|
Post by steev on Nov 7, 2011 21:15:42 GMT -5
Well, one man's weed is another man's potherb. Brome must be good for something; I think some poultry would be a great help in its utilization.
|
|
|
Post by raymondo on Jan 2, 2012 4:13:33 GMT -5
Someone gave me a few seeds of a hulless barley from Ethiopia. They are growing happily though I think I may have planted them a little close. These plants began tillering as soon as they emerged. Is that normal for barley?
|
|
|
Post by bunkie on Jan 2, 2012 12:21:03 GMT -5
ray, i planted a variety of hulless barley a few years ago, and they also tillered in the beginning. i think i posted pics of the plants. they did really well.
|
|
|
Post by johno on Jan 2, 2012 12:30:08 GMT -5
How did I miss this thread? I'm keen on any hulless grains.
|
|
|
Post by castanea on Jan 2, 2012 12:34:49 GMT -5
KUSA seed society has some awesome stuff including some Indian Karan barley lines. The story behind them is very interesting: "These “Miracle Seeded” food-barleys were created by an Indian agricultural genius 25 years ago (using “old school,” low-tech, classical plant-breeding methods of hand-crossing and selection), and were intentionally designed (“from the ground up”) to add millions of tons of grain to the national pool annually to ameliorate India’s hunger problem. The plants are small and miniaturized, lodging-proof (they have double the stem-strength of “green-revolution” wheats), and are richer in protein than the best, top-of-the-line, green-revolution bread wheat. The plants are superbly suited to mini-farming under natural conditions, as they possess high inputconversion efficiency, including a more-efficient tapping of solar-energy and other enhanced plant-function factors. The plants’ nitrogen-conversion efficiency is higher than that of India’s commercial “green-revolution” wheats." www.ancientcerealgrains.org/seedandliteraturecatalog1.html
|
|
|
Post by MikeH on Jan 2, 2012 13:41:22 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by 12540dumont on Jan 2, 2012 15:39:23 GMT -5
I planted: Burbank, Naked, Tibetan, Faust, Arabian Blue & Glutinous. Now if it would only rain. The barley was direct seeded and it's about an inch tall. I believe it's living on fog.
|
|
|
Post by raymondo on Jan 2, 2012 16:31:22 GMT -5
Thanks folks. Never having grown barley before I was unsure whether to be relaxed or worried about the tillering. They are a tad close but it's a tiny patch only two rows wide, just for seed increase, so each plant has plenty of room in one direction at least.
|
|
|
Post by raymondo on Jan 10, 2012 3:32:08 GMT -5
Well, in less than six weeks the barley I planted is flowering. I'm impressed by the speed with which it has done so. The oats right next to them and sown on the same day seem a long way behind in comparison.
|
|
|
Post by oxbowfarm on Jan 10, 2012 5:38:18 GMT -5
I've never trialed hulless barley. Are most hulless varieties also awnless? I know that especially in dry growing conditions awned barleys will out-yield awnless ones. With adequate water this doesn't seem to be the case.
Barleys with rough awns are a real pain. I worked as a certified seed inspector one summer in college. Nothing ruins a pair of jeans like walking through a field of rough-awned barley. Kind of like walking through a field of sandpaper. Should have worn chaps except it was already freaky hot.
|
|
|
Post by oxbowfarm on Jan 10, 2012 5:41:12 GMT -5
Ray, as far as the tillering, most cereals will tiller abundantly if they feel like they've got the growing room. Crowd them and they won't. Your barley must be feeling like its got some decent elbow room.
|
|
|
Post by raymondo on Jan 10, 2012 6:32:48 GMT -5
My barley 'patch' is only two rows wide so there's plenty of room sideways. It is just for a seed increase so I can experiment with it a bit to see when it does best. I'm curious to see how cold hardy it is.
|
|
|
Post by steev on Jan 10, 2012 11:48:04 GMT -5
The barleys I have growing have all yellowed somewhat from cold in the last month, something under 32F, but I fully expect them all to perk up fine come Spring.
|
|
|
Post by spacecase0 on Jan 10, 2012 12:22:11 GMT -5
the awns keep many animals from eating it by annoying the animal, I am not sure that the awnless ones would be safe where I have to grow it.
|
|
|
Post by steev on Jan 10, 2012 16:06:34 GMT -5
For sure! I'm thinking that when I plant a large patch of Einkorn, I'll plant it outside my fenced area, which I would never consider if it weren't beardy.
|
|