by
Paul
BenhaimHemp
and
the
Soil
Sown end of March, fibre harvested end of August, preferably
dried the same day, harvesting seeds in September, why is hemp
so good for the soil? As with any crop, hemp is only as good as
the farmer growing it. From experience it seems that hemp does
not require much treatment by pesticides or herbicides. It can be,
and often is, grown organically. In fact, the demand for organic
hemp far outweighs the demand for conventionally grown hemp.
Hemp is a wonderful rotation crop for large farmers. It has
the ability to grow below the soil nearly as fast as it grows above
the soil. A fully matured hemp crop is likely to reach three to four
meters. The tap root of this plant is likely to be around one to two
meters. This means that the plant is able to draw previously
untouched nutrients to help it grow at such a speed. There are few
crops in existence that are as fast growing. Pair this with the fact
that the leaves of the hemp plants have yet to find an industrial
use (expect as tea and pillow stuffing in Germany and
Switzerland, rather niche markets). Now, consider the effect of all
the nutrients creating a top soil, a new earth by the falling of such
leaves throughout the growth period at harvesting. The speed at
which densely sown hemp creates a canopy coupled with the
speed of growth insures that very few other ‘weeds’ can grow and
attack the plant. This results in approximately zero amounts of
insecticides being required. Hemp and the soil – what a team.
Who
Can
Grow
It?
As stated, any farmer who can adhere to the conditions laid out for
a government approved license can grow hemp. Not cowboys, but
farmers. In the UK the diminishing popularity of cattle farmers has
led to a growing interest in hemp. In Australia, cotton growers and
sugar cane producers are looking for an alternative to crops that
are proving to literally starve the soil of nutrients. These crops