Wheat Experiment

I'm experimenting with growing wheat. I'd like to add this crop, not for us, but for the livestock. Hubby and I are not big wheat eaters, and the thought of having to process my own ground wheat isn't all that appealing. But as a supplement for the chickens and sheep, it would be nice. 

Knowing virtually nothing about wheat other than its a grass, I arbitrarily picked Pima wheat to try. I wasn't interested in a modern type, at least not as a start. Pima wheat is an older variety, so I ordered one small packet to see how things went. 

October 1st I planted the seed. Within a week it was germinating. So far, so good. 

For the first 2 1/2 months it grew slowly but surely, getting green and grassy. Then the dogs discovered my small patch and took to eating it. A light spraying with vinegar stopped their grazing, but the plants growing within easy reach had gotten regularly pruned there for awhile. 

3 1/2 months into their growth, hubby decided he needed the location to set up his temporary solar panel rack. Geez. At first he wanted the wheat ripped out, but I came up with a solution he accepted. I built a platform out of wood pallets, making the structure sturdy but open to sunlight. This gave most of the wheat plants the opportunity to keep growing, 

Now it has been 4 1/2 months since seeding. The dog-pruned plants are around 18-24 inches high, the ungrazed plants are 3 foot high. And they are developing flower spikes. Happy, happy farmer am I !!!!!!! 

So now I'll wait and watch. How long will it rate for the wheat to develop, for it to mature, for it to be ready to harvest? Don't know but I'm sure to find out, I'm just happy to see that wheat will indeed grow here,  

Wheat

Well, I looks like I'm able to grow wheat here. I had purchased a packet as a trial, just to see what would happen. I planted a few wheat berries here and there, in a variety of places. Full sun. Semi-shade. Light shade. By itself in short rows. And what I think is the most interesting, intermingled with the winter squash. 

What I did was sow the wheat about six feet from the squash plant. Then over time, I allowed the squash vines to run, mingling with the wheat. By the time the vines reached the wheat, the wheat had already grown tall enough to stay above the squash leaves. The thought of being able to produce two crops in the same space is intriguing. 

Early in February all the wheat plants started producing heads. The full sun plants grew the tallest and fullest with the most heads, but all the wheat grew and is now producing. 

Right now I'm not growing enough wheat to do anything with other than to save seed for the next crop. But now that I know that wheat will grow here, I plan to raise it for the livestock.