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Post by robertb on Jan 26, 2015 13:42:44 GMT -5
How far apart should the seeds be planted? From what little I can see on the internet, they should be planted in April; is that correct?
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Jan 26, 2015 17:01:38 GMT -5
Wheat and rye tiller until they fill up the available space. So they can be planted one inch apart, or one foot apart, and the plants will send up shoots until they start crowding each other. If you want to minimize the amount of seed planted, or if have a limited amount of seed and want to increase it faster then plant it further apart. A good compromise is to plant on a 6" grid.
If at all possible I plant wheat and rye in the fall. If I miss a planting date, then the next best time is during a mid-winter thaw, or the day after the snow melts. The earlier they get into the ground, the less competition from weeds.
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Post by steev on Jan 26, 2015 20:48:36 GMT -5
Ditto what Joseph said. I had most of my wheats, barleys, and oats planted by mid-December, and the few mis-placed ones in during the first week of January. Earlier planting results in greater production. Granted, I only rarely get any snow, but growth of nearly everything stops when daily mins and maxes add up to less than 100 degrees F.
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Post by philagardener on Jan 26, 2015 21:11:38 GMT -5
Wheat and rye tiller until they fill up the available space. So they can be planted one inch apart, or one foot apart, and the plants will send up shoots until they start crowding each other. If you want to minimize the amount of seed planted, or if have a limited amount of seed and want to increase it faster then plant it further apart. Do you get a crop faster if they are sown more thickly?
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Post by steev on Jan 26, 2015 22:01:58 GMT -5
No, just less. The thing that prods grasses to seed is dryness. That's why I like to get them in as soon as possible, so they get maximum growth without irrigation, maturing seed as the soil dries after the rainy season.
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Post by 12540dumont on Jan 27, 2015 3:44:47 GMT -5
This year I planted in November. The wee birdies took them all. I guess the flight down from the Nether North Regions was traumatic. Iffen you live where it snows, September is not too early. On the West Coast....who knows? I was thinking about another sowing. It's funny, for years I never bothered planting grain, now that I think it's very important, well it may be too late. By the way, I never do Rye...scarey stuff that Ergot. But Barley, Oats, Wheat are all great.
The farmer who does my hay crop...he's 70 something, he's not telling, unless I come down to the "Chew and Chat Cafe" at o"dark thirty, planted this year in August. What? Yup. This in California. He tilled in August, and then drilled. Never saw this in my whole life. When I asked him about it, he just said,"Well, I was thinking at my age, I might not get back here as soon as I expected."
Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. Grab hold of that basket, I think the ride is going to get a little bumpy from here on in.
Plant early and often. If you have enough seed, plant every month and see what happens.
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Post by robertb on Jan 27, 2015 13:43:09 GMT -5
What are your climates like? If you have a continental climate, then I get what you say about putting it in early. We get rain all the year round, apart from occasional unpredictable droughts.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Jan 27, 2015 14:01:49 GMT -5
My climate is high-altitude desert. Most precipitation occurs in the non-summer months. The natural growth pattern of wheat and rye is for seeds to drop to the ground during the summer dry season, sprout with the fall rains, and grow during the cooler weather months, then flower when the soil starts to dry out in the spring/summer. The closer your cultural practices match that pattern the better they are likely to do for you.
Wheat and rye tend to avoid droughts by growing in cooler temperatures so not as much water is required.
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Post by 12540dumont on Jan 27, 2015 21:17:10 GMT -5
I'm in California. My weather is very much like Italy or France. Think Mediterranean and you'd have my climate. Except, someone stole my rain.
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Post by steev on Jan 27, 2015 21:22:33 GMT -5
Me, too, like Holly, only more so; like Joseph, without the snow and copious irrigation available.
Bear in mind that I'm looking at a possible fourth year historic drought, but I am cautiously optimistic for NLT decent seed-increase of my grains, even including the Ethiopian Purple Wheat, which the elk have been tromping all to hell.
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