Sunn Hemp

[nwmn]

Got 50# of sunn hemp in the mail on Monday from hancock seeds. They have a pretty good discount going on now, but of course the kicker is the shipping cost. Still ended up around $2/lb.

This will be my first year with it. I got the inoculant as well, so I am thinking of planting it into a food plot where I've had beans thrive for two years and then 8/1 I'll broadcast brassicas and cultipack it down? Or, do I need to disk it under? No idea how they will turn out so I'm heading into this blindly. From what I've read on the other side, deer absolutely hammer the hemp, and it's got vigorous growth traits. I feel like it'll be a win if the deer are in there as the protein levels are high. However, not sure how digestible the protein is?

 

[Riggsgwp->]

I hope you get some response on this because I'm very interested in this seed as a soil builder for a following year crop. I have no experience with it but from reading it has some incredible benefits. Are you planting this as an attractant or more for the cover crop aspect? Maybe both I suppose.

 

[SD51555]

I was also hoping others would chime in. I had a talk with Jason Tronbeck at Milborn Seeds in South Dakota. We talked about my limited options (broadcast seeding and rolling to terminate/no tillage). He came up with Sunn Hemp as well as the best option to meet that nitrogen builder/weed suppressor role. If you have a good way to crimp it when you cultipack, you may be ok.

Still no experience on my part, but that's straight from a cover crop expert.

 

[mikmaze]

Did the seed come with inoculation? inoculated? or you purchased separately? looking into this for a trial before I dedicate a large plot to it to see if my deer will figure out that it is a food. I think I would rather grow this instead of buckwheat, looks like it makes a fuller stand, and fixes Nitrogen.

 

[mikmaze]

More questions on the hemp, what does it do if you leave it grow a bit long? say through frost? I read that it gets to be fibrous, but is it done once frosted hard? I may try it in a spot that gets tough to get into in the fall, and may leave it go. zone 7.

 

[wiscwhip]

One nice part about sunn hemp is that it will most likely not become a "weed" in the north, as it takes 5 months to produce seed and most years frost will kill it before it has a chance for the seeds to mature.

 

[Milkweed]

I will be planting some Sunn Hemp next weekend in NE OK zone 7a/6b. My primary goal is to prepare newly expanded areas of previous plots for a fall planting. I am going to plant it around the edges and possibly leave a strip standing if it gets big enough to act as a screen. I will be planting EW just outside of it in case.

 

[nwmn]

Did the seed come with inoculation? inoculated? or you purchased separately? looking into this for a trial before I dedicate a large plot to it to see if my deer will figure out that it is a food. I think I would rather grow this instead of buckwheat, looks like it makes a fuller stand, and fixes Nitrogen.

I purchased it separately through the same website, Hancock seeds. It uses the iron clay cowpeas inoculant. That's where I was with it as well, figured it'll build soil as well as buckwheat, but this adds nitrogen credits and acts as food. Buckwheat would be absolutely awesome to use in an apple orchard setting though, from what I've heard the bees will be buzzin' if you planted it nearby!!

 

[nwmn]

I will be planting some Sunn Hemp next weekend in NE OK zone 7a/6b. My primary goal is to prepare newly expanded areas of previous plots for a fall planting. I am going to plant it around the edges and possibly leave a strip standing if it gets big enough to act as a screen. I will be planting EW just outside of it in case.

My thoughts too. With 50# of seed I might just plant this into every newly opened food plot to start the soil building/weed suppressing cycle and adding N at the same time. At the same rate I'm drawn to planting rye in these situations. I plan to terminate the sunn hemp where I plan to plant brassicas, and then leave the edges as screens like you suggest. I saw pics on the other forum of a sunn hemp field with the edges left and it seemed like it would work effectively as a screen.

 

[dipper]

$2/lb for seed, what is the seeding rate/ acre? It sure seems to be an expensive cover crop, when things like oats are $6/bushell. There ain't nothing wrong with discing mature oats in, in the fall, and getting a double crop with some rye and a few brassicas. The deer by me say yum yum

 

[nwmn]

$2/lb for seed, what is the seeding rate/ acre? It sure seems to be an expensive cover crop, when things like oats are $6/bushell. There ain't nothing wrong with discing mature oats in, in the fall, and getting a double crop with some rye and a few brassicas. The deer by me say yum yum

I have read 15# will do the trick. It is pretty spendy, but it was one of those things I just had to try. I get a little impulsive sometimes. If this doesn't work then I can say I tried and it didn't work for me.

