Key Points of Industrial Hemp Cultivation Techniques and Management
In China, hemp cultivation must be carried out legally within the scope permitted by the state. If it is planted without the state's permission, that is illegal. Hemp is not only a medicinal herb, but also the raw material for a drug we often hear about, so the state needs to strictly control it. So how is hemp cultivated? Let us briefly take a look below.
1. Land preparation and fertilization
Hemp is suitable for planting in plots with fertile soil and good drainage and irrigation conditions. We should also note that the planting site is best sheltered from the wind, or has a windbreak. After choosing the planting site, plow the soil deeply, let the soil weather, wait until the soil thaws in spring, plow and level it again, and add sufficient farmyard manure to the soil as base fertilizer, then turn and mix it evenly.
2. Sowing and propagation
Hemp seeds generally can germinate at one or two degrees, while the seedling growth temperature is ten to fifteen degrees, and the optimal temperature for hemp growth is twenty-five to thirty degrees. To meet these conditions, we generally sow during the period from Qingming to Guyu each year. Sow the selected hemp seeds in rows with a row spacing of twenty cm, spread the seeds evenly, and then cover with a layer of fine soil to bury the seeds.
3. Cultivation management
After hemp seeds are sown, they generally need about ten days to emerge. When the seedlings grow to about ten-odd cm, that is, generally after one month, transplant them for final spacing, and thin the excess seedlings according to the principle of removing the weak and keeping the strong, ensuring thirty to forty thousand plants per mu. During thinning and evening out the seedlings, we should combine this with intertillage and weeding. Note that watering is not needed during this period unless the weather is extremely dry. During the rapid growth period of hemp, that is, at the beginning of summer, water appropriately to prevent drought, and of course also pay attention to drainage to avoid water accumulation in the field. Finally, carry out scientific topdressing, generally applying urea to promote hemp growth, or using soil and miscellaneous fertilizers, which also works very well.
4. Disease and pest control
Hemp actually has very few diseases; the greatest threat to its growth is actually pests. The main ones include longhorn beetles, corn borers, hemp flea beetles, small weevils, flower beetles, jute noctuid moths, and small measuring worms. These pests are all very common. For longhorn beetles, corn borers, and hemp flea beetles, we can use dimethoate for control; for small weevils, flower beetles, jute noctuid moths, and small measuring worms, trichlorfon can be used for control.
The cultivation method for hemp is actually very simple. The reason why hemp is rarely sold on the market is also due to the state's strict control over hemp. This is also an attitude of the state being responsible for us, so never plant it without authorization, otherwise the consequences are very serious.