The Best Hemp Varieties for your region

How to choose a hemp variety for your climate and farming program.

While Beacon Hemp's hybrid varieties demonstrate strong heterosis (hybrid vigor) and performance under a diversity of regions and climates, some varieties are better suited to some regions and climates than others.

Hot, Humid Climates

The ‘Early’ Series has expansive flowers that will perform well under a diversity of climates and are particularly well suited for areas with high Botrytis pressure, such as consistent high humidity and extreme seasonal fluctuations in moisture. In this same climate our F1 hybrid autoflowers, along with 'Auto Tsunami' are good contenders for farmers looking to plant day-neutral hemp.

Hot, Dry Climates

The ‘Quik’ Series also exemplifies hybrid vigor and produces extremely dense flowers. Although the 'Early' Series varieties perform well in hot, arid climates, the outstanding flower density of 'Quik' Series hybrids generally produce greater yields in regions with low Botrytis pressure. For autoflowers, our ‘Auto Pivot’, ‘Auto Blues’ and F1 hybrid autoflowers are a solid choice.

Harvest Window

With the exception of the 'Early Spectrum', 'Early Wu', and 'Early Trump (T1)' all of the short-day (photoperiodic) hemp hybrids reach harvestable maturation in the middle to end of September. The previously listed hybrids reach harvestable maturity at the very beginning of October. When planting photoperiodic (short-day) hemp varieties Beacon recommends planting varieties that will allow multiple optimal harvest windows in order to clearly divide fall harvests into multiple discrete events; this is particularly important for large farming operations as well as when producing higher value, high-touch boutique hemp or when you have limited mechanized harvest/post-harvest equipment and infrastructure.

Tips to consider when selecting your hemp genetics:

1. Consider spreading out your plant maturity dates so everything isn’t ready to harvest at the same time.

2. For smokable flower production, chose varieties that have different terpene profiles.

3. Consider final plant size. Keep harvest equipment and drying method in mind when determining the planting date, size and spacing for short-day hemp.

4. Consider you geographic region

5. If growing for smokable hemp, photoperiodic (short-day) varieties will produce the densest flowers with the highest terpene content. Autoflowers are great for extraction and off-season planting in areas with good climate.

6. Interested in growing hemp but don't know what genetics to chose? Please contact us. We are here to help!

Planting season has started but it’s not too late to plant your hemp crop!

This is our 2019 trial field. It was planted on July 13/14 and we finished harvest on October 1 last year. Seeds were sown around the 3rd or 4th week of June.

Yes, it is not too late to plant your hemp crop for a fall harvest.

When planting in early Summer we recommend increasing your planting density because plants will have a shorter vegetative stage and will not grow as large as hemp planted in spring; however, we don’t see this as an issue, but instead, our preferred method of field management. Although the higher planting density associated with early summer plantings increases the cost of young plants (seed, seedlings, clones) compared to planting in late spring, the early summer planting provides cost savings from reduced time in the field and huge savings during harvest and drying. Late spring hemp plants will also have more stems, and leaves (vegetative tissue) that do not contribute much to your overall cannabinoid content. Hemp transplanted in early summer has a greater flower-to-shoot ratio due to their reduced vegetative growth period and increased light penetration through the entire canopy. If harvesting hemp for biomass, the extra stems and leaf found on larger plants reduce the cannabinoid content of combined biomass. Irrigation, fertilizer, pesticide, weeding, and assorted labor costs can add up quickly and will be higher for larger plants relative to smaller plants. Most importantly, there are massive cost savings to be had during harvest and drying when growing smaller plants, as it is easier to cut, move, hang, and otherwise handle smaller plants regardless of whether you do so by hand or in a mechanized fashion.

the Top 10 Things You Should Know about growing Autoflower Hemp

Winter Planting of Auto Tune™ Hemp

In the California Desert.

Winter platning of Auto Tune™ Hemp

in the California Desert. (close up)

Top Ten Things you should know about growing Day Neutral (Autoflower) Hemp

1. They will flower regardless of daylength. Most traditional hemp varieties are photosensitive and require less than 11-14 hours of daylength (10-13 hours of uninterrupted darkness depending on the variety) to start flowering. With autoflowers, the flowering response is more environmental, with heat unit accumulation determining when the plant’s transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth (usually around 30 days after germination). 

