Sunshine Hemp is only offering feminized regular full season and autoflower hemp stains that are cbd and cbg dominant and traditionally grown for bio-mass and smokable flower so the information provided focuses on these areas of hemp cultivation and harvesting.

It is important to understand the differences between industrial hemp and marijuana. Technically, industrial hemp and marijuana are from the same plant genus: cannabis. However, the genetics of industrial hemp and marijuana have evolved from different subspecies and there

are many significant chemical and physical differences. Both belong to the cannabis genus, yet industrial hemp is defined as the strains or varietals of the genus that contain less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC at a lower level on a dry weight basis. Among the different strains of hemp, some contain higher concentrations of CBD, CBG, CBN, which are the types we utilize for extraction and smokable products.

This varies with the location, strain, and photoperiod (daylength) of the season. Full-season hemp strains are a summer crop that generally will be farmed between late-May and early November in Florida. Auto flower hemp plants do not have a photoperiod and, therefore, can be grown during any season as long as the temperature does not go below freezing. However, they will perform best at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

Autoflower strains can flower under any light cycle and will progress through its life cycle regardless of the light-dark period. In contrast, regular full-season (photoperiod) plants generally need a 12-12 light-dark period to trigger the flowering cycle. Autoflowering plant life cycle starts when the seed germinates, and the post-germination life cycle of the majority of auto-flowering strains is 8–12 weeks total.

This is a complicated question for a quick answer. Hemp doesn’t need very high-quality soil, but it does need other conditions for optimal growth. Hemp is easiest to manage on flat fields with good drainage and irrigation system to provide a healthy supply of water and nutrients. We recommend raised beds with plastic mulch, drip tape, and plant spacing of 48” to 60” on center.  In Florida, the locations already being utilized for organic vegetable production are ideal for hemp production as the prior crop inputs and pesticides should not affect downstream testing of the harvested hemp biomass or flower. Before choosing a site, the prior land use should be researched to confirm, if possible, what type of pesticides and heavy metals have been used and soil test should be taken to confirm what is currently in the soil.

Autoflower strains can flower under any light cycle and will progress through its life cycle regardless of the light-dark period. In contrast, regular full-season (photoperiod) plants generally need a 12-12 light-dark period to trigger the flowering cycle. Autoflowering plant life cycle starts when the seed germinates, and the post-germination life cycle of the majority of auto-flowering strains is 8–12 weeks total.

For the Florida full-season summer crop planting time will generally be between late May and early November if using regular photoperiod strains.

It depends on the farming style. Large scale farming operations will have very little job impact since they are mostly machine-driven, but orchard-style or small-scale operations with limited equipment are very labor-intensive. During harvest if not mechanical, labor demand may require up to five people per acre and when cure drying even more.

Regular photoperiod hemp is a seasonal crop, and you’ll be harvesting it in the fall if you grow outdoors. It can be grown indoors year-round, especially if you are harvesting for cannabinoid extraction or smokable flower, however, the overhead cost is higher than outdoor.

Above all, look at your plants and start potency testing in week three of the flowering cycle and get weekly 3rd party testing once CBD/CBG reaches 7% or THC is at 0.2%. Growing environment and overly long flowering periods can spike the THC levels. Documented testing is a requirement of anyone purchasing strains from Sunshine Hemp and is vital to ensuring you have a compliant crop.

You are also going to play to the weather, as the harvest season coincides with the hurricane season. If you have the chance to harvest before a big storm comes in, do it, even if it may be a few days early. This will make drying your crop much easier and will lower the chance of mold/mildew.

This is the time when adequate labor is crucial. This is also the most critical part of your post-harvest business plan as time is of the essence when the plant potency and flower are ready to be harvested. A successful harvest will make or break your year.

The general rule of thumb for hang drying your crop is that you need about 20,000 square feet of drying space per acre of hemp biomass or for 3000 plants, you will need 15,000 square feet of barn drying space. This is calculated based on 1-1.5-pound dry weight plants. This method is labor-intensive and only works for a smaller size farm. Dehumidification and fans for air movement are needed to be successful and to avoid getting mold, fungus, and bacteria in that final drying stage.

Hanging plants upside down is a common practice, however, as the plants dry, the branches fold in and will trap moisture in the middle. Break off individual branches and hang them individually, not the whole plant. It takes more labor but reduces the risk of mold and mildew.

There are many new methods farmers are coming up with to properly dry their hemp biomass, including mobile units using 40’ containers with heaters and floor to ceiling air movement. If available in your area, we would recommend outsourcing the drying process to a facility with a large capacity drying and bagging system as it is essential to quickly dry the crop and stabilize it for storage and moving it to a processor.

It should be noted that drying too fast or too hot can damage the CBD potency and terpenes within the flower.

Harvesting for a cured smokable flower is the opposite of drying faster for biomass to extract. Curing is a slower process where temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees, and at 50 percent humidity for five days, then moisture is slowly lowered to 20% over the next 2 to 3 days. Machine and hand trimming of the flower will be required as well as specialized storage containers/bags.

We highly recommend having a contract with a manufacturing lab or broker in advance of starting your crop. The decision to presell or hold usually has more to do with financing needs and financial plans of both the farmers and the processors that may commission the crop.

Farmers doing rotational crops with vegetables would be the best candidates as they understand plasticulture and having access to trained agricultural labor. Also, fruit farmers will generally have the knowledge to care for hemp. In the near term, successful and responsible hemp farming should see hemp included as a rotational crop, both for its sustainable insertion into large scale agriculture, as well as for the nitrogen fixation and farm sanitation characteristics of hemp.