How to Harvest Hemp

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Hemp is a versatile plant that can be harvested for plant fibers or for their nutritious seeds. Unfortunately, the fibers and seeds mature at different times throughout the season and cannot be harvested together in the same crop. Whichever product you plan on harvesting from hemp, just make sure growing it in your area is legal.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Harvesting the Fibers

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  1. Look for seeds starting to form on your plant in groupings near the leaves. Waiting too long into the growing season makes the fibers too coarse and male fibers die soon after the plants pollinate.
    • If you want stronger fibers, you can collect the coarse fibers from mature stalks.
    • Hemp fibers and seeds mature at different times and are challenging to harvest at the same time. Make a decision on what product you’d prefer to harvest from your plants.
  2. Make your cuts as close to the base of the plant as you can. If you have a small grouping of hemp, you can use a sickle to cut down the stalks individually. For larger crops, consider using a mower with a sickle-bar to make uniform cuts at the same height. [1]
    • Sickles are curved blades commonly used for harvesting grains and tall stalks. They can be purchased at a gardening store.
    • A sickle-bar is an attachment for a riding lawnmower or tractor with a row of blades to cut the stalks at the same height. Rent a sickle-bar from a specialty farm equipment store.
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  3. Lay the stalks in a pile on the ground and leave them to rot slightly. The rot on the outer layer of the stalk helps you separate the fibers later on. This process is known as retting and can take up to 5 weeks. [2]
    • Moisture and microbes break down the chemical bonds that hold the stem together.
    • Retting will not occur at temperatures below 41 °F (5 °C) or above 104 °F (40 °C). [3]
    • Retting can also be done by submerging the stalks in water for 7 to 10 days.
  4. Stand the stalks upright and keep them separated so they are able to dry out completely. Use a moisture meter to determine how much water is still present in your plant. [4]
    • Moisture meters used to measure water levels in plants can be purchased online or at gardening stores.
  5. A decorticator is a machine with 2 gear-like rollers that help break off the dried pieces of the hemp stalk. Pass the dried stalks through the rollers of the machine 1 or 2 stalks at a time. The rollers will break apart the woody pieces of the stem and collect the fibers on the other side. [5]
    • Decorticators are available to rent from farming equipment stores.
    • Use caution when operating heavy machinery to avoid injury.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Collecting Hemp Seeds

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  1. Look for seeds that have not split open near flowers in full bloom. Feel the seed husks to see if they are hard to the touch. Most of the leaves from the stalk will have fallen off at this point in the season.
    • In the United States, harvest usually occurs in early October.
    • Seeds on the same plant will mature at different times. While some of the lower seeds may be mature, seeds higher on the plant may not be ready yet. Watch your plant carefully to determine when to harvest your plant for maximum yield.
    • Keep the fallen leaves on the soil to compost for next growing season.
  2. Make your cuts below the lowest grouping of seeds. The seeds should resemble small marbles without any cracks. Hold the top of the stem with your hands and slice through it with your sickle just below the lowest seed husk.
    • For larger commercial crops, use a combine with a dual-beam cutter.
  3. Make sure the tarp lays flat on the ground. If you’re inside, keep a few windows open so there is a breeze and fresh air coming in. If you’re outside, lay the tarp down on the ground in an open area.
    • A clean bed sheet also works if you don’t have a tarp.
  4. Hold the end of the stem just below the lowest seed husk with your non-dominant hand and use your dominant hand to hit the stalk with a stick. The seeds will break off of the stem with each hit. Collect the fallen seeds in the tarp you’ve laid down until you’re finished.
    • Use a machine thresher for large crops.
  5. 5
    Winnow the seeds in 2 large buckets to remove any residue. Pour the seeds you’ve collected into a 5 US gal (19 L) bucket. Hold the bucket 1 foot (0.30 m) above another empty bucket and slowly dump the seeds into it. Any residue from the stem or seed husk will blow away as you pour the seeds. Repeat the process 6 to 10 times to remove all the residue. [6]
    • Use an industrial winnower for commercial crops to save time and energy.
    • Point a fan at the buckets if the area you’re working in has poor air flow.
  6. Pour the seeds into a container 10 inches (25 cm) deep and seal it with a lid. Store the seeds in a large fridge or cool area so they do not germinate in storage.
    • Hemp seeds in a dry storeroom will burst and become germ-infested.
    • Seeds can be stored in sacks if they have a moisture level less than 12%.
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  • Question
    Is hemp a drug?
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    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Hemp is a type of cannabis plant, but it contains much lower concentrations of THC (the psychoactive component of marijuana) than the closely related marijuana plant. This means that if you were to smoke or ingest hemp, it wouldn’t give you the same kind of high as marijuana. However, it does contain high concentrations of CBD, another compound that is thought to have a variety of therapeutic benefits (such as relief of pain, nausea, and anxiety).
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  • Question
    What equipment does it take to harvest hemp?
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    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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    If you’re growing small quantities of hemp, you may not need much more than a sickle, a hand-held thresher, and some buckets for winnowing. However, for industrial hemp farming, you’ll need more heavy-duty equipment, like a sickle-bar mower and threshing machine.
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  • Question
    Can you round bale hemp?
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    Yes, this is a good way to store CBD hemp. Cut the hemp with a disk mower, then let it dry. Once it’s dried, collect it with a wheel rake and load it into a round baler. You can store the bales the same way you would store dry hay.
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      Warnings

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      Things You’ll Need

      Harvesting the Fibers

      • Sickle or sickle-bar mower
      • Moisture meter
      • Decorticator

      Collecting Hemp Seeds

      • Sickle
      • Tarp or bed sheet
      • Stick or bat
      • 2 5 US gal (19 L) buckets
      • Plastic container or sacks

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      References

      1. ↑ http://nationalhempassociation.org/hemp-harvesting/
      2. ↑ http://nationalhempassociation.org/hemp-harvesting/
      3. ↑ https://www.hempbasics.com/hhusb/hh3fiber.htm
      4. ↑ https://www.hempgazette.com/industrial-hemp/hemp-fiber-production/
      5. ↑ https://www.hempgazette.com/industrial-hemp/hemp-fiber-production/
      6. ↑ https://www.hempbasics.com/hhusb/hh2cul.htm#HH212

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      The best time to harvest hemp fibers is when seeds start developing on your plants. If you only have a few plants, use a sickle to cut the stalks. Try to cut as close to the base of the plant as you can. If you have large amounts of crops, use a mower with a sickle-bar attachment. Once you cut the stalks, pile them in a field and leave them for 5 weeks to rot slightly so their stems start to break down. After that, you’ll want to dry the stalks in a cool, dry area with a moisture level under 15 percent. To break down the stalks, you’ll need a decorticator, which is a machine that helps break off the dried hemp stalk. For more tips from our Gardening co-author, including how to harvest hemp seeds, read on!

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