Growing your own

[pete b]

I am happy to report that I got my barley planted yesterday. I put in 5# 2-row and 1# 6 row. There was a nice steady soaking rain a couple hours after I finished so we're off to a good start.

[BrewArk]

1) Jonathan about my Maris Otter: I got a few seeds from the government, for my "research project".  When I harvest them, I can send you some seeds for next winter if you send me your address privately (they are still green so it won't be right away).

2) Pete: I too am "backyarding" this - so I'm using a food dehydrator.  My first experiment is ready to bottle (in fact, a little late to the bottle).  So, I should have something to report in a few weeks.

[morticaixavier]

Spent about an hour our in the barley patch with a pair of kitchen sheers and...


This mostly fills a 1 square foot box packed down hand tight. heads and beards only, no straw. How much out actually is will have to wait till I thrash and winnow.

This it's about 25% of the patch maybe a bit less.

[BrewArk]

We're getting that really warm weather this week.  I should be just behind you.

I put mine in a pillow case for threshing.  Just beat it around.  Winnow between two big bowls in the afternoon breeze.  It can be iterative when I'll put the large bits back into the pillow case & beat 'em some more.

[pete b]

That's pretty! Are you using the straw for your chickens? Btw, do either of you remember how long it took to germinate after planting? I already recycled the bags that may have that info and am finding it a surprisingly elusive bit of info online. I planted conlon and robust.

[morticaixavier]

Couple three weeks. Maybe a bit less. Not very scientific. I was sowing in fall/winter. Spring could be a different story.


probably just turn the straw back in or let it lay there as mulch.

[BrewArk]

The packages for mine said 90 days.  I planted beginning of November, and still some haven't dried out.  So read into that what you'd like.

[pete b]

The packages for mine said 90 days.  I planted beginning of November, and still some haven't dried out.  So read into that what you'd like.

I was asking about germination, not maturation.

[gmac]

It all depends on temp and moisture. In the spring it can be up in a week depending on conditions. It will probably be emerging two to three days before you actually notice because the mesocotyl is pretty pale in colour. It is the plumule that turns green when it emerges. So you will see little pale tube shaped things emerge first and they are hard to see against dry soil. After a rain or watering they become more apparent. If you don't see anything in the spring in 2 weeks, dig up a few and see if they've sprouted.

[morticaixavier]

It all depends on temp and moisture. In the spring it can be up in a week depending on conditions. It will probably be emerging two to three days before you actually notice because the mesocotyl is pretty pale in colour. It is the plumule that turns green when it emerges. So you will see little pale tube shaped things emerge first and they are hard to see against dry soil. After a rain or watering they become more apparent. If you don't see anything in the spring in 2 weeks, dig up a few and see if they've sprouted.

Good to have an expert handy 

Graham,

I've been noticing a fair number of heads with only two rows (opposed) instead of six. In your experience is this just normal cross contamination? or does that genetic variation really show up that commonly in some varieties of 6 row?

[pete b]

It all depends on temp and moisture. In the spring it can be up in a week depending on conditions. It will probably be emerging two to three days before you actually notice because the mesocotyl is pretty pale in colour. It is the plumule that turns green when it emerges. So you will see little pale tube shaped things emerge first and they are hard to see against dry soil. After a rain or watering they become more apparent. If you don't see anything in the spring in 2 weeks, dig up a few and see if they've sprouted.

Thanks, gmac. I'm about to have a week of off and on rain, fairly warm so it might happen fast.

[gmac]

It all depends on temp and moisture. In the spring it can be up in a week depending on conditions. It will probably be emerging two to three days before you actually notice because the mesocotyl is pretty pale in colour. It is the plumule that turns green when it emerges. So you will see little pale tube shaped things emerge first and they are hard to see against dry soil. After a rain or watering they become more apparent. If you don't see anything in the spring in 2 weeks, dig up a few and see if they've sprouted.

