Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Hemp farming in the UK today
Hemp grows easily in a range of soils and climates, providing the soil pH is 6.5 or above
(neutral-to-alkaline). The hemp plant is not especially nutrient hungry, although for max-
imum commercial yields a fertilizer is needed. It's also a deep-rooting plant, helping to
break up the soil to some depth, which is beneficial for soil health and condition.
The plant is an effective weed suppressant because it grows very quickly and is very 'com-
petitive', winning out over other plants for growing space and light. For this reason it re-
quires no chemical weedkillers, and in fact hemp is sometimes grown specifically to clear
land of chemical-resistant weeds. Another useful property of the plant is its pest resistance
- there are virtually no pests or diseases that attack hemp - so there is no need to use pesti-
cides or fungicides during its cultivation.
The speed of growth, together with its natural weed and pest resistance, makes hemp a
profitable 'break crop' for UK farmers, providing a useful barrier to pests and diseases in
the soil between the sowing of other crops, such as cereals, as part of a crop rotation.
Hemp grown in the UK is ready for cutting in August.
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