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Post by steev on Sept 28, 2011 23:45:08 GMT -5
I seeded six varieties of hulless barley yesterday and put the pots in my sprouting box. With any luck, I'll have them transplanted out before Halloween. Weather report is possible or probable rain on the farm all next week. That would be excellent, though I don't really expect much to come of it. Still, one must be willing to be pleasantly surprised.
As soon as I can move these barleys out of the box, I've got a bunch of wheats to go in.
If the rain has really come by the time this stuff is ready to be planted out, so I can shut off the drip, I'll set these grains out in blocks, separated by the various chicories I've started.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Sept 29, 2011 5:40:58 GMT -5
There are such things as winter barleys. Don't know much more than that.
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Post by bunkie on Sept 29, 2011 10:24:50 GMT -5
i didn't know that either?! i have always planted the hulless barley in the spring as starts and harvested in the fall.
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Post by 12540dumont on Sept 29, 2011 11:29:13 GMT -5
The farmer who puts in our hay has done both barley and rye at Thanksgiving, he harvests in mid May here in CA.
Rye, achoo. No....please....calgonite take me away.
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Post by steev on Sept 29, 2011 15:23:44 GMT -5
I've used other barley as Winter cover crop on the farm and it's done fine. The worst snow I've seen was on the ground five days and the coldest temperature I've known was 12F at night. So one thing I'm interested in seeing is how these grains perform overwintered because at this time I really don't want these grains hogging my developed planting area when I need it for veggies, corn and rice; if they can grow unirrigated and mature May-June, they have a valuable place in my current planting scheme.
Besides, I've got all these seeds and I lust to grow them out.
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Post by steev on Sept 29, 2011 15:37:41 GMT -5
I've also got some hulless oats to direct-seed asap; I've used Cayuse oats as Winter cover/green manure several times; oats are very commonly used so here in northern California.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Sept 29, 2011 21:13:36 GMT -5
This is what I know about winter barley. Apparently Cornell U. was at one time actively breeding these, I assume with intent to create a viable variety for NY state. Project was dropped at some point but the varieties are still around. My friend Tevis told me he was trialling them last year. He trails a lot of grain varieties as part of the Northeast Organic Wheat Project. I can ask him if he has seed if anyone is interested.
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Post by steev on Sept 30, 2011 1:27:07 GMT -5
I certainly am! I suppose Winter on my farm probably counts as a minor cold snap in New York. That's why I'm not much worried about these grains overwintering. I always figured Winter grains got a little growth in the Fall and then hibernated under snow until Spring. I'm a tad cautious about rice, but barley, wheat, and oats should be no problem.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Oct 1, 2011 20:01:33 GMT -5
Got an email from my friend. Does not have seed to share at this time. Recommended the following varieties to try. Chinese landrace winter barley Wong. Cornell U winter barley varieties, Schuyler, Catskill, Hudson, Wintermalt. Recommended contacting Oregon State, also a seed source in California called the Kusa seed society.
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Post by steev on Oct 3, 2011 12:22:55 GMT -5
I don't have any of those Cornell varieties, but I got some others from KUSA, which I'm trying.
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Post by steev on Oct 6, 2011 17:13:55 GMT -5
I really like barleys, so vigorous in growth; the wheats I've tried are very wimpy in comparison.
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Post by steev on Oct 17, 2011 0:14:04 GMT -5
Today I planted out the five barleys that sprouted, one failed utterly. I'm a little nervous that there may be too much heat/dry for them to take well. There may be a little rain coming this week. If it gets damp, I'll maybe set out some wheats next week-end.
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Post by steev on Oct 25, 2011 10:44:06 GMT -5
Last week's barleys are not pleased, there having been no rain, but they are all persevering. So far, so good. They will be fine once it rains.
I'll not set out the wheats until then; just as well, since it gives opportunity to re-till their planting area for weed control.
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Post by steev on Nov 7, 2011 11:18:52 GMT -5
It having rained a bit, the barleys have no doubt passed into safety, although many individual plants have just plain passed. I set out three varieties of wheat, separated by endives, and refreshed the defining lines of the barleys with broccoli, replacing chicories that failed. All the grain areas are heavily infested by brome, which is leaping out of the ground, welcome as Taliban at a Shriners parade.
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Post by 12540dumont on Nov 7, 2011 17:15:49 GMT -5
You'd think they'd get on well, they both wear silly hats.
Sorry about the weeds.
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