Tap Root of a Kenaf Plant

This is the Tap Root of a Kenaf Plant that I pulled
out of the ground 11/21/16.  The Kenaf Plant was
dying from the cold temps of St Louis the past few
days.  Two days of the temperatures below 33 Deg F
at night is all it took.

Kenaf Plants are also called Indian Hemp by some people.

These photos were also highlighted at the Hemp 
Environmental Forum and the Kenaf Community.

Tap Root System of Kenaf Plant from the Kenaf Test Plants

Additional Kenaf Growing Notes

• The seeds were planted for this plant in midsummer 2016.
• The plants were only hand watered twice due to dry conditions and it wasn't a weren't necessity.  I was just playing it on the safe side. After watering them one day it rained that night so I wasted water-aarrgh.
• This particular Kenaf Plant was over 10 feet Tall at harvest time.
• Normal Size Bic Lighter was used for scaling purposes

Kenaf Seeds from Scottys Kenaf Test Plants

• Remarkable plant that started out as a seed about the same size as a pencil lead.

Building with Hemp Part 1/2

Hemp processing plant and Hemp Pellet Info

Dual Hemp Post

 Processing Plant News with Info on making Hemp Pellets for heating and cooking.

Additional Hemp News:

Making pellets is process which can be dramatically different depending on the material you are processing and the end use for the product. For instance here I’m going to talk about the need for sufficient temperature in the pellet press to produce high quality fuel pellets, however too much heat in the pellet press for feed materials and it can damage the product.

As you may know for biomass materials to form a pellet of sufficient density and durability lignin is required. Lignin is the starch that gives the plant its strength, therefore as you can imagine wood has more lignin than say straw. Some materials do not contain enough lignin, and therefore an additional binder is added to aid the process such as modified corn starch. However with other materials if the right temperature and pressure can be achieved in the pellet press the natural lignin from within the material can be used as a binder.

Pellet press at tempreature

In the pellet press temperature and pressure have a close relationship. While you want to achieve a temperature high enough to melt the lignin to bind the pellets you will also be increasing the pressure within the pellet press die at the same time. However if the pressure gets too high the rollers will not provide enough force to push material through the die and this will lead to a blockage. This is typically the case if die has not been drilled to a high standard or there is a build up corrosion on the interior surface of the die holes which has not been removed.

We drill each die to suit the material being processed to create the right amount of temperature and pressure within the pellet press die. If the pressure does appear to be getting too high small amounts of vegetable oil can be dripped into the process.

Learn more from at http://www.pelheat.com/ Operating A Pellet Press At The Right Temperature

Ag Invention Kenaf Test Plant Growth Update

Kenaf Test Plant Growth Update October 1, 2016, 

Happily Report the Kenaf Test Plants are between 8 and 10 feet tall!   The average stem diameter I estimate at around 1 inch.  

Perfect Example of why Kenaf is a Biomass Clean Energy Champion!  

1 1/4 in stem diameter Kenaf 

115 inch tall Kenaf Plants 

115 inch Tall Kenaf Plants

 Here is a way to gauge height of an object that is close to a home with plastic siding.  Count the Lap Joints.

Construction Tip: Normal Lap on Plastic Siding is 4 in.

Update Lignin Removal Test Plants Photo

Growing Kenaf Test Plant Images from first planting Jan 2016 till Sept 2016

Two Sets of Test Plants are growing.  1 set started indoors, 2nd set planted in backyard garden.

As of Sept 18 the second set of plants is within 2 feet of acquiring the height the 1st set has reached.

This is a perfect example of Kenaf ability to produce clean energy from the plant biomass.

Kenaf Plants started indoors Mid Jan 2016

2 feet tall kenaf plants transplanted to pots and moved outdoors Spring 2016

Kenaf Plant Flower

2nd set of Kenaf Plants planted directly in backyard Garden 

Kenaf Seed pods and seeds from 1st plants

Sept 18 2016 1st and 2nd Kenaf Plant Height comparison.

Here is a lesson I learned from this experiment: Don't plant anything under a roof edge that doesn't have a gutter to collect the water and keep it from downing and drowning the plant below. 

A Plant that could change evrerything

Hemp A Plant that could change everything.  Hemp-Kids Get It 

This infographic was created by students from Cascade High School in Everett, WA, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy-Bioenergize ME Infographic Challenge. The BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge encourages young people to improve their foundational understanding of bioenergy, which is a broad and complex topic. The ideas expressed in these infographics reflect where students are in the learning process and do not necessarily reflect the state of knowledge of the U.S. Department of Energy or other experts in the bioenergy industry.

Hemp, Kids Get It  DOE Bioenergize Challenge Winners