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.
