Organic Hemp Farmer eGuide (3 Part Series)

1)  Plant Diverse Cover Crops
​And Rotate Them 

Next level hemp farming begins with comprehending that mother nature never lets soil become bare. Newly developed soil microbes depend on plants, and soil health depends on the bio-diversity of the living soil microbes. How we manage plants is critical to not only restoring but also rebuilding the microbial health of the soil. Cultivating a diverse mix of healthy cover crops and other plants does many useful things for you, including:


• Rebuilding microbial populations and allowing composting worms and white springtail mites to break down organic matter in the soil, producing more carbon and nitrogen for the Soil Food Web.


• Protecting and covering the earth, regulating and maintaining its temperature during extreme hot or cold conditions


​• Allowing another level of security for your hemp plants to defend and fight off insect infestations


​We have found that the more attention to detail and diversity in the cover crop seed selection, the easier it is in the summer months for the hemp farmer. Diverse seed selection helps create the level of health the farmer needs to achieve by beginning to build a thriving microbial ecosystem. Here are the twelve best cover crops to use in conjunction with the hemp plant:

Cultivating a diverse variety of plants to the soil, the microbial population in the ground becomes more energetic and better able to fight off invasive diseases and pests.
Diversity also gives the plants access to more nutrients that were bound up in the soil and previously not bioavailable.

1.  Flax - Carter
2.  Clover - Yellow Sweet
3.  Clover - White Dutch
4.  Clover - Medium Red
5.  Clover - Crimson
6.  Lentils - Indianhead
7.  Millet - White Proso
8.  Vetch - Hairy
9.  Vetch - Common
10.  Cowpeas - Red Ripper
11.  Buckwheat - Mancan
12.  Pea - Forage

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