Millet is an ingredient in some home recipes.
Grown throughout the world, millet is an annual summer grass and grain crop that is similar in appearance to the sorghum plant. Producers of millet often grow the grass for forage and wild bird feeding, although in some instances the grass also serves as a small-grain cereal used in recipes. Grown from seed, millet quickly germinates when planted in well-draining, warm soils throughout the U.S. This rapid growth trend continues as millet matures, usually reaching harvest stage within 45 to 60 days of planting. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Begin working the soil after the winter thaw when daytime soil temperatures maintain a constant warmth of 65 degrees Fahrenheit or greater. Turning over the soil with a pitchfork or spade and breaking-up chunks to produce a delicate planting medium improves millet growth.
2. Perform a pH test before sowing the millet seeds. Members of the millet family favor soil within a 6.0 to 7.0 pH range. A lime-based modifier adjusts soil with a pH beneath 6.0. In the same respect, a peat-based modifier is helpful in lowering a pH above 7.0.
3. Press millet seeds 1 inch into the soil with a 2-inch spacing between each seed. Space each row of millet seed 1 foot from the next. Dampen the soil to 1 inch immediately after planting using the light spray of a garden hose. Maintain this level of moisture throughout the germination and growth period.
4. Cover the millet seeds with approximately 3 inches of straw or bark-chip mulch. The mulch not only protects the seeds from hungry wildlife, but also improves moisture retention in the soil.
5. Reap the millet during the autumn months when the plants turn a rich golden-brown. If you do not plan to harvest the millet for fodder, allow it to die back naturally, leaving it for the local wildlife to enjoy.
Tags: millet seeds, soil with, recipes Grown