Is it way too late?

[Phil P]

To drill winter barley now?

Long story short (probably won’t be ), just finish drilling the the last 50ac block of wheat today and I’m left with a little 5ac field that was supposed to be the last field and destined for a first wheat.
Anyway turns out I’m a bag of seed short don’t really want to buy any more seed and what I’ve got in the shed is a mix of a few verities some of which had very poor germination so don’t want to just pull some off the heap!
However, I do have a couple of bags of winter barley seed left over, so I’m thinking for the sake of 5ac it may be worth sticking it in and seeing what happens, if nothing else it will be a cover crop and If it looks poor in the spring I’ll just kill it off and drill spring barley.

What’s peoples thoughts? Should I just leave it in the bag, save the diesel and let it do or is it worth a punt? Especially as the weather is so mild, stuff seems to still moving quite quickly at the moment.

Thank for your opinion.

 

[neilo]

What have you got to lose? If it’s treated seed, it won’t improve for overwintering, so may as well bang it in.
Worst case scenario is a disease ridden Spring Barley crop from having a few barley plants carrying disease overwinter.

 

[Phil P]

What have you got to lose? If it’s treated seed, it won’t improve for overwintering, so may as well bang it in.
Worst case scenario is a disease ridden Spring Barley crop from having a few barley plants carrying disease overwinter.

That my only real concern, but I suppose it’s late enough to hopefully miss picking up much disease and if it looks poor coming out of winter I could get it sprayed off early and worked.
Ps, yes the seed (fss) is dressed hence my thinking of using it up. Only single purpose though which I’ve found doesn’t tend to knock the seed too much if it gets left in the bag.

 

[Will Blackburn]

It’s so warm nothing to lose, it’s got a better chance than wheat planted 10 days ago in our part of the world?

 

[robbie]

Traditionally winter barley should be drilled by bonfire night so I'd say with the current weather you'll be fine.

A few years ago when we had a very bad autumn a lot of winter barley was sown in January that year and it all seemed to do ok.

I did see on Facebook someone was drilling spring barley this week which seems very early, its quite common to drill it in December/January but I thought now was plenty early enough for spring barley.

 

[DRC]

I’ve a neighbour that’s only just started drilling winter barley . It’s after maize and he wanted to get muck out .

 

[Phil P]

Traditionally winter barley should be drilled by bonfire night so I'd say with the current weather you'll be fine.

A few years ago when we had a very bad autumn a lot of winter barley was sown in January that year and it all seemed to do ok.

I did see on Facebook someone was drilling spring barley this week which seems very early, its quite common to Sri it in December/January but I thought now was plenty early enough for spring barley.

Generally it’s a slightly different climate in this neck of the woods than it is over your way, don’t think we’ve ever drilled spring barley before mid March at the earliest!

 

[Devil's advocate]

I've drilled winter barley 20/Feb & it way out performed any other barley we had spring or winter.

I'd say go for it, might fail but more likely will outperform September drilled barley. You will get a LOT of straw if that is important to you.

 

[moretimeforgolf]

Give it a go. Nothing much to lose, might learn a lot … could be a better margin than earlier drilled barley

 

[yellowbelly]

Crack on @Phil P

You've got a thread going now - we'll all expect regular pics of it's progress right through to the 'barn busting' yield at harvest

 

[Adeptandy]

Drilled 40 acre on Sunday, not concerned about timing

 

[Cowcorn]

To drill winter barley now?

Long story short (probably won’t be ), just finish drilling the the last 50ac block of wheat today and I’m left with a little 5ac field that was supposed to be the last field and destined for a first wheat.
Anyway turns out I’m a bag of seed short don’t really want to buy any more seed and what I’ve got in the shed is a mix of a few verities some of which had very poor germination so don’t want to just pull some off the heap!
However, I do have a couple of bags of winter barley seed left over, so I’m thinking for the sake of 5ac it may be worth sticking it in and seeing what happens, if nothing else it will be a cover crop and If it looks poor in the spring I’ll just kill it off and drill spring barley.

What’s peoples thoughts? Should I just leave it in the bag, save the diesel and let it do or is it worth a punt? Especially as the weather is so mild, stuff seems to still moving quite quickly at the moment.

Thank for your opinion.

Drill away !! Weather is mild and ground is still good shape .
Be up in no time and probably outpreform sept drillings .
I once drilled 10 acres of Intro w barley Christmas eve after spuds .
95 i think like you i ran out of seed and barley was all that could be got .
Savage crop of straw and grain that beat the " normal " date drillings easily .
Spuds might have helped though ... Was about a forthnight later to combine though .

 

[zero]

Go for it. Just open drill up and give it plenty of seed.

 

[michael N123]

Generally it’s a slightly different climate in this neck of the woods than it is over your way, don’t think we’ve ever drilled spring barley before mid March at the earliest!

I normally don’t get the plow out until April

 

[nick...]

Seen people already drilling spring barley on lighter land
nick...

 

[Gong Farmer]

You'll get a yield, it won't be spectacular but achieved more cheaply than other options.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Seen people already drilling spring barley on lighter land
nick...

Why not winter barley, it will be hardier, yeild as well if not better & no issues with vernalisation?

I prefer winter barley until 10th March. But I only grow feed & value the straw.

 

[robbie]

Why not winter barley, it will be hardier, yeild as well if not better & no issues with vernalisation?

I prefer winter barley until 10th March. But I only grow feed & value the straw.

10th of march is getting late for spring barley, never mind winter

 

[Devil's advocate]

10th of march is getting late for spring barley, never mind winter

Different climate/soil put some in 11/05/21 after veg & yeilded 50cwt/acre scary late harvest though. Spring barley high seed rate.

 

[AndrewM]

after mid october it about seed bed quality. it hates wet heavy cold seedbeds. should be ok in this mild weather.