Growing wheat

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Growing wheat
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Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 11:37 am Post subject: Growing wheat
Spurred on by my success with oats last year, I've sowed my winter wheat, and am delighted it has decided to sprout, and looks quite promising; if you look closely, you can see the little shoots here: Quite exciting; looking forward to finally producing a really home grown loaf, one of my long-held ambitions.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45723
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 11:39 am Post subject:
My maize all got mullered, got enough for a couple of ozs of flour I reckon

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 11:55 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

My maize all got mullered, ...

Really? Someone on my allotment site has some sweetcorn that's done annoyingly well and it's still on the plant after a couple of frosts.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45723
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 11:57 am Post subject:

Northern_Lad wrote:

Really? Someone on my allotment site has some sweetcorn that's done annoyingly well and it's still on the plant after a couple of frosts.

Magpies I think

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 12:02 pm Post subject: Re: Growing wheat

Sarah D wrote:

Quite exciting; looking forward to finally producing a really home grown loaf, one of my long-held ambitions.

Same here. Is it any particular variety or just some of the wheat you mill for your own flour?

Just Jane

Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 140
Location: France

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 12:11 pm Post subject:

I don't know how big a patch you planted but you may need to think about netting it next summer if you want to harvest any - the birds loved my 15m2 this year so much so that I only got a 1litre ice cream tub of seed (planted sprouting wheat from my local bio shop) - I also found it fiddly separating the seeds from the ears (the neighbours really would think I'd gone barmy if I improvised flailing it & I'm not coordinated enough for the toss it in the air to separate the grain from the chaff - in the end I resorted to picking the seeds out manually whilst on my weekly phonecalls to my mum) - I had similar problems with the lentils too

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45723
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 12:15 pm Post subject:

Just Jane wrote:

I had similar problems with the lentils too

Yeah thought that'd be fiddly, the chaff separation thing is really easy once you get the hang of it, just be prepared to lose some produce while experimenting

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 1:32 pm Post subject: Re: Growing wheat

Treacodactyl wrote:

Same here. Is it any particular variety or just some of the wheat you mill for your own flour?

Out of the milling bag; not sure of variety, but it's organic.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 1:34 pm Post subject:

Just Jane wrote:

I'll probably need to net it before then (pigeons, cats, etc), so am prepared for that. I bought an antique hand flail form e-bay which I intend to have a go with too.

All mod cons, here, you know

I have the luxury of time to indulge my horticultural whims, and half the fun is just proving to myself I can do it.

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 1:57 pm Post subject:
Good for you Sarah. Hand tools are the way to go IMO. Let us know how the flailing goes. (Maybe do an article - that would be good).

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 6:10 pm Post subject:
How did the oats go Sarah? I wasn't quick enough to get any, but I aim to have another go this year.

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 6:17 pm Post subject:
how much land do you devote to these crops? What sort of yield are you hoping for, to make it worth doing?

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 6:32 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

How did the oats go Sarah? I wasn't quick enough to get any, but I aim to have another go this year.

I ended up with just over 50g of oats from the tiny pack sent, which I ws very pleased with; Real Seeds I think, if I remember correctly.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 6:37 pm Post subject:

Mrs Fiddlesticks wrote:

how much land do you devote to these crops? What sort of yield are you hoping for, to make it worth doing?

I have a separate bed for the wheat this year, a biggish mulch bed that I grew squash in, then potatoes last year, extended and re-mulched this autumn. No idea how big it is, but it's more useful than the grass that's underneath it, that's for sure.

I should get quite a good yield I hope; obviously not self-sufficient levels, but that's not why I'm doing it. Any yield at the end will make it worthwhile, if I can mill it into usable and edible flour. I need to prove to myself I can do it, along with oats, and possibly barley, for future needs, especially when/if we move. I have some traditional corn field flowers to go with it as well

The oats last year were just a weeny packet, so they were sown in a block on one of the raised veg beds.

Anything you grow is always worthwhile, if only for the interest and experience and the can-do factor. Got to keep challenging yourself.

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 07 6:42 pm Post subject:
agree! I got a pack of wheat from Wiggly Wigglers but it was more to go in a wildlife area amongst some wild flowers. Think the birds got it as not a lot appeared. Does it need much attention once sown?

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