hemp encompassing food, textiles, building supplies, skin care products, oils, and more. You can use each part of a hemp plant in some way, fashion, or shape.

This versatility can give you various options when it comes to making a profit from your hemp farming. You will be able to harvest diverse parts of the hemp plant to earn more from every harvest.

What Can You Do? 

For profitable farming, it is sensible that you get your soil tested before you cultivate the crop. Ensure that you test for potassium sulfate, elemental sulfur, and rock phosphate levels at the least. It is to ensure that these are not extremely high, which requires abating before you plant them.

If you want the most dependable readings, you should perform soil tests either by the end of autumn or early in spring. Moreover, the growing sequence for hemp is about 108 to 120 days. During this period, the growing conditions should remain relatively stable and constant. 

Sowing the Hemp Seeds 

Plowing the soil before you plant hemp seeds is vital. It is because there are no weed killers labeled yet for preparing the soil for implanting hemp. Create a firm, shallow bed to maintain consistency in seeding depths.  

It is best if you sow hemp seeds directly in the soil where these are to grow. It means you must not start them in pots and then transplant them into the ground as they outgrow their pots.

You must plan hemp seeds following the normal date of the final frost when soil temperatures are at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In most areas of the U.S., this happens between May and June.

This ensures that your seeds sprout and emerge quickly and grow into higher plants with better yield potential. 

Where do you Start? 

You should sow hemp seeds close together. It should be as close as four inches.

It will help if you plant seeds at a depth of nearly 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Try seeding in 15-inch to 30-inch rows, and it should be at a degree of 25 to 35 pounds per acre. 

After almost 90 to 100 days in the ground, the hemp plant’s head will be completely mature. Once the time comes, you will observe seed heads maturing and moving upward.

Once seed bracts have fully matured, they expose the seeds they possess, and it allows you to air dry them naturally. At this point, the plant is ready for harvest.

Hemp farming involves much hard work both in and out of the field. But the revenue margin can be enormous if you do it right.