Sunn Hemp

[Baker]

Thanks Baker, I’m going to do some acreage in that mix this year and see how it turns out.
I just ordered a new seeder and will be itching to try it out this spring!
How did you do in the brush country??

BTW, I use a no till drill so adjust rates accordingly.

Heading back to ranch today. Heavy Sept/Oct rains have turned the ranch into a lush garden creating challenging hunting conditions. Got a couple 160 class bucks for friends but many of the upper end still missing. Hoping for holiday rut and change.

 

[DIY]

I found this abstract of a 2011 study done on weed control in sunn hemp and it's ability to suppress weed growth. Looks like a treatment of Prowl H20 preemergent (pendimethalin) won't be an issue for my summer blend (soybeans, cowpeas, sunn hemp, sunflowers).

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._hemp_and_its_ability_to_suppress_weed_growth

Sunn hemp is a tropical, herbaceous annual legume that has potential as a cover crop during the summer in temperate climates. Due to the recent increased interest in sunn hemp breeding and seed production for temperate climates, there is a need for weed control in sunn hemp production. No herbicide product currently on the market specifically identifies sunn hemp as a tolerant crop. The aims of this research were 1) to evaluate herbicides with the intent of identifying a herbicide program that can assure near weed free sunn hemp intended for seed harvest and 2) to demonstrate and quantify sunn hemp-weed suppression. Pre-emergence applied treatments consisted of pendimethalin alone, imazethapyr alone, and pendimethalin plus imazethapyr. Pendimethalin alone provided consistent effective weed control and maximum sunn hemp biomass, but when yellow nutsedge was present, imazethapyr was required for effective control and greater sunn hemp biomass. The combination of pendimethalin and imazethapyr was detrimental to sunn hemp biomass yield. Results also established that sunn hemp is tolerant of 2,4-DB applied post-emergence, but was not necessary for weed control in these studies because of the lack of broadleaf weed pressure. In a separate study with variable sunn hemp densities, weed biomass reductions of ≥50% were obtained with sunn hemp densities of only 20 to 50 plants m−2. This degree of weed suppression obtained from relatively modest sunn hemp densities is likely indicative of the ability of sunn hemp to grow faster and taller than other plants.

 

[meyerske]

Last June I planted a mix of Sunn Hemp, Sunflowers, Grain Sorghum and Buckwheat

View attachment 21883View attachment 21884

Much like Grandpa Rays Bird & Buck mix)

Zone 4b, sandy loam soil, planted in terminated rye, soil ph 5.8-6.3. 50# of Potash per acre, 80# gypsum per acre.

Got great growth (6-8’) and the deer browsed the sunn hemp hard over summer. Not so much the buckwheat. After first frost all buckwheat and sunn hemp self terminated. Plot was almost too thick to oversees with rye this fall. Grain Sorghum is still untouched.

I’m disappointed in the fall usage, going to soybeans next year...

Did the deer bed in it during fall?

 

[Sconnie]

There were a few beds. I planted a 2 acre strip that was 40’ wide. I’m guessing if you put a block in there would be more beds. Right now after a few ice storms there is still some cover (much more than switch grass or Sudan Sorghum. Sun flowers are picked clean, still some Sorghum heads left.

Overall I would recommend for a deer bed n’ breakfast!


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[yoderjac]

There were a few beds. I planted a 2 acre strip that was 40’ wide. I’m guessing if you put a block in there would be more beds. Right now after a few ice storms there is still some cover (much more than switch grass or Sudan Sorghum. Sun flowers are picked clean, still some Sorghum heads left.

Overall I would recommend for a deer bed n’ breakfast!


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Did you mow it for a second crop? You may be too far north.

 

[IkemanTx]

I'm a little late seeing this thread as it is hunting season down here. I am a big fan of sunn hemp. Last yr my mix was sunn hemp, cow peas, soybeans, sunflower and buckwheat. Plan to repeat this year.I'll be brief now but happy to elaborate later. I've experimented with letting it grow all summer and keeping it mowed. Both have benefits. Also planted it late in summer with great results.View attachment 22005View attachment 22006 on all the benefits I see from the hemp which include amazing drought resiliency , heat tolerance, grazing tolerance, trellis for peas and soil building qualities . I crimp it in Sept and follow with rye, and radishes.

