Sowing spring barley now - run short of wb seed

[ollie989898]

Don't go drilling barley in November or December, spring or winter, you would be mad to do it except on boys land and with some kind of Indian summer conditions. It might be a weed but barley does not like wet feet or lots of punishment, unlike wheat it's yield is highly dependant on getting and retaining lots of tillers, which it just won't do if you expose it to lots of grief. Wheat can cope by compensating to a degree but barley can't. Wait till the new year and do spring barley into sensible conditions and watch it germinate and move like the wind with no halt in it's vigour.

I have managed to get good yields even with spring barley sown deadly late, just up the seed rate to compensate for fewer tillers.

 

[farming4profit]

When does this change ?
Any opinion on Spring barley sowing into Nov / Dec ?

Not knowing specifically I would say to wait until the autumn equinox, other wise you have a chance of it running to ear too soon if we get a mild autumn / winter (remember last December).

 

[Roy_H]

Planted 55 acres of Spring Barley in October 1962.

Lost the lot.

Not tried any since.

Yeah BUT l seem to remember that particular winter was "exeptionally cold" to say the least!

 

[bankrupt]

Yeah BUT l seem to remember that particular winter was "exeptionally cold" to say the least!

It seemed a good punt at the time, Roy_H.

In harvest 1962, some of our crops of Pallas spring barley got close to 3t/acre, whereas with the only winter barley then widely grown, Pioneer, we got half of that.

 

[TelesnaAg]

Best spring barley we had this year was sown the first week of May.

When did u harvest?...and seed rate?

Looks like mine will be late going in this year due to rain...910mm for year so far.

Cheers...Ant