The Eil and Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research has been researching the use of hemp straw as a mulch for use in orchards.

Both the bast and the hurd are highly absorbent and good insulators and make excellent mulching material. Trials on apple trees in Tasmania have shown that the hemp mulch compared well with other mulches, both in terms of soil fauna and in fruit quality. It is also thought that a hemp mulch could be useful for stabilising sand dunes that are liable to erosion.

Madsativia was correct :thumbsup:. However I would still have to agree with Bedrockbob if there was a problem in the prior crop.