growing some wheat

[Mrs Ava]

Is it really worth growing a little patch of wheat on the allotment?  I tell you why.  Daughter number one adores cooking and has learnt all about the milling and processing of wheat into flour and the making of bread and I thought it would be great to grow a patch, then come late summer, harvest it, grind it ourselves and let her make some bread with it. 

Where would I get some wheat from in the first place to sow it....how much would I need to make a loaf....will I regret it forever?!?!?!

[Mrs Ava]

[Roy Bham UK]

Emma, you are really pushing the boundaries of the good life, I reckon you will be totally self sufficient by the time George W Bush is ousted.

Not knowing the answer to your question but would advise talking to your local farmer for some expert advise and maybe he will give you enough wheat to do your own thang. 8)

[gavin]

Great minds . . . ?  :) :) :)

Or fools seldom . . . :( :( :(

I've got some wheat and barley on the windowsill to see if they germinate at all. 

Another source - seed sprouting places?  http://www.browfarmwheatproducts.co.uk/wheatgrass.htm - expensive!

Or - a lot cheaper - I'd got some whole wheat berries from an ethnic food shop and am trying those; pity they're not doing anything yet :(

All best - Gavin

[Jesse]

EJ we thought about getting a mill for our Kenwood last year and tried to find somewhere to buy the already cut wheat but with no luck. Might speak to a local farmer this year and see if I can buy some off him, there's no shortage of wheat fields around here. Don't know how much you'd need to make one loaf. The wheat in our hens straw bedding seems to sprout without any problems. If you can't grow you own, the next best thing for your daughter (I did this with my son last year), we visited the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, where they mill their own flour, you can watch your wheat being milled, buy a bag and take home to bake your own bread, was a good day out, very educational and lots of fun.

[Sarah-b]

I've grown tiny wheat plants from wheat berries from the health food shop. They germinated really well on some damp kitchen roll. And then looked really pretty for an easter decoration with some easter eggs nestling in the new blades of grass - got the idea from a book - apparently somewhere in the middle east wheat grass is used to signigfy new life at easter time.
I think you would have enough for a few bread rolls from a metre square patch - but that is a completely wild guess based on no knowledge whatsoever!
sarah

[sandersj89]

EJ

I hope I can help here, after all I am a farmers son and have a degree in agriculture!

Wheat is actually fairly easy to grow but there are specific requirements in terms of varieties that are suitable for bread making. This is all to do with the gluten and alpha amylase levels in the flour and is measured by the hadberg falling number test.

In the UK, although there is lots of wheat grown, the hardest to grow is the wheat that is suitable to bread making. Even if the correct variety is grown weather conditions can effect the protein/gluten level and make it useless for bread. The wheat often then ends up as feed wheat.

If you were to have a go you would probably need to grow and area of about 10 foot square to get enough wheat to make a loaf. Ideally you will need treated certified seed to ensure lack of virus and good germination rates. A group 1 wheat would be best.

If that is not possible you can grow from pretty much any wheat seed you can lay you hands on. Wheat seed remains viable if stored well for many years though there will be a drop in germination rates with time.

Once germinated wheat can suffer a few problems such as rust, mildew and various viruses (Aphids are a problem as they transmit viruses around the crop). In commercial operations these can be controlled with agri-chemicals but you will not be allowed to buy/mix of apply these. In your situation you will have to hope the problems are not too severe.

The old enemy, Mr Slug, can also be a problem, eating both leaf growth and roots.

Feeding will be required to ensure a decent yield, a general purpose fertilizer should be fine, growmore for instance. If you can get your hands on something like Nitram which is a 20-10-10 fertilizer it will be better.

Now the real problem, most wheat is winter sown, or rather sown between September and November depending on location and soil type. You would now have to sown a spring crop, sown in March/April. This will result in yields of about half of winter sown crops. Still possible much you may need a larger area to crop.

Harvest will be in August/September depending on weather. Wait until the wheat dries on the ear. You are looking for moisture levels of around 10% for long term storage. A good test is to bite some of the wheat grains. If they are hard and shatter then it is ripe. The kernel should be clear, bright white inside.

You will have to thresh the ears by hand, simply rolling them between your hands whilst holding them over a bag will do it. Best if there is a breeze as this will help blow the chaff away to give you a clean sample.

Store in a cool but well ventilated and dry place and bobs your uncle!

All in all it might not be a great return on effort/time or resources but could be a fun project.

Alternatively see if you can buy some wheat from a local farmer or mill if you have any near your?

HTH

Jerry

[piglit]

Hi,

You can buy grain from vida verde which claims to be easy to thresh, might do the trick?? Also future foods.  Both less than £2 so if it all goes wrong it won't break the bank!

http://www.vidaverde.co.uk/grains.html
http://www.futurefoods.com/Catalogue/grains.html
piglit

[Mrs Ava]

Thanks for all that info chaps and chappesses.  Have looked at the sites Piglet and I might just give it a go, altho I received a mass of veggie seeds today so goodness knows where I will grow it!  I shall make a few local enquiries, we really only seem to have rape, sugar beet, winter fodder like thingies...mangleworzles I callz 'em, and livestock round here. 

[Bun]

mangleworzles

::)  ???  ;D

[aquilegia]

aparently the best flour for bread making comes from wheat grown in America or Canada (according to the booklet with my breadmaker anyway!)

[cleo]

don`t grow it,come harvest time put on your smock top and go gleaning ;D

Stephan

[Yuet_Lee]

Hi there,
When I was little my parent were a farmer as well.  We have a ricefield in Hong Kong.  So I know how much work it take before it can be cook. :P And at least it needed a good size field to grow to enough for one meal of 4. ::)  I was remember everybody at that time was really working hard.
But it bring a good good memory to me. :) It was well over 30 year ago. :-X
Good Luck to you EJ!

yuet