Sterilization is crucial in the production of hemp seeds to prevent the growth of new plants. Besides, it maintains the plant in only one generation. Most of the time, the process involves the use of legal hemp seeds with little to no concentration of THC. If you want to grow sterilized hemp seeds, you should consider your state government regulations.
The plant produces many seeds with high protein content and provides a landscape with beautiful vegetation. You can plant them in containers or on the ground alongside other ornamental plants. The plants are excellent in competition with weeds.
Carry out a pH test on the soil before planting. Hemp plant requires a pH between 5 and 7.5. To carry out the test, dig a six-inch deep hole, collect the soil sample, and send it to the soil testing lab near you. Once you obtain the results, add lime for acidic soils or sulfur for alkaline soils.
A process on How to Grow Sterilized Hemp Seeds
Requirements
- Tiller
- Compost
- pH test on your soil
- Shovel
- Lime
- Sulfur
- Sand
- Fertilizer
Instructions
Below is the process of growing sterilized hemp seeds
Step 1: Soil Testing
Firstly, carry out a soil test on the planting site.
Step 2: Drainage
After that, check the drainage of the soil. Hemp seeds have high sensitivity to saturated soils. Besides, they fail to do well in compacted soils. Test the drainage by taking a handful of the soil and squeezing it. If the soil releases droplets, it has a lot of moisture. If it breaks into clumps, it is too dry. Soil with adequate draining should be malleable on your hand. You can incorporate the compost and sand in the ratio of 1:1 in the waterlogged soil. In well-drained soils, the taproot penetrates to a depth of 15-30cm.
Step 3: Clearing Vegetation
Then, eliminate any vegetation on the site. Other plants compete for resources such as moisture, nutrients, and light with the hemp seeds. Use a herbicide to kill grass and weeds.
Step 4: Preparation
Use a tiller to prepare the planting site. Use a soil thermometer to ensure that the soil attains at least temperatures of between 41 and 46 degrees—Scatter 250-400 seeds over a square meter of the planting area. Use a rake to cover the bases.
They require light coverage with around one inch of the soil. If you cover the seeds with more soil, they emerge at different times. Some may even fail to germinate since they exhaust the food reserves before they reach the ground level.
Step 5: Irrigation
Carry out thorough watering of the planting site. Ensure you feed the plants with at least an inch of water every week. If the conditions are optimal, hemp seeds emerge faster and will reach a height of 12 inches before the fourth week after planting. At that height, it covers up to 90 percent of the ground, which suppresses the growth of weeds.
Step 6: Fertilizer Application
Every spring season, ensure you apply an NPK fertilizer with the ratio 4:12:8. Besides, carry out a soil pH test every year to ensure that there is no change in the pH range. It is a common occurrence, especially when you add compost to the site.
When you are planting the seeds, examine to see whether there are some with damages or discoloration, and remove them. Another important thing is that you should adhere to all legal requirements, including getting a permit before you grow hemp.
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