By Noah Chen
Farmers looking to grow hemp will need to to answer the question, “How many hemp plants do I plant per acre?” Hemp is grown without much water and nutrients, but the purpose it is grown for determines how many hemp plants you can sow in a field.
Picking your purpose with hemp plants
Deciding how you’ll process your hemp is one of the earliest decisions to make as a hemp farmer. The CBD market is blossoming in the US right now, and hemp farmers are working hard to meet the growing demand. Most hemp in the US is grown for CBD or CBG because they are the most profitable uses of the plant. However, it is also more risky and labor intensive. When grown for CBD or CBG, expect to fit anywhere from 1,000-2,500 plants per acre.
Industrial hemp is easier to grow, but will bring in less profits. Industrial hemp will grow much closer together than its counterpart, since you’re not looking to give the plants room to flower. One acre can successfully hold up to 400,000 plants.
Hemp plants for CBD or CBG
Growing for CBD or CBG is all about the hemp flower. The number one thing the plants need is full access to the sun. For the hemp plant to get unfettered access to sunlight, look after CBD or CBG hemp plants individually. Give them enough room by planting them several feet away from each other.
Knowing the expected size of the strain your planting also helps determine spacing. Space hemp plants that grow to around three feet wide about four feet apart. Five-foot-wide plants belong as far as six feet apart, etc.
Bigger plants don’t necessarily mean more CBD or CBG. It’s all about the number of flowers and the average percentage of CBD in each plant. Testing a single plant by calculating the CBD in its flowers can give you a rough estimate of what the entire crop will yield.
Planting industrial hemp plants
While the flower is the prettiest part of a hemp plant, it’s not the only useful one when it comes to the hemp industry. Hemp fibers, stalks, and seeds can all transform into a variety of products. While industrial hemp brings in less dollars per acre, there’s a lower risk of THC levels getting too high since you’re not growing the plants specifically for CBD extraction.
Plant industrial hemp close together, with no more than four inches between each seed. It’s recommended to use about 300 seeds per square meter of land. Sowing the seeds close together ensures the plants will grow up skinny with long stalks. That’s perfect for harvesting a crop of industrialized hemp.
Stay informed on hemp farming developments
Hemp is a newer industry that continues to grow and change. Farmers are still trying to figure out the best ways to safely grow and process hemp, but you don’t have to experiment alone. The knowledge and expertise of the team at Arbor Vita8 can help guide you. From seed to sale, we offer a variety of resources and services to make hemp farming a more successful experience. With our vetted seed and seedling selection or our preferred list of manufacturers, we can help you the entire way through. Our drying, processing, and extraction equipment is also second to none. Learn more about how we can help you, contact us today.