2. But they perform better with warm season weather. The exact time to maturity is extended when growing in cooler climates and seasons. Day-neutral plants can flower too fast when planted in the hottest part of summer, and struggle with lower emergence rates when direct seeded when soil temperatures are very high. However, they excel when planted in spring and late summer in traditional climates. 

3. They fit well into cropping cycles in off-season climates in warm weather regions.  Whether you are growing in California’s Imperial Valley or Southern Florida, most regions where farmers grow annual crops through winter are appropriate for fall and winter autoflower plantings.

4. Propagation media is IMPORTANT. If planting hemp seedlings (transplants), autoflowers require the use of preformed media instead of loose-fill media trays during the plug stage. Preformed media includes peat polymer plugs like Quick Plug® or iHort®, Jiffy® pucks, Ellepots®, or the like. Stonewool is pre-formed media, but from our experience results in lower germination rates for hemp seedlings. If using Jiffy pucks, be sure to leach the media with good, clean water and inoculate with compost tea or another biological inoculant to prevent root pathogen issues. 

5. Short nursery time of only 7 to 10 days. Yes, you read that correctly, from sowing to transplanting in the field, seedlings will be at the nursery for NO MORE than 10 days after sowing. Root growth will be minimal, with maybe the taproot is starting to poke out through the media. Seedlings will have no more than 2 sets of true leaves. This is why preformed plugs are key! With loose-fill plug trays, there will not be enough root growth to hold the soil together making it tricky to remove plugs from the propagation tray. If seedlings are left in plug trays for too long they become root-bound and permanently stunted and may even begin to flower if left in propagation trays for over 3 weeks.

6. They can be direct sown (air seeded). If direct sowing hemp seeds, ground prep is key. Soil that has large clods is not ideal for direct sowing, nor is overly dry or very wet soil. A higher planting density will be needed to account for stand loss from germination rate, seed vigor or pests. Birds love to eat freshly planted seed. Ants can be destructive to newly germinated seedlings. Root pathogens, like Pythium, Phytophthora, and bacterial or vascular wilts can also cause stand loss if these are common for your area. It is recommended to overhead irrigate after sowing to promote germination uniformity and switch to drip tape if desired after good stand growth is established.

7. Autoflowers require a high planting density. Depending on your location and the time of year you are planting autoflower planting density can range from 12,000-18,000 plants per acre. We have seen some farmers plant 20,000 or more plants per acre. Because autoflowers have a reduced vegetative time of about 4 weeks, their final plant size is much smaller than photoperiodic (full term) hemp. Final plant size is influenced by genetics and environment. Most autoflowers can grow to be 2’-3’ in diameter and 2’-3’ in height. During the summer months when days are long and nights are warm, you can expect larger plants because of the extra hours of light (increased time for photosynthesis) and warm temperatures. In shoulder season plantings, when days are shorter and nights cooler, expect smaller plants, and the need to increase the planting density compared to the warmer months.  

8. They are hungry for nitrogen. Autoflowers (day neutral) hemp needs nitrogen early and often. During the early stages of growth ammoniacal nitrogen will help with leaf expansion and stem elongation. Later in growth, nitrate-nitrogen will help maintain metabolic processes, without causing too much luxurious growth that is attributed to ammoniacal nitrogen. If farming organically, there are many forms of amino-based nitrogen (protein hydrolysates, amino chelates) that are very effective at delivering nitrogen to the plant without causing excessive leaf growth or loose flower spikes, a symptom of excessive nitrogen fertilizer. Base nitrogen fertilization rates on soil, water, and leaf analysis, and speak with an agronomist that has hemp experience for exact forms, concentrations, and timing.

9. Autoflowers have a high flower to shoot ratio. The proportions of flower to shoot biomass is higher for day-neutral (autoflower) hemp than photosensitive hemp.  Although day-neutral varieties generally have a lower total cannabinoid production ceiling than photosensitive varieties, day-neutral plants have a higher proportion of flowers to shoot (stems and leaves) compared to photosensitive plants, making day-neutrals a great choice for both biomass and smokeable flower.

