Farm Update, May 2022
The Horn Creek CBD fields are hopping this spring. We are making improvements, adding CBD cultivars and finding ways to be more environmentally sound.
Horn Creek Hemp 2022 Cultivars
We are growing 27 cultivars this year, which is almost double last year’s final numbers. We added two new genetics providers. We are very excited about the new cultivars, and the new approaches they bring. Oregon CBD Seeds is our mainstay. We’ve been with them since the inception of Horn Creek Hemp. We next added East Fork Cultivars after partnering with them on their R&D grows. East Fork Cultivars is a solid group of people operating in the Illinois Valley. They grow Type I, II and III cannabis and they are very good at it. In addition to both of their best hits, we are growing 4 R&D cultivars for East Fork. Excited about those Canna Tsu, Ringo’s Gift and ACDC offspring.
This year we added High Alpine Genetics and Hoku Seed Co. varieties. Thomas at High Alpine and Floyd from Hoku are both extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about historic landrace genetics and modern cultivars. High Alpine produces the popular Pink Panther Hemp Flower and the beautifully dark Alpen Gleaux CBD buds. Floyd’s online shop is a candy store of exotic cultivars.
How to Grow Hemp in a drought
The drought situation here in the west is frightening. Despite a very wet April, our reservoirs are at just 15-21% of capacity. To deal with the shortage we are planting early and planting our first auto-flowers. We’ve lined up our water storage and optimized usage. We also plan to do more with direct-seeding. Direct seeding of cannabis plants produces a much more robust root structure, sending taproots deeper into the soil. Direct-seeded plants are more robust and resistant to pests and disease.
Growing Hemp in Living Soil
We are also spreading out. Our rows are now 15 feet apart. This gives us better airflow, more visibility to examine each plant, and more room for plants to grow. We feel like we are scaling back to an overgrown garden. Field prep has an entirely different feel. We have left our cover drop intact between the rows, which adds nitrogen, slows weed growth and cools the soil. Best of all, leaving soil un-tilled preserves the complex and critical mycorrhizae network intact. Mycorrhizae are the fascinating sub-surface fungal network that is critical for plant nutrition. Learning about the network opens your eyes to the connectedness of plants in living soil.
Earth-Friendly Hemp Cultivation
Mulch is good for water preservation, but we have become cynics about it – even the biodegradable mulch we have used. This year we are going back to traditional mulch in the form of straw.
We are bedding the rows, adding drip tape, then distributing 14 tons of straw for weed mitigation and water preservation. Straw cools the soil as well. Last year Whitney recorded temperatures under the bio mulch of 140 F and higher. No beneficial microbes can live in that heat. Black mulch prevents weed growth, but it harms living soil, fosters pythium growth and it just looks bad. Straw adds organic matter (humus) to the soil. It is better for the environment, and it just looks better.
Germination
As we decrease the number of plants, we are increasing the cultivars. This makes it harder to do production-level germination. We are going back to hand-germination for many cultivars. If done properly, this can provide benefits almost as good as direct seeding. Whitney has been sewing seeds into small-batch trays of starter pods. We’re going back to tried and true garden techniques. Nothing beats attention and care in growing crops.
Roles
After six years we are starting to be more comfortable in our roles. Brent is the Field ops manager. He calls the shots. Whitney advocates for changes in our process to facilitate plant and soil health. The rest of us drive the tractors, spread the straw and do as we are told. This has been a major shift in reducing the stress and tension of field prep and planting days. Every year in farming is a gamble. This year will throw curveballs, just as every year in the past has done. We are feeling perhaps a bit more prepared to deal with the inevitable hiccups. We are really looking forward to it.
Horn Creek 2022 cultivars
East Fork Cultivars
| Cultivar | Parentage A | Parentage B |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Guava | ACDC | Sour Tsu |
| Oregon Sweetgum | ACDC | Canna Tsu |
| Sour Pineapple | Sour Tsunami | Pineapple Tsu |
| Pineapple Kush | Pineapple Tsu | ’98 Bubba Kush |
| Blue Orchid | Blue Dynamite | Ringo’s Gift |
| Llama Tonic | ’78 Llamas | Canna Tsu |
| RGSP | Ringo’s Gift | Sour Pineapple |
| AcTak | ACDC | Takilma Kush |
Hoku Seed Co.
| Cultivar | Parentage A | Parentage B |
|---|---|---|
| Japhy | Ceiba | Karmatonic Z |
| Mango Tree | Mango | Remedy Kush Diesel (RKD) |
| Rock Candy | CBD Candy | Remedy Kush Diesel (RKD) |
| Kush Cake | CBD Cake | Remedy Kush Diesel (RKD) |
| Lazybone | Lovebone | Remedy Kush Diesel (RKD) |
High Alpine Genetics
| Cultivar | Parentage A | Parentage B |
|---|---|---|
| Alpen Gleaux | ||
| Shaolin Gleaux | Tangistan R4 | Alpen Gleaux |
| Frosted Grapes | Dream Tonic F2 | Alpen Gleaux |
| Pink Panther | Cats Meow | Alpen Gleaux |
Oregon CBD Seeds
| Cultivar | Parentage A | Parentage B |
|---|---|---|
| Sour Space Candy | Sour Tsu | ERB (Early Resin Berry) |
| Super Sour Space Candy | Sour Tsu | GG #4 (Gorilla Glue) |
| Lifter | Suver Haze 50 | ERB (Early Resin Berry) |
| Sour Lifter | Lifter | GG #4 (Gorilla Glue) |
| Sour Special Sauce | Special Sauce | GG #4 (Gorilla Glue) |
| Sour Brulee | W19 | GG #4 (Gorilla Glue) |
| Sour Hawaiian Haze | DC haze CC | GG #4 (Gorilla Glue) |
| Forbidden V | SuverV | ERBV |
| Sour G CBG | ||
| CBG White |
1 thought on “Farm Update & 2022 Season Cultivar Lineup”
Amazing insight into all the amazing work being done behind the scenes! Keep up the great work! Can’t wait to try out the new lineup! Keep GROWING!!!! 🖖🏽