cover crops...

[Greenthumb18]

Has anyone tried growing cover crops like barley, buckwheat, oats, wheat etc.. ?

I've tried barley and i got to say i enjoyed growing it, i thought about the many uses i could use the barley grain for, i could save it to plant for next season, cook with it in a recipe, giv it to my birds, make beer out of it, or i could make flour out of it. I also save the barley straw or hay for my birds. Cover crops are very good for the soil, there are many advantages of growing them.

 

[vfem]

This is something I'll have to put thought into for another year.

I would have to start another whole garden area for something like these. Right now I'm locked down to a 16' x 12' garden space. Sounds like you did well with yours though.

Could you explain how you went about it more so I understand the concept?

 

[Greenthumb18]

Could you explain how you went about it more so I understand the concept?

Sure, no problem

The main reason why i chose to plant barley that year was because you can plant it in early Spring, say around March and harvest it by May, it only takes about 1 month and a half to 2 months from planting to harvest. I dont think you would need to have a new garden area for this, i plant the barley early, harvest, then use that same bed or planting area for my vegetables. You should give it a try this spring. I even tried some other cover crops like wheat but for wheat and others it takes longer to harvest the grain, longer than 2 months for sure. It wasn't diffcult at all to plant the barley, pretty easy to plant. Cover crops are very good for the soil, i always try to plant some kind of cover crop Spring and this fall i'll plant a fall-sown cover crop thats winter hardy.

I hope you'll give it a try your soil will thank you.

 

[Patch of Heaven Farm]

I would love to plant some wheat to make flour. Where can I find seed? I would be interested if I can plant enough to make enough flour for my family of four. I will definately have to look into it!!

 

[beak]

Last year we tilled our garden, planted the seed and set up the soaker hoses. Our garden is 60x80. I had bought a couple round bales of barley straw that I planned to use to keep the weeds down. As I was rolling it out I noticed some seeds. A couple weeks later we're looking for sprouts coming up and under the straw is a lush carpet of grass. It choked out all the stuff we planted. We let it grow a few more inches then let the horse come in and graze

 

[Greenthumb18]

I would love to plant some wheat to make flour. Where can I find seed? I would be interested if I can plant enough to make enough flour for my family of four. I will definately have to look into it!!

There are a lot of nurseries that carry cover crops, try to google it. I know that bountiful gardens, johnnys seeds, territorial seed carry them. Yeah that would be fun to make your own flour then you can make homemade bread with it.

Good Luck!!!

 

[farmerlor]

I would love to plant some wheat to make flour. Where can I find seed? I would be interested if I can plant enough to make enough flour for my family of four. I will definately have to look into it!!

I noticed the other day that a bag of hard red wheat berries in the store (Bob's? was the name on the bag of wheat) says that it can be sprouted for salads. Well, if it can be sprouted for salads it can be sprouted in the garden! Might be a way to go.

 

[beavis]

Here is my wheat and barley coming up.

Do I let it grow to maturity or do I plow it into the raised beds beforehand?

 

[Greenthumb18]

Here is my wheat and barley coming up.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t83/HVF-6713/P1010317-1.jpg

Do I let it grow to maturity or do I plow it into the raised beds beforehand?

If you want to harvest the grain and use the straw then you would need to grow it to maturity, but if you want to add the organic matter i would till it in before it produces the grain, but i think the cover crops are good for the soil even if you let it grow to maturity, it should be fine. Looks good!!

 

[Catalina]

I bought some yellow clover cover crop.
Planted some in the chicken run .....it never came up.
I might try again in the Spring. Seed it in my gardens and then till it in before I plant.
The snow melts off in April, but I can't plant out a lot of things until late May when the temp. warms up.