10. Some varieties are better suited for different regions or hemp programs. This should come as no surprise that certain hemp varieties are better suited for different climates. From our experience and trials Auto Tsunami™, Auto Tune™, and Auto Bahn™ perform well under various climates, but in regions that are susceptible to fungal pathogen pressure or wet, humid climates these varieties perform best. For hot, dry climates, Auto Pivot™ is a strong performer. If your hemp program is biomass production the larger varieties like Auto Pivot, Auto Tune, and Auto Bahn will have the greatest flower yield. If growing for smokable flower, Auto Tsunami has the most pungent terpinolene-dominant aroma, but the flowers are best suited for pre-rolls. Auto Tune and Auto Bahn, while not as pungent as Auto Tsunami, trim up well for smokable flower.

What is considered “Certified Hemp Seed”?

Certified seed has recently received much fanfare in the hemp industry. While true certified seed has a huge value-added benefit to farmers, there is a tremendous amount of misinformation surrounding certified seed.

Seed certification is a quality assurance program in which the production, harvesting, and cleaning of seed of registered varieties adheres to strict regulations to ensure purity and quality. Seed certification regulations are crop-specific and are developed and published by the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA), for the United States, with Global members from Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The implementation and oversight of the AOSCA standards is handled by state agencies, such as the California Crop Improvement Association (CCIA); CCIA, and other state certifying agencies, follow the AOSCA regulations and inspect each certified crop several times to monitor quality assurance practices, such as isolation distance from other plantings of the same crop, absence of specific prohibited noxious weeds, roguing of off-type plants, proper clean-out of threshers/combines, seed cleaning and conditioning by a CCIA approved facility, and seed inspection by a seed lab adhering to rules set by the Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA).

There are four seed certification classes: breeder, foundation, registered, and certified. Each class has its own requirements, standards, and tag color. Certified seed will have an official blue tag that is attached to every seed bag from the lot. Farmers mostly have access to the certified class.

Some of the confusion surrounding certified seed may be owed to the similarity of the AOSCA and AOSA acronyms. In order to be compliant with the Federal Seed Act, all seed must be accurately labeled with purity and germination rates; the crop-specific methodology and standards for purity and germination rates are established by AOSA. Beyond seed certification requiring seed inspection and purity/germination tests be performed by a seed lab utilizing AOSA standards, AOSCA and AOSA are otherwise entirely separate.

Another source of confusion for seed certification is variety registration by state governed Department of Agriculture. Some states, especially those with well-established industrial hemp pilot programs like Colorado and Oregon, do not require variety registration to simply grow a variety. Many other states that have more recent industrial hemp programs either require variety registration on a cultivation site-specific basis, such as California, or require variety registration with the state before that variety can be farmed there, such as Texas. Receiving variety registration approval from a specific state Department of Agriculture is completely independent from seed certification. That being said, the first step of seed certification is variety registration approval, which can occur via a plant variety protection or patent, an official state certifying agency, OECD, or the AOSCA national variety review board. 

There is a relatively small amount of certified hemp seed lots that have been produced in the US. Until very recently all of these certified seed lots were all dioecious or monoecious hemp seed, not feminized hemp seed. While there are draft guidelines, AOSCA is yet to publish final official standards for the production of certified feminized hemp seed. Some states are pre-emptively engaging in feminized seed certification now in hopes that the draft guidelines do not change when the final AOSCA standards are published. One such state is Georgia; although hemp cultivation in Georgia has only been recently approved, the Georgia Crop Improvement Association (GCIA) has been very proactive in the certification of feminized seed lots grown in neighboring states by companies who are headquartered in Georgia and performing their own variety registration approval. The GCIA is foregoing the traditional route and certifying the certified class seed from vetted clonal varieties of inbred lines that have sufficient data to support claims of distinctness and stability. Oregon, via Oregon State University’s Seed Certification Service, on the other hand, appears to be subscribing more to the standard generational classes of production and looking to the AOSCA national variety review board for final approval of variety registration.

Certified feminized hemp seed is finally upon us; it is very much a burgeoning service that will likely undergo modification over time. It is important to understand both the status of the certification process as well as what certified seed is and is not.

Keep in mind:

1. State hemp variety registration is not the same as registered or certified hemp seed by AOSCA members using their guidelines. 

2. Seed lots tested for germination and purity by an AOSA member laboratory, are not certified seed. 

3. There are four classes of certified seed: Breeder, Foundation, Registered, and Certified. Each class has its own requirements in accordance with AOSCA guidelines.

4. When in doubt, look for the blue tag. Each certified seed bag will have an official blue tag attached. If it’s not there, then it’s not certified.

