Hemp harvester

[breadtrk]

I've searched and found a few very old threads on this. They were mostly wisecracks by the uninformed.

It is now legal to grow Hemp in Tennessee with the proper permits, state supplied seeds and such. One of my clients has had me prepare his old Tobacco fields for planting, we are planting this week.

I'm looking for harvesting suggestions. Right now the plan is to use a sickle bar to cut it down, then old school gather it up into bundles tie then and stand them in the field to dry after cutting the seed bearing tops off the bundles. Seed and tops for oil production, stalks for fiber.

I've read that hemp is hard on equipment so I'm looking for suggestions on the toughest sickles in the experience of any old timers here.

 

[smstonypoint]

What is the average stalk diameter at cutting height?

Steve

 

[bcp]

My experience back in the 40's and 50's doesn't help, as we used to disc it into the ground to improve the soil.

Bruce

 

[breadtrk]

What is the average stalk diameter at cutting height?

Steve

Good question, less than 1.5". We don't know for sure but the Canadian seeds we are planting averaged 3/4" (17)mm at harvest up there with a shorter growing season. Our guy at the University of Tennessee says that theirs was about 1 1/4" last year, we are using the same strain as they did last year.