YOUNG PLANT PRODUCTION GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START Raker-Roberta's young plant knowledge helped ease expansion into hemp transplants. BY JARV IS GREEN G rowing a successful hemp crop is the result of many small things done well throughout the entire growing process. Being a new crop for outdoor producers, farmers face both risk and reward in producing CBD and CBG crops. Minimizing risk is important to success. A critical first step is beginning with a healthy clone from a proven variety or strain. The steps to a healthy clone begin long before the plant is planted in the field. At Raker-Roberta's in Litchfield, Michigan, we're using our 8 | 2020 GUIDE TO HEMP PRODUCTION decades of young plant production expertise to deliver healthy plants ready for the field. By partnering with reputable breeders who have experience in cannabis production and commercial horticulture, we take some of the risk out of field production. Certificates of analysis are available for all strains, as well as information outlining cannabinoid levels throughout the maturity season and anticipated harvest dates. A clone originates from the mother stock. A healthy mother plant will produce healthy clones for maximum performance in the field. Our stock is grown and groomed to yield vegetative cuttings. Because hemp is not labeled for conventional pesticides, it's critical to propagate disease-free cuttings to ensure healthy, clean clones. As part of our integrated pest management (IPM) program, beneficial biologicals are implemented to