No, this is not corn. This is a grain sorghum - and it's tall. It stands 10 feet (a few are 12 feet tall). It didn't really start to grow until we got some rain. In fact I didn't think it would make it. I figured it would have dried up. But to it's credit, it just waited with leaves curled day after day, week after week. Then the rain came and it tripled in size. They are now starting to flower. Hopefully, the birds will leave me some ripe seed. My sunflowers were denuded by little finches well before the seed was even half ripe. If it turns out grain sorghum is too susceptible to bird attack, I think I'll move in the direction of sweet sorghum to make molasses. Sorghum does extremely well here.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Tarahumara Popping Sorghum
No, this is not corn. This is a grain sorghum - and it's tall. It stands 10 feet (a few are 12 feet tall). It didn't really start to grow until we got some rain. In fact I didn't think it would make it. I figured it would have dried up. But to it's credit, it just waited with leaves curled day after day, week after week. Then the rain came and it tripled in size. They are now starting to flower. Hopefully, the birds will leave me some ripe seed. My sunflowers were denuded by little finches well before the seed was even half ripe. If it turns out grain sorghum is too susceptible to bird attack, I think I'll move in the direction of sweet sorghum to make molasses. Sorghum does extremely well here.
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I wonder if little strips of shiny foil, on string, like they use in vineyards on the Coast, would help keep the birdies at bay?
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