Monday, November 30, 2015

Hemp vs. Cotton: Which Fabric Is Better?



Both hemp and cotton are excellent crops which can be used to create everything from clothing to homes. The controversies surrounding hemp and it's association with marijuana however help keep cotton the choice of most companies. Hemp is not marijuana however and it is a very versatile and strong material with which to build. With that said let's take a look at the differences between cotton and hemp use.

Water Requirements

Growing cotton is no easy feat and the 1400 gallons of water needed for every pound of cotton growing makes cotton farming rather expensive especially during times of drought. Some cotton farms have actually become literal deserts after running themselves and surrounding areas out of water. Hemp on the other hand requires roughly half the water cotton does which makes it vastly more affordable right out of the gate. Best of all hemp grows at a much faster rate than cotton so water requirements might be even lower for some growers.

Crop Protection

Cotton requires pesticides and it requires very strong chemicals and frequent treatments in order to remain healthy. Juxtaposing the costs of cotton pesticides and water requirements is usually enough to force some farmers to begin growing hemp or at the very least grow less cotton. Hemp on the other hand requires nothing other than water and sunlight to grow. Chemicals are wholly unnecessary for this hardy plant. Farmers concerned with weeds strangling their hemp should know that hemp competes and beats out all varieties of weeds without any problems.

Comfortable Clothing

Much like vinyl records, clothing made of cotton is most comfortable and durable the first time it's worn. Each wearing and washing takes something away from cotton clothing. Cotton fibers break down easily under the rigors of movement and even more so in washers and dryers. Hemp being a much sturdier crop produces not only the more comfortable clothing of the two but clothing with a much greater longevity too. Hemp clothing doesn't start off as soft as cotton clothing does but it eventually becomes more comfortable and will last a lot longer.

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