Good to have an expert handy 

Graham,

I've been noticing a fair number of heads with only two rows (opposed) instead of six. In your experience is this just normal cross contamination? or does that genetic variation really show up that commonly in some varieties of 6 row?

My specialty is corn so I can't say for sure but I would suggest that it's most likely contaminated seed. Not sure where you bought your seed but if it wasn't pedigreed seed its very possible. Pedigreed seed is inspected for purity before harvest. No offence but since you likely bought organic, there is a pretty good chance it wasn't inspected (and that's ok, smaller producers don't always want or are able to pay for inspection) and thus has some contamination. Keep a select sample of the six row heads and two row heads and plant them out seperately next year and see if they remain true to their type.

If there is genetic contamination, it would show up as segregation which is the other thing you could be seeing. If there was 2 row pollen drift onto the 6 row (due to inadequate isolation), you could be seeing segregation. If so, you will see that again in the next generation although it will become less apparent with each generation if you select out the heads you want to keep. Standard Mendelian genetics at play.

Either way it will likely be just fine for your malt.

[gmac]

It all depends on temp and moisture. In the spring it can be up in a week depending on conditions. It will probably be emerging two to three days before you actually notice because the mesocotyl is pretty pale in colour. It is the plumule that turns green when it emerges. So you will see little pale tube shaped things emerge first and they are hard to see against dry soil. After a rain or watering they become more apparent. If you don't see anything in the spring in 2 weeks, dig up a few and see if they've sprouted.

Thanks, gmac. I'm about to have a week of off and on rain, fairly warm so it might happen fast.

It's like waiting for water to boil. Go look every day and it seems to take forever. Go away and when you come back it will be fine. Many people joke that the best way to avoid farmer complaints is to give away a fishing pole with each lot of seed. Plant it and go fishing, don't keep hovering over it everyday worrying.

[morticaixavier]

It all depends on temp and moisture. In the spring it can be up in a week depending on conditions. It will probably be emerging two to three days before you actually notice because the mesocotyl is pretty pale in colour. It is the plumule that turns green when it emerges. So you will see little pale tube shaped things emerge first and they are hard to see against dry soil. After a rain or watering they become more apparent. If you don't see anything in the spring in 2 weeks, dig up a few and see if they've sprouted.

Good to have an expert handy 

Graham,

I've been noticing a fair number of heads with only two rows (opposed) instead of six. In your experience is this just normal cross contamination? or does that genetic variation really show up that commonly in some varieties of 6 row?

My specialty is corn so I can't say for sure but I would suggest that it's most likely contaminated seed. Not sure where you bought your seed but if it wasn't pedigreed seed its very possible. Pedigreed seed is inspected for purity before harvest. No offence but since you likely bought organic, there is a pretty good chance it wasn't inspected (and that's ok, smaller producers don't always want or are able to pay for inspection) and thus has some contamination. Keep a select sample of the six row heads and two row heads and plant them out seperately next year and see if they remain true to their type.

If there is genetic contamination, it would show up as segregation which is the other thing you could be seeing. If there was 2 row pollen drift onto the 6 row (due to inadequate isolation), you could be seeing segregation. If so, you will see that again in the next generation although it will become less apparent with each generation if you select out the heads you want to keep. Standard Mendelian genetics at play.

Either way it will likely be just fine for your malt.

yup organic. from Johnny's seeds. supposedly 99% pure. Not too worried about it. Not going to replant because I had a couple dozen heads show up with what I'm pretty sure was loose barley smut. I pulled most of them but a couple got away from me.

[pete b]

yup organic. from Johnny's seeds. supposedly 99% pure. Not too worried about it. Not going to replant because I had a couple dozen heads show up with what I'm pretty sure was loose barley smut. I pulled most of them but a couple got away from me.
[/quote]
I've heard of food porn but "loose barley smut" definitely sounds like something to keep away from impressionable young barleycorns!