Millet is a common grain in birdseed.
Birds, wild and domesticated, love millet spray. As much as the birds eat, it is worth your time to grow millet in the garden. The millet begins as a grass and then grows green sprays of seeds. The seeds dry brown, and you can store them in airtight containers for winter use. You can either buy millet seeds from a nursery or plant the seeds from your bird food. The seeds sprout in about seven days, and the plant is ready for harvest in 65 to 70 days. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Till the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Remove any stones, sticks or other debris from the soil. Choose a sunny location with good drainage.
2. Scatter the millet seeds on the soil surface and press the seeds down. Cover the millet slightly with a loose soil. Water the seeds with a gentle spray to settle the seeds into place.
3. Thin the seedlings to avoid overcrowding. Feed the thinned sprouts to the birds. Avoid overwatering the millet.
4. Cover the millet with a bird netting to keep wild birds from eating the seed sprays before they are harvested. Allow the millet to continue growing until the seed sprays are full and mature, when they start turning yellow or brown.
5. Cut the millet sprays from the stalks and lay them on a drying screen, out of direct sunlight. Turn the sprays once a day so they dry in a uniform manner. Store the dried millet sprays in airtight containers.
Tags: airtight containers, Cover millet, millet seeds, millet sprays, seed sprays