Sun Hemp

Anyone ever planted this for penned deer? I planted it in a field for a soil builder and weed killer last year and the deer loved this stuff. I plan to plant some in my pen this year. I think it is best suited for southern states but not sure.

Hemp.....no wonder you spend so much time with your deer.... They can't roll their own.

Heck mabey thats a way to make deer farming better for us.Mabey that stuff would help in antler growth.Even if it didnt help the deer you could always say that deer farming sucks but the cash crop is good....

Do not feed sunn hemp to livestock, as it contains poisonous alkaloids. Certain varieties of sunn hemp have been selected to not contain these substances (such as USDA's Tropic Sun variety, and some others grown in Paraguay), but the varieties commonly available in the U.S. are generally considered to be toxic to livestock.

http://www.notill.org/cover_crops/sun_hemp.htm



This was the site I was reading???

The Sun Hemp we planted is not one of the toxic varieties. There is a USDA study verifying that it is not and the deer and cows at my house ate it all summer last year. There is a report coming out this summer that claims it is 30% protien.

Hi Guys,



Let's talk sunn hemp. 'Tropic Sun' may be the greatest Green Manure/cover crop that was ever grown. Planted correctly it can produce 147lbs of nitrogen/acre, 2+ tons of organic matter/acre, erosion control, retains moisture in soil, reduces plant parasitic nematodes in a crop rotation system, and is non-toxic to poultry, livestock, and yes, deer. In fact they love the stuff. This is a soil conditioner that brings renewed life to soil whether you want to plant something for you, the deer, or just leave the land fallow.





Starting in June 2012 I will have the heavily sought after, always talked about, but never seen 'Tropic Sun' sunn hemp seeds. Our website is being created as we speak but anyone can contact me at [email protected]







Look it up, you'll see that several reputable sources endorse our product. In fact it was created as a cultivar release from the USDA NRCS. Our seed IS Grown in the USA and is non-toxic to animals; what can be better than that?



Feel free to ask me questions or to get on our contact list when our website is up and running. Take it from one hunting farmer to the next.

How far north does it grow? Is it hard to establish like some of the native prairie grasses? Is the seed costly? Theres a few questions to get you started. Rick

'Tropic Sun' should be planted after the last killing frost, in the springtime (summer annual). It will grow anywhere you find sweet corn, virtually everywhere in the United States. I was in New Hampshire last month and saw tons of sweet corn, so we will be sending some 'Tropic Sun' to one of our farmers to grow.



For a green manure it is best grown for 60 days, mowed and incorporated into the soil. If left to grow, it will become fibrous (like all hemps)and will be a little more difficult to cut down. It will not flower and produce seed in the continental USA. You may find that in lower parts of Texas or Florida they do produce seed but nowhere the equivalent of what we do here in Hawaii and it is not 'Tropic Sun'.



Our cost will be dependent on quantity produced. Usually around $5 a pound. It does a lot for your soil and doubles as a feed for deer. We have a limited supply.



I will post my website when it is completed.



Please verify that my information is accurate online. I want to help everyone I can that is interested in 'Tropic Sun'.



Thanks

Having your deer consume hemp will not increase or improve antler growth without throwing bags of opened Cheetos in with them.

Will the deer need sunglasses,& suddenly develope a like for reggae?



Cool Runnings

Sharkey

Tropic Sun,

How did you find out this discussion was here on this forum so quickly?



Jeff

Jeff, it looks like there was several months between the original post and Tropic Sun's reply.....

Thanks Chad, I did'nt even notice the date. The subject took me by surprise. We just got back from Hawaii, while we were there I had a discussion with a chef that had mentioned Molokai Seed company. He grew a lot of his own veggies that he prepares for his clients.

My deer foraged on it all summer and did great.

Oh...I can't wait to tell my longhaired husband about this thread

Guess you can add hash brownies to the list of deer treats

Like I said before. 'Tropic Sun', the non-toxic variety of sunn hemp that is grown in the USA cannot be found anywhere else. At least I couldn't.



We have grown this variety for awhile but it is the first time we will be selling it nationwide. Deer food plots are perfect for 'Tropic Sun' as it already has research done as forage for animals. I wouldn't trust buying any sunn hemp unless it's Tropic Sun if your feeding it to animals, or plan on eating them. Just a thought.