Beacon Hemp is in the early stages of AOSCA variety registration and certified seed production in both Oregon and California. 

How Do I Estimate My Seed Needs?

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist. Really.

Estimate your seed needs by determining your planting density* 

First, determine planting pattern: 

• Determine if you are shaping beds and if so, what is bed width 

  • This is often dictated by what equipment you own or have local access to
    Typical options are 30”, 40”, 60”, 80” 

• Decide when you will be planting 

  • Typically dictated by last frost date; harvest and post-harvest plan, equipment, and infrastructure; what is your ultimate saleable product; planting photoperiodic or day-neutral plants; if planting day-neutral are you planning to plant the same ground twice 

• Decide your in-row spacing 

  • Dictated by planting timing 

Square Planting ◼︎

X = in row spacing in inches; Y = between row spacing in inches 

Area per Plant (sq. in.) = X × Y 

Example: 36” in row spacing with 40” beds (between row spacing)  

Area per plant (sq. in.) = 36 inches × 40 inches = 1440 sq. in. / Plant

Triangle Planting ▲ 

X = in row spacing inches; Y = between row spacing in inches 

Area per Plant (sq. in.) = X× [(0.866) × Y ]

Example: 36” in row spacing with 40” beds (between row spacing)  

Area per plant (sq. in.) = 36 inches × [(0.866) × 40 inches] = 1247 sq. in. / Plant

Next, how large is your field? 

Convert your total acreage to square inches 

1 acre = 43,560 sq. ft. = 6,272,640 sq. in. 

Area (sq. in.) = (X Acres × 43560 sq. ft.) × 144 sq. in. / sq. ft.

Now determine how many plants you will need for your field. 

Total Plants Needed= Area planted (sq. in.) / Planting Area per plant (sq. in.)

Square Planting◼︎ 

Example: On 10 Acres with 36” in row, and 40” between row spacing how many plants do you need? 

36 (in row distance in inches) × 40 (btwn. row distance in inches) = 1440 sq. in. / plant.

Total Area (sq. in) = (10 Acres ×43560 sq. ft.) × 144 sq. in./sq. ft. = 62,726,400 sq. in. 

Total # of Plants = 62,726,400 sq. in. / 1400 sq. in. = 44,805 plants needed for 10 acres

 Triangle Planting ▲

Example: Same as above, but triangle spacing. 

36 (in row distance in inches) × [(0.866) × 40 (btwn. row distance in inches)] = 1247 sq. in. / plant

Total Area (sq. in.) = (10 Acres × 43560 sq. ft.) × 144 sq. in/sq. ft. = 62,726,400 sq. in. 

Total # of Plants= 62,726,400 sq. in./1247 sq. in. = 50,302 plants for 10 acres

*These calculations are meant to be used as a tool to estimate number of plants needed for production. Germination rate should be taken into consideration when determination how many transplants need to be germinated to have desired plant count. For direct sowing, stand loss should also be taken into consideration. 

Beacon Hemp at UC Davis Hemp Breeding and Seed Production Event

We are excited and honored to have our founder, Nick Stromberg, present at the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center’s first-ever Hemp Breeding and Seed Production Short Course. Currently sold out, the 2-day course will cover a vast array of topics related to hemp genetics, breeding, IP, and seed production. Nick will be presenting on Production of Feminized, Day Neutral Hemp Seed. We at Beacon Hemp are looking forward to listening to the diverse list of experts and topics being presented next week. If you are in attendance, please come say hello and introduce yourself to the Beacon crew!

For more information on the course and Nick’s background visit the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center’s homepage at sbc.ucdavis.edu and click on the Hemp Breeding and Seed Production Course link.

Plants. How do they even work?

As a visitor to Beacon Hemp, it’s a likely bet that you already know how plants work. But maybe you need some pointers to improve your yield or specific information about varieties. Not to worry, we’ve got you covered.

You can find Cultivation Guides covering our Day Neutral and Photoperiodic varieties. These guides include growth stages, propagation, cultivation, testing harvesting, and pest/pathogen tips.

You’ll also find Varietal Guides with handy references specifically for each variety of seed. Whether you’re looking for information on growth period, CBD:THC ratios, or recommended planting density, these guides will help you get the most out of your plantings.

If you still can’t find the information you’re looking for, you can always contact us.