i started a grain thread awhile back, but for some reason it seems to be locked now? it was here... http://www.gardenstew.com/search.php?se ... &start=330 i wanted to update with a little info for anyone interested......out of 75 plus Ezzer Perennial Wheat seeds i planted last year, i had a bountiful harvest of grain. this year only 5 maybe 6 plants returned. i am saving the seeds from these plants and will plant them next year to see what happens, if they will be true perennial. i also learned that one is supposed to plant or transplant the perennial wheat and rye in July and August, not April, as i did. last year's Mountaineer Perennial Rye made seed pods, but there was no grain in them. this year ALL 75 plus plants returned and produced heavily with grain. they all produced the grain, then dried out, and now, new grass/plant life is coming green again, i suppose readying for next year. we had a bit of a problem with Ergot, a fungus of sorts, due to the wet weather we had in the spring, i think. we destroyed all stocks with it. looks like we'll have a good return next year on the rye!
After six months of no activity in a topic, it automatically locks. It is good to start a fresh topic as you did, it will draw more views especially since it is giving new information. Sounds like you enjoyed growing the grain. Good thing you got rid of the Ergot, that stuff is bad news when ingested. Do you have any photos of your grain growing?
thanks toni, i didn't know that! i had never heard of Ergot before. i was thinking that maybe we were growing some new fantastic giant seed....till i read about it! yuk! here's a pics of it... http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=172272 other pics of the grain crops this year... Ezzeer Perennial Wheat...only 5 plus plants returned and are kind of odd looking... http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=172185 http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=172186 Mountain Perennial Rye... coming back in spring... http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=167819 mid summer... http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=172168 http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=172167
There is some opinion that Ergot poisoning is the cause of the hysteria that resulted in the Salem Witch trials and the burning times in other countries too. So keeping on top of it is very important, glad you caught it when you did.
Sounds like a good year! I know nothing about growing grains or Ergot so this post was very educational for me
I enjoyed seeing your fotos of the grains. It's something that I haven't grown before. It sounds like fun to try.
