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Thread: Sunn Hemp

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
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    Sullivan\'s Island
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    12,863

    Default Sunn Hemp

    I've mentioned Sunn hemp on here several times so I figured I'd post some picts for newb hobby farmers such as myself. A seed company pushed it when I was looking for some other stuff. I gave it a try and loved how it did. It's a high protein forage plant that fixes nitrogen and leaves a lot of compost for soil. It also supposedly leaves some chemicals in the soils that are antagonistic to pigweed. The deer like it but can't keep up with it and over browse it. It will shade out everything else if it gets a head start. I have been planting it on a powerline right of way as a visual buffer to deter night hunters/road shooters. It grows to around 8' tall. It's an annual variety of crotalaria (crotalaria juncea) but won't produce seeds in our climate so it won't volunteer and become a noxious weed. I find the leaves pretty tender and tasty and have even considered trying it in a salad. It gets tougher when it matures and the deer don't browse it as much but I have seen them eating full grown plants in early Fall. It dies after the first frost but the stalks will stay standing to keep blocking the view from the road.

    Sunn hemp.jpg
    deer hemp.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Florence, SC
    Posts
    2,575

    Default

    I see the deer have found it. Looks good

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    SC
    Posts
    7,444

    Default

    Looks good. I’ve been using some of it the last 2 years mixed in my beans to give them something to climb
    .
    80-20 Genaration

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    SC
    Posts
    24,410

    Default

    Might need to leave an opening in the middle.......so the Sheriff's helicopter can land to inspect.

    Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Catdaddy; 06-10-2019 at 09:01 AM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    11,018

    Default

    Good gracious that is a great stand!

    I drilled one half of what you planted but it was real hemp. It was a CBD variety we were trying.

    The heat and the deer massacred it!

    Not all that surprising. the last time we planted sun hemp close to it, and about what you have in the pic it made it not quite as tall as your pic. The deer found it and it was gone in short order.

    Everyone told me it could take deer browse.

    It couldn't take the browse we had. We have pulled a lot of doe out of that block since then.
    Yup, he's crazy...


    like a fox. The dude may be coming in a little too hard and crazy but 90% of everything he says is correct.

    Sort of like Toof. But way smarter.
    ~Scatter Shot

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Lexington County
    Posts
    5,230

    Default

    Looks great!

    Did you broadcast or plant with a drill?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
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    Sullivan\'s Island
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    12,863

    Default

    I drilled it. I can't get my drill to put it out at less than 50 lbs./acre.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    8,197

    Default

    I think I would hold off on the whole salad idea. Hancock seed says it is toxic to humans. They could be wrong and I wouldn't know the difference, but just in case.
    "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12

    "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Posts
    2,613

    Default

    Thanks for posting. I saw some at the feed store Saturday and became intrigued but have not yet looked into it.

    What seed depth are you planting? Is broadcasting and dragging a possibility?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Camden, SC
    Posts
    811

    Default

    I have been considering planting some of this and I appreciate your review. I will give it a shot as it seems like deer will like the cover it provides as well as the forage.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Sullivan\'s Island
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    Default

    I try to plant it pretty shallow but it doesn't seem too picky. I've never tried broadcast and cover but I think it would work fine.

    On the point about cover, last year, I left some "islands" of it standing when I mowed in late summer and then planted a brassicas, oats, clover blend. You could tell by the paths that they seemed to like having a little cover in the field. It would be great for making a visual barrier at the edge of a small peripheral field near a big field to get them to stage early in the evenings.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Banks of the Wateree
    Posts
    41,924

    Default

    Hancock probably just isn't cool.

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