Edit: never mind, I missed the mix list you already posted.

Could sun hemp be used as a pre-curser to establishing native prairie mixes? It seems like it would suppress weed growth pretty well.

What kind of seeding rates are you doing for this mix? I will be planting a 5acre plot next spring and this would make a great acre or so visual barrier separating the soybeans into smaller chunks.


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[MickT]

I'm a little late seeing this thread as it is hunting season down here. I am a big fan of sunn hemp. Last yr my mix was sunn hemp, cow peas, soybeans, sunflower and buckwheat. Plan to repeat this year.I'll be brief now but happy to elaborate later. I've experimented with letting it grow all summer and keeping it mowed. Both have benefits. Also planted it late in summer with great results.View attachment 22005View attachment 22006 on all the benefits I see from the hemp which include amazing drought resiliency , heat tolerance, grazing tolerance, trellis for peas and soil building qualities . I crimp it in Sept and follow with rye, and radishes.

Edit: never mind, I missed the mix list you already posted.

Could sun hemp be used as a pre-curser to establishing native prairie mixes? It seems like it would suppress weed growth pretty well.

What kind of seeding rates are you doing for this mix? I will be planting a 5acre plot next spring and this would make a great acre or so visual barrier separating the soybeans into smaller chunks.


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Most native prairie plants are small seeded “weeds” unlike our relatively large seeded ag crops. Sunn hemp would probably do a decent job of suppressing all of the planting along with the weeds in this scenario.


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[Sconnie]

There were a few beds. I planted a 2 acre strip that was 40’ wide. I’m guessing if you put a block in there would be more beds. Right now after a few ice storms there is still some cover (much more than switch grass or Sudan Sorghum. Sun flowers are picked clean, still some Sorghum heads left.

Overall I would recommend for a deer bed n’ breakfast!


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Did you mow it for a second crop? You may be too far north.

I let it stand. The goal was to add trash to plant RR soybeans in this year. I used the sunflower seeds and Sorghum heads for winter food. I did overseed with WR in October.


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[yoderjac]

Well, here is my update on Sun Hemp. I broadcast it in a mix with buckwheat 10 lbs/ac of each and then drilled sunflowers on top. With our high deer densities and weed competition, here is what we got at the pine farm:

The sunflowers never made it past the early stage. Deer nipped them off and killed them. The buckwheat germinated ok but did not get very big before it was nipped as well. The sunn hemp was heavily browsed but kept growing. I'd say this field is pretty typical of the pine farm fields. Some have spots where the sunn hemp is waist high but this is what most of it looks like. There is plenty of small sunn hemp in the field between the encroaching grasses. These fields had buckwheat last summer and a cover crop last fall (PTT/WR/CC). In previous years they had beans in the summer and were fertilized every year for about 5 years.

I have a small piece of ground on the other side of the county, about 15 minutes drive away. It has been in pasture for many years. I'm beginning to convert it to better food. Deer densities are lower. It has been limed a few years ago but never fertilized. I planted the same mix, but at a rate of 25 lbs/ac of each. Here is a pick out the tractor cab door.



I planted sun hemp on a propert

There is buckwheat and some sunflowers in the field but they are swamped by the sunn hemp. Here is another picture of it partially mowed in the foreground:

I like the mix. I'll probably skip the sunflowers next year and shoot for around 20 lbs/ac of each at the pine farm. The field above will be converted to perennial clover this fall.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[IkemanTx]

I did a slight variation of @Baker ‘s 2019 mix on a 1 acre plot at my father’s place.
I couldn’t be there when he planted, and he didn’t add the sunflowers or sunn hemp to the whole plot, just along the outside as a screen.... regardless, it took off, and the deer have been hammering it HARD. He has a timed corn feeder in the plot, and they basically stopped hitting corn at all in early July.

Wide view (notice the 5’ cage and tree tube on the right hand side for height reference)

CowPeas climbing a stray sunn hemp he spilled in tho plot (like it should have been throughout)

Heavy browse on some plants, but the deer can’t keep up.

Over 6 feet high and still reaching for the sky.

