The New Season Starts Now: Sowing Hemp at Zenon’s Hemp Farm in 2024
This season is special for us at Zenon Hemp Farm - this year we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of growing fiber hemp. Over the years, we have had many different experiences and challenges that we have managed to overcome. Yet we continue our work with great enthusiasm and motivation because we believe that this culture of the present and future will gain even greater importance and bring even greater benefits to our environment and people.
When is the best time to sow hemp?
Fiber hemp is sown from April to May, depending on the climate zone and weather conditions. The most common sowing date in our climate zone is the beginning of May. Still, we must acknowledge that the changing climate is changing the planting habits of various crops, including hemp.
We farmers must be omniscients and weather forecasters. The better we can predict weather conditions, notice natural signs, and assess the situation, the greater our chances of obtaining better crops.
What preparations should be made to get a good harvest?
Preparing the soil for sowing hemp
Soil research and analysis
Before planting, run a soil test. This analysis determines nutrient deficiencies and pH levels. The optimal pH of hemp soil is between 6.0 and 7.5. Based on the results, the soil can and should be adjusted accordingly.
Soil cultivation and preparation for sowing
Tilling the soil helps introduce oxygen, thus aerating the soil and controlling weed growth. Before sowing, the soil must be loose and not too wet. Loose soil and enough water will allow the seeds to germinate faster.
Fertilizing the soil with natural organic fertilizers
Organic farm status requires meeting strict requirements to ensure that hemp is grown without artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
Therefore, on our farm, we fertilize it only with natural organic fertilizers, thus saving and protecting not only the environment but also producing the healthiest and most human-friendly final product: hemp flowers, hemp tea, hemp seed oil, and CBD oil.
Video from Eco Zenon's Hemp Farm. Fertilizing the soil with organic fertilizers.
Choosing the cannabis seeds carefully
This is one of the most important choices for getting a good cannabis harvest. There are several important parameters to consider when picking hemp seeds:
- Choose those seeds that suit the conditions of our climate and soil;
- Choose seeds according to the main purpose of cultivation:
- hemp fiber
- hemp flowers and leaves and the production of CBD oil
- hemp seeds and hemp seed oil.
- Choose seeds from certified sellers.
At Zenon's Hemp Farm, we pay great attention to the quality of seeds and buy only from certified European farms. Our most common choice is the seeds of Felina, Futura, Finola, Kompolti, and Dioice hemp varieties, because those varieties of hemp plants and flowers accumulate the largest amounts of CBD.
How long does hemp grow?
Hemp is a fast-growing plant with a growth cycle of 90-120 days, depending on the variety and growing conditions. Therefore, after sowing hemp in late spring, we will be able to maintain the harvest in early autumn. The main stages of growth of a cannabis plant:
Seed germination takes up to 10 days
Vegetative phase 10 - 60 days
This is the period between germination and flowering. During this time, the cannabis plant is rapidly developing and preparing to flower. Therefore, during the growing season, the plant's goal is to grow a strong and healthy plant structure: stems, leaves, and especially the root, through which it absorbs nutrients from the soil.
The plant produces many large, fan-shaped leaves. These leaves are essential for photosynthesis, the process by which a plant converts light into energy. During the growing season, cannabis plants need a lot of light. The energy produced during photosynthesis is stored in plant tissues and used for growth and development.
Flowering period 60-90 days
This is the time when the cannabis plant begins to form flowers, also known as buds. This stage is triggered by changes in the light cycle, especially the shortening of daylight hours, and the plant focuses on reproductive growth. Cannabis flowers begin to develop trichomes, tiny glandular structures that produce resin. This resin contains cannabinoids (such as CBD), terpenes, and other compounds.
Cannabis plants can be male, female, or hermaphroditic. Female plants produce the desired flowers, and male plants produce pollen. To extract as much CBD as possible, the male plants are usually removed to prevent pollination and seed formation of the female plants.
Nowadays is it available to buy only female seeds, so there's a small chance you'll find male plants or hermaphrodites.
You can read about female and male cannabis plants in the article "Female vs Male Hemp Plants. Or how to grow a good Hemp Crop?"
Harvest
Depending on the use of the hemp, harvest times vary. For fiber, hemp is typically harvested 70-90 days after planting. Approximately 100-120 days for seeds and 90-120 days for CBD.
The main goal of Zenon's Hemp Farm is to obtain the highest possible CBD yield, which is why the moment of harvest is a critical moment. How to know when is it time? Read our other article “Where’s the super power of hemp?”
Environmental benefits of growing hemp?
1. Carbon dioxide absorption
Hemp plants are extremely efficient carbon sequesters, sequestering more CO2 per hectare than most trees, making hemp farming a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. Hemp can absorb up to 15 tons of CO2 per hectare, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of agricultural activities. Thus, growing hemp is beneficial not only because of the beneficial properties of the plant, but also as a way to mitigate global warming and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Improving the condition of the soil
The hemp plant is unique as it is not only able to protect itself, but also creates favorable conditions for growth and further development and reproduction.
Hemp's deep root system helps aerate the soil and protects it from erosion. Hemp cultivation also contributes to the removal of toxins from the soil - called phytoremediation. It is a process during which plants remove pollutants from the soil by decomposing them or accumulating them in their roots, stems, or leaves, stimulating the activity of microorganisms that decompose substances.
The hemp plant is also able to produce natural pesticides that protect the plant from pests without the use of synthetic agents. This makes it possible to have healthier soil and plants, as well as products made from them.
3. Saving water
Hemp plants require much less water compared to other industrial crops such as cotton. This water absorption efficiency makes hemp cultivation suitable for water-scarce regions. Hemp's ability to grow with minimal irrigation minimizes the use of freshwater resources.
4. Promotion of biodiversity
Hemp cultivation promotes the biodiversity of many species of insects and birds. The plant's dense leaves create a natural ecosystem suitable for wildlife to thrive and survive.
