Our last hemp season of 2019 really surprised everyone by the emergence of a smokable hemp market. This new market craves bold terpenes and flavors that strike our primary senses.
Things such as bud structure, terpene profiles, colors, and flavors become more critical in a smokable hemp flower market than the primary CBD potency sought after in the extraction biomass market.
So, who is responsible for this new wave of premium smokable hemp?
Creating High-Quality Smokable Buds
Consumers want that "bag appeal" when picking a smokable hemp product. That means crystal-covered, tight thumb-sized buds, with a loud screaming smell, fresh color, and flavor.This has turned many industrial hemp farmers away from growing CBD biomass and towards a grower industry, creating high-quality smokable hemp buds.
Taking Industrial Hemp in a New Direction
The desire to smoke CBD hemp flowers has taken the industrial hemp seed market in a new direction. Once farmers were seeking the highest yielding CBD genetics to grow biomass for extraction purposes, we now see hemp farmers seeking out genetics more suited to please the connoisseur market.Exploring West Coast Hemp Growers
This month CANVAST has explored the west coast growers and producers to look towards the cutting edge of hemp genetics in the boutique hemp flower market.Our premium hemp seed producers this month, a trusted source of hemp genetics, is Sovereign Fields! These hemp breeders have pushed out varieties that have helped to forge a boutique flower market for folks that want the benefit of smoking cannabis without the "high" sensation from smoking THC D-9.
Sovereign Fields has focused on the terpene expression of their varieties, working to capture that peppery smell that is so familiar in west coast gas genetics. Making their low CBD yet also a compliant total THC variety a mellow smoke you can enjoy in any US territory safely.
They farm 40 acres of sun-grown hemp and cultivate several greenhouse acres. Spreading gold-standard, feminized hemp seed among the region's Rogue, Illinois, and Applegate valleys, and now through CANVAST Supply Co. reaching new southeast territories.
Sovereign Fields Hemp Genetics
With over 20 years experience, Sovereign Fields breeds boutique and commercially viable genetics to meet the needs of the North American hemp farmer through science-based research and development.
Let's take a look at a few key genetics.
Kush Hemp E1 "Bubba Kush"
Kush Hemp E1, otherwise known as "bubba" is an indica dominant hybrid. This plant offers strongly desired growth characteristics, which makes it a favorite with the hemp farmer.However, with its gassy, west coast cannabis terpene profile, it is pushing the new standard for the boutique hemp smokable market. Kush Hemp E1 brings that classic Afghani Kush expression of sharp, gassy notes of black pepper and clove followed by citric peel and earthy undertones.
This elite hemp cultivar is short and compact, with a strong and robust structure. The broad fan leaves and strong lateral growth are ideal for windy locations, arid deserts, and mountain regions.
Because of its compact nature, it requires a mild feeding regime to meet its modest metabolic demands. Another bonus to growing this broad-leafed babe is her thick skin, which makes this variety very pest resistant.
Hemptonic
Hemptonic is highly adaptable to many cannabis growing regions. Known for fast, aggressive, and vigorous growth, plants can more than double in size transitioning from the veg into the flowering period.This makes them perfect for a later planting date, which cuts out the need for lights and a greenhouse to grow your hemp plants before placing them in the field. Due to its late-maturing nature, this makes Hemptonic well suited for regions that pack a humid summer.
High yield and powerful terpene expressions display sharp, gassy citric peel with acrid berry, and pinewood notes make this a complex and enjoyable smoking variety.
Lightning Autoflower
They also offer the Lightning Autoflower variety. These revolutionizing genetics allows farmers to harvest within 75 days of sprouting seed. Autoflower allows growers to get a harvest during long summer days, before the major harvest that happens in October.Where a traditional hemp genetic would require a long night and short day to trigger the flower cycle, Autoflowers can start their flowering cycle even when the days are still long. Due to the compact size and short maturation cycle, hemp Autoflowers assist in the conservation of time, energy, and general resources such as water, nutrients, labor, and processing infrastructure.
In fact, they prefer little water and drought-like conditions. This low water consumption helps to mitigate resources for the first 30 days, though the plants maintain very high metabolic demands throughout their short life cycle. Think of it like dog years!
Conclusion
These are the hot new varieties coming from our friends at Sovereign Fields this season. Don't miss the opportunity to grow some gorgeous flowers this 2020 and beyond! Stay tuned to CANVAST Supply Co.
Need a Grow Expert?
Our Hemp Resource Agents are here to support you. We want each farmer to feel supported as if they have their own consultant, on-call, that leads them through their growing season and post-harvest solutions. Our Hemp Resource Team can suggest Integrative Pest Management Solutions and the Nutrients/Amendments you need for a successful harvest.