Dipper-People keep bringing up your method of early planted winter rye. I haven't been able to find any literature on the topic. Do you spring plant winter rye, or what method are they referring to?

 

[mikmaze]

Thanks for the reply, that settles it, for me a 25 lb bag will be the test subject. Going to put it where I had brasica the last 2 years, if it fails I will go with ww or wr. Got 2 plots figured out now, only 5 more to decide on, and then where to figure sneaking in some fun stuff like pumpkins, gourds, potato, and melons. Might have to cage the potato, deer seem to like them too.

 

[nwmn]

Good idea, I can't wait to get it growing and bringing people out to show them my hemp plot :)

Their going to think I am up to something!!

 

[dipper]

Good idea, I can't wait to get it growing and bringing people out to show them my hemp plot :)

Their going to think I am up to

I have read 15# will do the trick. It is pretty spendy, but it was one of those things I just had to try. I get a little impulsive sometimes. If this doesn't work then I can say I tried and it didn't work for me.

Dipper-People keep bringing up your method of early planted winter rye. I haven't been able to find any literature on the topic. Do you spring plant winter rye, or what method are they referring to?

I just copied this from another thread I just typed in:
Personally, what I do is let the rye you already have mature, that will be around the beginning of July. Disc it when it matures, and you have free seed. It will plant itself, no need to overcomplicate it. Than you can add your oats, peas, brassicas, or whatever, for the fall plot.
I basically do the lickcreek mix, but I grow everything at the same time. I don't rotate anything.
If I was starting fresh like mikmaze basically is, I'd plant oats and some clover/ alfalfa now. Let that oats mature, and disc it in, to take advantage of that free seed. Don't go crazy discing though, you don't want to kill your alfalfa and clover. You'll chop it up a little, but below ground, it will still be alive. (In central WI), that oats will mature around the middle of July. Than plant your rye, brassicas and peas. Soooo-that will give you oats, rye, clover, alfalfa, brassicas and peas as a fall food plot. It's the lickcreek mix-growing at the same time! It's awesome!
I had this documented on the QDMA forum, but I erased all the posts. Last year I didn't even disc the mature rye in, I just culti-packed it, and it grew! I planted 5 acres for like $45. There were deer eating in the plot a half hour after I planted. That clover stayed alive, the deer just kepy feeding on it. I didn't use any fertilizer, on sandy/ rocky soil. We really put a hurting on the doe population around that food source. I'll start another thread this spring, maybe that will make more sense. haha

 

[nwmn]

This makes perfect sense. Get your small grains to mature, then disc it under for free seed and plant your fall mix into this spot for a honey hole. I'll have to try this in a few spots this year.

 

[wiscwhip]

This is exactly what we were starting to do at my dad's place before he decided to sell. We did have one recent bad experience with sandburs taking over one of our plots right after we disked down the rye. sprayed it with gly and left it. Sold the property the following year. No clue what it looked like the next spring.

 

[nwmn]

This is exactly what we were starting to do at my dad's place before he decided to sell. We did have one recent bad experience with sandburs taking over one of our plots right after we disked down the rye. sprayed it with gly and left it. Sold the property the following year. No clue what it looked like the next spring.

You had a bunch of Art's taking over your plot!!?!?

 

[wiscwhip]

Art would have been welcome to visit the plot any time,;) these vicious visitors were not welcome.:mad:

 

[Doug Galloway]

SH went into the summer annual mix at 1 lb/ac last yr.....grew longer into the season than cow pea or soy.....that has merit in terms of soil N cycling.

Deer use was moderate.....insect and environment stress tolerance were good.

Plan is for 4 lb/ac in the mix this year....if seed can be sourced in time.


Ahh....the lovely 'sanbur' or 'goat head'.

 

[Milkweed]

SH went into the summer annual mix at 1 lb/ac last yr.....grew longer into the season than cow pea or soy.....that has merit in terms of soil N cycling.

Deer use was moderate.....insect and environment stress tolerance were good.

Plan is for 4 lb/ac in the mix this year....if seed can be sourced in time.


Ahh....the lovely 'sanbur' or 'goat head'.

What are you doing for your summer annual mix this year Doug?
I am going to be planting Sunn Hemp, Buckwheat, Peredovic sunflower, Oats/Clover, EW into some test strips. I am also going to be doing a strip or two of some sorts of combinations of the above.