Growing Millet

Learn what to feed your birds.
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canary3000
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Growing Millet

Post by canary3000 » Sun Sep 09, 2018 10:09 am

Any members grow their own spray millet?
I'm tempted to try growing some in the spring.
Guessing there are different varieties.
Can I just plant the seeds from the sprays I bought?
Tips. Thanks

paul-inAZ
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Re: Growing Millet

Post by paul-inAZ » Sun Sep 09, 2018 10:23 am

Instead of throwing out the mostly eaten seeds in your feed dishes simply put them out in the garden, scratch them into the dirt a bit and keep the area watered. Seed bearing grasses will grow. Begin to harvest the seed heads while they are still green and your birds will love them.
If you wait until fully ripe you will have competition from wild sparrows and other small birds.

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Babs _Owner
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Re: Growing Millet

Post by Babs _Owner » Sun Sep 09, 2018 8:20 pm

paul-inAZ

Im with Paul on this one. If I think there is any seed left in their feeder bowls, it goes into a big tupperware, and twice a week I refill the outdoor wild birdfeeder.

Remember your outdoor feeders can get mold too, so keep those wild birds safe and keep it clean. Especially after it rains.

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lovezebs
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Re: Growing Millet

Post by lovezebs » Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:12 am

canary3000

I have tossed out the used seeds into the bushes for the wild birds, and low and behold many of these have sprouted and grown.

I am assuming that the same would be true for any spray millet that you sow in the ground. I'm just not certain how long of a growing season they need to reach full growth (depending on where you are).
~Elana~

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Re: Growing Millet

Post by Dave » Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:02 am

Here is a lot of information about growing millet, including the major confusion over the name 'millet'.

When talking about plants, it is always best, always, to use the genus and species name. I know that some people rebel at the idea. But, anyone can learn these names, just like you learn the names of people, or movies, or cars or anything else.

https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic ... 0z1505zdeh
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lovezebs
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Re: Growing Millet

Post by lovezebs » Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:42 am

Not sure what type of millet others are referring to in this thread, I was talking about Spray Millet :

https://goo.gl/images/fttu2x
~Elana~

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canary3000
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Re: Growing Millet

Post by canary3000 » Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:48 am

lovezebs wrote: Not sure what type of millet others are referring to in this thread, I was talking about Spray Millet :

https://goo.gl/images/fttu2x
Thank u, yes that is what I was asking about. The millet SPRAY that u can get from Higgins or California yellow box millet spray. Whether it can easily grow that nice and mature. Would save a lot of money to grow in my garden.

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Re: Growing Millet

Post by Dave » Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:57 am

I think this is right:

A common name for spray millet in agriculture is Foxtail Millet, Setaria italica.

https://www.siskiyouseeds.com/collectio ... et-foxtail
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