So this year my father, BIL and I are planted some grains to see how they do. Not a lot. We planted Kamut, Glenn Spring Wheat and Streaker Hulless Oats. 1000 sq ft of each at my father place. The Kamut was just Bobs red mill. My BIL did a germination test and it was almost perfect. The wheat and oats are from Johnny Seeds. I also planted a very small amount of Burbank Hulless Barley in the garden. That came from Siskiyou Seeds. Only one left to plant is the popcorn in a couple of weeks. We will see how it all comes out. Right now the goal is enough to see if we like it and seed to expand if we want/need to. The popcorn is for my daughter. It is her favorite snack so she wants to try to grow enough to keep her in popcorn for the year.
Seed Grains
- Thread starter mecoastie
- Start date
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
You'll have to post photos as they grow throughout the season, I can't wait to see what your harvest will be like.
naturallysweet
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Martinhouse
Deceased
I've done wheat before. My rabbits sure loved cuttings of the grass!
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Looking good so far, makes me wish I had an acreage to grow my own grains now. Martinhouse my mom raised meat rabbits back in the day and the farmer next door would give her oat and grass cuttings for her bunnies, they really enjoyed that fresh green stuff!
The kamut is kaput. It just didn't take very well. Oats and what are looking good although they are weedy. I picked up a grain cradle on CL. Needs to be sharpened and the handles tweaked.
In the garden the barley and popcorn are doing fantastic. the barley was planted in rows and I was able to get it weeded and mulched. While it is not an option for a lot of acreage we are going to row plant the winter wheat in locations this fall. Not sure if we are going to be able to mulch it but we will be able to better handle weed control.
In the garden the barley and popcorn are doing fantastic. the barley was planted in rows and I was able to get it weeded and mulched. While it is not an option for a lot of acreage we are going to row plant the winter wheat in locations this fall. Not sure if we are going to be able to mulch it but we will be able to better handle weed control.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
Impressive. This should be in the prep thread as it is inspiring.
I do understand wanting to grow everything, but in regards to the popcorn, is the fresh grown that much better than a 50 lb bag at Sams? I was wondering.
Also, let us know how good the grow goes with costs associated. It will help me understand if I can do this longer term.
Thank you!!
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
How small?
I am wondering as our ground will never work. It floods and is way to acidic. The costs to correct are too high, so we use planters.
The popcorn is just for fun. My daughters favorite snack.
As for costs. Just the seed and time. All the gadgets like the fan Mill and the grain cradle aren't necessary. You don't need much more than a regular garden.
Well the weeds overtook the oats and the wheat. I may try to harvest some just to do it but it will be a lot of sorting out the weeds from the grains. if it was life or death we would certainly at least get some sort of harvest but it would be a lot of work. I think because it was so late when we planted due to the wet weather that the weeds were able to get a good jump. I also think that because the wheat was planted late it headed out early and stayed very short. It is about 12-18" high with 2 ft high weeds. The oats are taller at probably 2 ft. Pulling by hand both the oats and the wheat have good grain development and full heads.
We are going to try and plant winter wheat this fall to see if it can get a jump in the spring. Also going to plant in rows with a seeder vice broadcast so that at least some limited cultivation is possible. I planted the barley in rows in my garden and was able to both cultivate and mulch it. Not the way to plant for a large plot as I cant see mulching a half acre of grain.
We are going to try and plant winter wheat this fall to see if it can get a jump in the spring. Also going to plant in rows with a seeder vice broadcast so that at least some limited cultivation is possible. I planted the barley in rows in my garden and was able to both cultivate and mulch it. Not the way to plant for a large plot as I cant see mulching a half acre of grain.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
Good to get the feedback. Too often people start a project, but won't give the results unless it is a good one. Thanks!!
It is why I do it now. I would rather figure it out before the wolf is at the door.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
No kidding. As good as we are doing in some things, I keep telling the wife we would still starve. Just a bit slower.
Weeds in small grains are THE biggest problem for organic growers. It's a big reason to plant winter wheat in September (in very well cultivated and weed-free-at-present ground)... you will have many fewer weeds sprout in the cool and short days of fall, but winter wheat grows until the ground freezes, which lets it get ahead of the weeds.
Oats need to be planted as early in the Spring as possible... again, because they sprout and grow well in cool soil, but many of the most aggressive annual weeds don't really take off until it starts to warm up... a 4 week "head start" for the grain is huge in terms of final results.
As you mentioned, if you needed the food, it could be salvaged. As nuts as it sounds, I've found it can actually save time overall with very weedy grain (but which still produced decent, full heads) to just go out with sharp pruners or snips and large pails and harvest by cutting the heads off the grain. Tedious and time consuming, yes... but the amount of time and effort you save in cleaning trash and weed seeds out of the grain is significant.
If you have chickens or other livestock, you just harvest the field, weeds and all. Dry it like you do when harvesting the straw, then bed pens with it. Cattle, horses, hogs and poultry will all pick out much of the grain (and poultry will eat a lot of the weed seeds as well), and then the straw provides bedding.
We have a fairly weedy, late planted oat field we grew for bedding which is nearly ripe. We'll be cutting and baling it soon... the trick is to not wait until it's perfectly ripe, as the baling process tends to thresh out a lot of the grain. If it's cut just slightly green (barely out of the dough stage) the grain stays attached to the straw, and isn't wasted.
Summerthyme
Oats need to be planted as early in the Spring as possible... again, because they sprout and grow well in cool soil, but many of the most aggressive annual weeds don't really take off until it starts to warm up... a 4 week "head start" for the grain is huge in terms of final results.
As you mentioned, if you needed the food, it could be salvaged. As nuts as it sounds, I've found it can actually save time overall with very weedy grain (but which still produced decent, full heads) to just go out with sharp pruners or snips and large pails and harvest by cutting the heads off the grain. Tedious and time consuming, yes... but the amount of time and effort you save in cleaning trash and weed seeds out of the grain is significant.
If you have chickens or other livestock, you just harvest the field, weeds and all. Dry it like you do when harvesting the straw, then bed pens with it. Cattle, horses, hogs and poultry will all pick out much of the grain (and poultry will eat a lot of the weed seeds as well), and then the straw provides bedding.
We have a fairly weedy, late planted oat field we grew for bedding which is nearly ripe. We'll be cutting and baling it soon... the trick is to not wait until it's perfectly ripe, as the baling process tends to thresh out a lot of the grain. If it's cut just slightly green (barely out of the dough stage) the grain stays attached to the straw, and isn't wasted.
Summerthyme
That is exactly what I am going to do. Take a tub , hand sickle and scissors. When its full I am done. Rest will go to the birds.
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
https://www.uaf.edu/files/snre/C135.pdf
I just posted this link in another thread on Main, but it might be really useful for you, mecoastie! It tells about how to raise grains in Alaska, and names some recommended varieties. You may need to use different varieties because your climate will differ, but they could be worth trying.
Kathleen
I just posted this link in another thread on Main, but it might be really useful for you, mecoastie! It tells about how to raise grains in Alaska, and names some recommended varieties. You may need to use different varieties because your climate will differ, but they could be worth trying.
Kathleen
Well I am trying again. At my place this time and much smaller. Planted about 150 sq ft of Glenn spring wheat. Goal is to grow a loaf of bread. I will be happy with that. Barley will go in the garden again. No oats this year. Don't have the space prepped. We are going to try winter wheat at my fathers this fall. Daughter and I are in discussions about the popcorn. She grew enough to get her through the year and wants to do it again. I am not sold on taking up the space. Made a deal with her. She cleans up the new potato patch then she can plant her corn.