Hemp Seed Starts Reduce Labor and Improve Yield

Successful hemp seed germination is critical to the overall success of the hemp crop. If the seeds are started well, they can yield more fruitful and abundant crops. But germinating hemp seeds properly takes a lot of hard work and care.

Investing in hemp seeds can become costly if they don’t germinate correctly. Seeds require optimal conditions and delicate care for them to even get to the sprouting stage. This can cause a great deal of stress for farmers when their seeds aren’t sprouting as they should. Even if the conditions are perfect for the seeds, there is a chance that a portion of a farmer’s outdoor seeds could just become bird feed — good for the birds, not for the farmers.

Another consideration with outdoor seeds is planting them at the right time. You must make sure to wait until the last frost has passed. Unfortunately, this can lead to later planting times and crops that don’t grow as large as they could.

With so many germination factors to consider, many farmers are looking for potential alternatives to ensure a healthier, more successful crop. Hence, many farmers are purchasing hemp seed starters as an easy solution.

What are Hemp Seed Starts?

Hemp seed starts are simply pre-germinated hemp seeds. These pre-germinated seeds ship to farmers in the seedling stage of growth.

Hemp seed starts improve the efficiency of hemp farming by eliminating the initial sprouting stage, allowing farmers to rest easy knowing their crop has started out strong and can produce a more abundant yield. They can also start their crop “earlier” than they potentially could with their own seeds since they don’t have to take Mother Nature into account as much. There is no more worry that a frost might kill off their sprouts.

Seedlings have a better chance of survival when given proper care at birth. Ideal moisture, lighting, and soil help sprouts grow into healthy seedlings, which will grow into healthy plants.

Hemp plants grown from hemp seed starts grow more vigorously in the early vegetative stage due to their well-established root system. Vigorous growth in the late vegetative growth stage is also apparent in visibly larger, brighter and healthier leaves.

And when it comes to the flowering stage, hemp plants grown from hemp seed starts flower earlier and produce significantly higher yields compared to the alternative.

Hemp seed starts help reduce labor and improve efficiency for farmers so they can stress less and focus on growing a large, successful hemp crop.

About Fortuna’s Hemp Seed Starts

We use Fortuna feminized hemp seeds to germinate our hemp seed starts. They come in flats of 72 seed starts and ship within 4-6 weeks after placing an order. This can be helpful for farmers who want to stagger crops for easier harvesting later on.

We germinate out hemp seed starts in carefully-formulated organic soil and care for them under precise growing conditions until they are strong enough to transplant outdoors.

Preparing to Plant In-Ground

Though your new hemp seed starts have been groomed to grow into strong, fruitful plants, you still have to acclimate and prepare them for outside transplant. They must be acclimated to the sun, the cooler nights, and the less frequent waterings over 7-10 days.

On a mild day, give your seed starts 2-3 hours in the sun. Be sure to harden them in a sheltered area, though, to ensure they are protected from strong winds, hard rain, and temperature extremes.

You can increase sunlight exposure a few additional hours at a time and gradually reduce the frequency of watering while making sure you don’t allow the seedlings to wilt. Remember to keep an eye on the forecast to ensure the seedlings won’t be exposed to temperatures below the crop’s minimum. If temperatures are going to drop, either bring the plants inside or shelter the plants outdoors so they won’t be affected by the colder temperatures. You can gradually increase the plant’s exposure to cold as well.

After transplanting the hemp seed starts to the garden, use a weak fertilizer solution to get the plants growing again and to help the plants avoid transplant shock. Be sure to water the plants as well after hardening them.

Final Thoughts on Fortuna’s Hemp Seed Starts

Hemp seed starts reduce labor, improve efficiency, and increase ROI for farmers. Seed starts allow farmers to plant earlier, yield a bigger crop and stagger planting to improve harvest efficiency.

Maybe you’ve been considering using hemp seed starts for your next hemp crop. Fortuna Hemp can answer any other questions you may have about hemp seed starts or provide you with top-of-the-line seedlings for the successful crop that you are looking for! Feel free to reach out to us today so we can help!