Farming Hemp for CBD Production
However, that projection can’t be realized when there is a limited production of CBD. To meet the increasing demand for CBD, having high-quality hemp genetics grown from seed will be crucial. There needs to be full consideration of all the different factors from sowing seeds to managing plant growth, harvesting and product preparation.
In this article, we’re going to cover everything about how you can grow hemp to produce the maximum amount of CBD for your effort. We’ll mostly focus on the commercial aspects of hemp, but much of this information will also be useful to people who want to cultivate hemp at home. Hemp and CBD are becoming competitive industries, so having the right strategy to help you succeed is more essential than ever. If you don’t believe it, just check out the chart below showing the explosive rise of popularity in CBD, even compared to the popularity of cannabis and THC. This industry is expanding incredibly rapidly and knowing all facets of how this plant is grown and processed will help you be a better producer and consumer of hemp and CBD products.
What is Hemp?
Some farmers deal with the problem of sexing plants by purchasing feminized clones or seeds, however, these plants can often be more prone to producing self-pollinating hermaphrodites than non-feminized seeds. Clones also typically yield less at the end of a season than seed grown plants. The tried and true method of growing non-feminized seeds, combined with DNA testing to identify plant sex at the seedling stage, provides an optimum balance and the most efficient modern farming solution. |
Growing Hemp
On the contrary, if low-cost land and water are readily available you may want to opt for a multi-acre outdoor field that can be more easily managed with large farming equipment. There are many more considerations to take into account when designing an industrial hemp production facility, so consulting with an expert before investing in any large endeavour is always recommended.
Conditions Necessary for Growing Hemp
Hemp does well with:
- A warm climate
- Soil or growing medium with good drainage capabilities
- Sufficient water and light
Hemp plants don’t require a consistently moist soil environment, watering is really only needed when the soil appears to start drying up. Overwatering can actually lead to root rot, mold, fungus gnats and other problems. Hemp roots tend to stay shallow in the soil and grow outward after reaching a depth of a couple feet, so soaking too deep shouldn’t have too much of a positive benefit either.
When planting and growing hemp seeds they should be immersed and covered in the soil. Transplanting should only be done a minimal amount of times to most effectively manage your entire growing operation. Transplanting shocks your plants, so doing it too often will slow growth and lower your yields. Instead, try to only transplant a maximum of once, when moving the seedlings from the early vegetative stage to their final rooting location. Transplanting once still allows you to keep young plants in small pots that can easily be moved around and cared for; then, after determining each plants sex it can be moved to a larger container or the ground where the roots will grow freely for the remainder of the plants life.
Is Farming Hemp for CBD Profitable?
To answer the question, yes. Hemp and CBD have a multitude of uses. Regardless of whether it’s sold in oil form, isolate, vape pens, tinctures, edibles or whatever. After harvesting hemp you can process in a variety of ways to either preserve the raw flower or extract the CBD and other cannabinoids and terpenes. |
Hemp also has the benefit that the byproducts such as seeds and stalk material can be sold for a profit. The fibrous stalks can be used for many purposes ranging from creating a concrete like building material called hempcrete to making paper or creating high tensile strength fibers that can be used to create an entire airplane! |
Frequent Concerns Among Hemp Farmers
Secondly, differentiating between male and female hemp plants can be one of the most time and resource consuming tasks to do – with severe consequences if not done properly. This is especially true when a grower wants to harvest hemp for CBD production because roughly half of all non-feminized seeds are going to be male. Waiting up to two months to identify plant gender can limit the overall productivity of a farm by not maximizing space and time used to maintain desirable female plants. Further, waiting to visually inspect plants actively costs resources such as water, electricity, labor, nutrients and pest control. Using a DNA testing service like Delta Leaf can eliminate the worry about identifying male plants and make growing hemp from seed more efficient than other methods.
Lastly, now that growing hemp is legal across the US, there can sometimes be stiff competition when it comes to selling the final CBD products. However, this is a rare case as the demand to consume CBD-related products from hemp has been nothing but exploding. Whether you decide to sell your harvested hemp flower to a specialized product manufacturer or embark on your own extraction and product development journey, it’s still early and a great time to join the industry.
In closing, CBD is a popular new supplement that is getting huge attention across the world. Getting ahead of the curve is never easy, but there will clearly be many unforeseen opportunities in the hemp and CBD industry for the pioneers who are clever enough to figure it out. Feel free to reach out to us here at Delta Leaf if you think we might be able to help you get started on your own hemp growing venture.
List Of Common Hemp Varieties
CultivarAntal KC Dora Futura 75 Felina 32 Monoica Tisza Kompolti Hybrid TC Santhica 27 Santhica 70 Silvana KC Virtus KC Zuzana Fedora 17 Tiborszallasi Secuieni Jubileu Zenit USO 31 Dacia Secuini Ratza Bialobrzeskie Carmagnola Fibranova Eletta Campana Carmaleonte Beniko Tygra Wojko Helena Gliana Zolotoniski 15 Glesia Uniko-B Fibrol Ferimon | Primary UseCBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD Seed/Grain Seed/Grain Seed/Grain Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd CBD Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Fiber/Hurd Oil Oil Fiber/Hurd | Other UseSeed/Grain Fiber/Hurd Seed/Grain Fiber/Hurd Seed/Grain Grain | ReproductionDioecious Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Hybrid Hybrid Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Hybrid Monoecious Monoecious Dioecious Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Dioecious Dioecious Dioecious Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Dioecious Monoecious Monoecious Monoecious Hybrid Monoecious Monoecious |
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