Sorghum for Seed, Gluten-free

This is the first time growing sorghum (Mennonite from Baker Creek).  I planted the seeds on 4-28 in the 1' x 50' strip of otherwise-wasted dirt that was amended with compost, leaves, coffee grounds, horse manure and wood chips for 2 years.  While both the Glass Gem and Silver Queen corn fell over, the very tall sorghum stayed upright.

Here it is on 7-7 with new green/yellow tassels.

Here it is today on 8-10 with distinct brown seeds.  I think it is ready to remove the tassels.  ??  I was thinking of removing them and hanging up to dry a couple days.  The dark seeds are hard.  

Has anyone besides CountryNaturals grown sorghum for seeds?

WOW! Your sorghum is HUGE! Mine is only about 2.5' tall and starting to tassel. I don't know what the variety is, but next time I want to try sweet sorghum instead of grain sorghum (I think?).

May I suggest you try the same one I grew? Originally. I thought I would juice some, but then I read some sorghum juicing topics on what equipment would be needed. Scratch that idea!

I planted 4 per square, or 6" apart. The tassels are the important parts and they stand high above the leaves and main stalk. Don't have to worry about tassels pollinating ear silks like with corn.

Boy, those look fantastic, Sanderson! What are you going to do with the grain?

I'm hoping to eat it like quinoa, only it takes about 50 minutes to cook. It's gluten free to boot. Just a fun experiment.

sanderson wrote:I'm hoping to eat it like quinoa, only it takes about 50 minutes to cook.  It's gluten free to boot.  Just a fun experiment.

Ooo, let us know how it goes. Maybe the chickens won't get it after all. Mine is definitely a different variety, however, so who knows what it will be like.

Very interesting that it rooted better than the corn in the same strip. I am quite curious to hear how using it goes. Can one eat the seeds while still green. like we do sweet corn? I love to eat millet (a type of sorghum) cooked with quinoa, or on its own, but I do nt know the processing it went through before I buy it.

Turan wrote: I love to eat millet (a type of sorghum) 

Learn something new every day.

Turan, The green seeds do not taste good.  The articles online indicate harvesting when the moisture content is below 30%, preferably closer to 20%, so I am assuming it is a dry-seed harvest.  I'm trying to think like pre-mechanical harvesting times.  This is a decent home-grower's guide:  https://www.americansorghum.com/growing-sorghum/

I cut a few this morning, but they were moister than at the end of the day yesterday.    I did leave a handle on each head so I tied them together in pairs.  Tied the end of the strings to a wire clothes hanger with a large paper bag beneath the heads with the handles secured on the shoulder of the hanger.  I cut snippets out of the bag for ventilation.  There is a lot of "chaff" but I tested and it is small enough to sift out with a regular metal mesh strainer.  The hard part will be patience to allow the cut heads to dry for a week before knocking off the stems.  

Oh, some are producing smaller side heads.  Baker Creek's Red's Red Sweet is "adapted to northern climates than many sorghums."

Cn, Baker Creek's German Foxtail Millet "Chickens adore the small white seeds."

Sanderson, have you tried popping any? I read about that on Mother Earth News.

Here is a variety that sounded good for the seed, and would grow here - http://www.rareseeds.com/ba-ye-qi-sorghum/

Here is the MEN article - http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-millet-ze0z1505zdeh

I accidentally popped some millet just trying to brown it up a bit one time. Be sure to have a splatter screen. It goes everywhere, lol! And it doesn't get much larger like popcorn does.

sanderson wrote: I did leave a handle on each head so I tied them together in pairs.  Tied the end of the strings to a wire clothes hanger with a large paper bag beneath the heads with the handles secured on the shoulder of the hanger.  I cut snippets out of the bag for ventilation.  There is a lot of "chaff" but I tested and it is small enough to sift out with a regular metal mesh strainer.  The hard part will be patience to allow the cut heads to dry for a week before knocking off the stems. 

Yup, chicken snacks! Cut 'em and toss 'em. 

countrynaturals wrote:

Turan wrote: I love to eat millet (a type of sorghum) 

Learn something new every day.

Take my statement with a grain of salt If you read the MEN article you will read of some of the confusion between these names sorghum and millet. They all, and corn, and teff, and sugar cane, are related within the same grass family Poaceae. They intrigue me because they cross the New World/ Old World boundary.

This is part of our harvest of sorghum this year.  Don't remember what variety, but the heads were very red. I was hoping for some towering 20 foot plants, but they barely made it to 6 foot.  The seed actually tastes ok, but only after using a mortar and pestle to loosen and then remove the outer black hulls. It kind of looks like sorghum might be a perennial -- leaves are growing back from the roots.

Alas, our attempt to pop them was disastrous. We have successfully popped sorghum purchased commercially.

My daughter was able to pop some. My traditional technique for popping popcorn didn't work. Instead, just pan frying was good enough. The kernels are too small to pop out of the pan. It tastes just like popcorn, suggesting that most of the flavor comes from the popping oil.

I grew a broom sorghum in 2017 in the BTE strip. Fun experiment but only for one year. Never did get a broom out of them.

sanderson wrote:I grew a broom sorghum in 2017 in the BTE strip.  Fun experiment but only for one year.  Never did get a broom out of them.  

Cool! How tall were they?

They were 7-8' tall.  The 6' fence is at a lower elevation. I like planting unusual stuff in part of the BTE strip for neighbor walkers to comment on.