Mix was

5lbs indeterminate, vining Laredo soybeans
10lbs determinate soybeans (no variety listed)
25lbs Iron Clay Coypeas
5lbs Buckwheat

And it was supposed to have 5lbs each sunn hemp and sunflowers. He only put about 2-2.5lbs of each down on the exterior of the plot.

He absolutely can’t stand the unkept look of the jungle... no matter how much I explain it is there primarily to build OM on his sugar sand soil. His tonnage has been awesome, even without the mixture being adhered to.

I start my own plotting next spring, so I will get to play around more with it. I’m already a big fan after one season though.

Edit: I found a pic of deer in the plot in late June for reference. The plot is almost 2 feet higher at this point.

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[nchunter1989]

Well, here is my update on Sun Hemp. I broadcast it in a mix with buckwheat 10 lbs/ac of each and then drilled sunflowers on top. With our high deer densities and weed competition, here is what we got at the pine farm:

The sunflowers never made it past the early stage. Deer nipped them off and killed them. The buckwheat germinated ok but did not get very big before it was nipped as well. The sunn hemp was heavily browsed but kept growing. I'd say this field is pretty typical of the pine farm fields. Some have spots where the sunn hemp is waist high but this is what most of it looks like. There is plenty of small sunn hemp in the field between the encroaching grasses. These fields had buckwheat last summer and a cover crop last fall (PTT/WR/CC). In previous years they had beans in the summer and were fertilized every year for about 5 years.

I have a small piece of ground on the other side of the county, about 15 minutes drive away. It has been in pasture for many years. I'm beginning to convert it to better food. Deer densities are lower. It has been limed a few years ago but never fertilized. I planted the same mix, but at a rate of 25 lbs/ac of each. Here is a pick out the tractor cab door.



I planted sun hemp on a propert

There is buckwheat and some sunflowers in the field but they are swamped by the sunn hemp. Here is another picture of it partially mowed in the foreground:

I like the mix. I'll probably skip the sunflowers next year and shoot for around 20 lbs/ac of each at the pine farm. The field above will be converted to perennial clover this fall.

Thanks,

Jack

Jack, do you know what variety of Sun Hemp you planted? Just curious, was talking with a local guy the other day that is in the hemp business, & he mentioned they are not seeing any deer browse on it. This is central/eastern NC..


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[TreeDaddy]

Ikeman,

When did you plant?

Looks to have held up well in our texas heat

bill

 

[yoderjac]

Jack, do you know what variety of Sun Hemp you planted? Just curious, was talking with a local guy the other day that is in the hemp business, & he mentioned they are not seeing any deer browse on it. This is central/eastern NC..


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I got mine from hancock seed last winter. It looked like it came from india. I don't know the variety. I can't guarantee that they were selling the same stuff last winter, but I think this is it: https://hancockseed.com/collections/sunn-hemp-seed/products/sunn-hemp-seed The stuff I got was not coated. Keep in mind that I saw little browsing but some use on the good soil in the lower deer density area. It was browsed pretty hard in my higher deer density pine farm. Like anything new, it may also take deer a year or two to get used to a new food source. They completely ignored my turnips for about 3 years. Finally in the forth year we had a mast crop failure and they ate everything they could find. Since then, they have adapted and use our turnips regularly. They don't touch them during establishment. Soon after our first frost, they begin to use the tops. They don't usually touch the bulbs until Jan after our season is over except in mast crop failure years.

Having deer not browse it is a good sign from a QDM perspective. What it means is that they have and even better food source available at the time. When your objective is to plug holes in specific stress periods and you make a quality food source available and deer don't use it, it is because the perceived food_value to safety ratio is better with another food source. If I have any quality food left over in the field after the stress period is over, it is a mark of success for me. It says that my habitat plus whatever food they ate from my food plot met their needs.

Just because I have and abundance of food left over after the stress period does not mean I should plant for that same period next season because nature may do something differently. We can't predict on an annual basis what deer will need but we can generalize and say that in most years either summer or winter will be major stress periods most years depending on location.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[IkemanTx]

Ikeman,

When did you plant?

Looks to have held up well in our texas heat

bill

Planted second week of May.

This was southern Oklahoma, and received a lot of rain through the early summer.

I can’t imagine it growing any better than this!


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