All About Growing Winter Grains

1 / 2
Among their potential uses on your homestead, winter grains can be a homegrown source of soil-improving mulch.
Among their potential uses on your homestead, winter grains can be a homegrown source of soil-improving mulch.
2 / 2
Nothing is more comforting than a warm bowl of homegrown, whole grain oatmeal — top it with fresh berries and cream for a hearty, healthy dish!
Nothing is more comforting than a warm bowl of homegrown, whole grain oatmeal — top it with fresh berries and cream for a hearty, healthy dish!

(For details on growing many other vegetables and fruits, visit our Crop at a Glancecollection page.)

If grown from fall to spring, cold-hardy grains safeguard soil from erosion, suppress weeds and add organic matter to your soil. You can harvest and eat your homegrown whole grains — especially winter wheat — or use them as forage for poultry and other livestock.

Types to Try

Oats quickly produce lush, grassy foliage, which is typically killed by temperatures below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. In regions where the oats die in winter, the dead foliage becomes maintenance-free mulch that you can leave in place and plant through in spring.

Winter barley is slightly hardier than oats and winterkills when temperatures drop below zero. Alive or dead, winter barley makes great mulch or poultry forage.

  • Published on Jul 21, 2011
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368