SORGHUM
(19 varieties to choose from)UPDATED FOR 2020
Plant after frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Plants do best when there are only 3 to 4 plants per foot of row. More drought tolerant than corn. Packets contain 1 oz. of seed (unless otherwise noted) which should plant around 100 foot of row.
BROOM CORN
Primary use is for decoration and making brooms. Also makes good bird feed.
Black Seeded Hungarian- 130 days- A broom corn with 16” plus length brooms with deep black seeds on 8 to 10 foot stalks. This s a great one to grow for ornamental purposes as well. Louise Bastable from Massachusetts sent me this one back in the middle 1980's and it is always an eye catcher when planted near a garden edge. Louise was the manager of a community garden and always planted it around her "office" as she called it . Her office was a plastic shack to dodge into when it rained and this added some support with the thick growth it provided as well as shade. Birds love the seed throughout the winter. Pkt. $1.50; 4 Pkts. $5.00 Certified Organic Seed
Iowa Red- 110 days - Nice 8 to 9 foot tall broom corn - red seeded and straw is golden with reddish streaks. We obtained this variety from the late seed saver Virgil Johnson who got it from relatives in southern Iowa many years ago. Virgil and his wife Hazel were dear friends, great seed savers and Virgil also loved his poultry. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed
Red Seeded Broom- 130 days - A broom corn with nice broom straw. Plants are not as tall as the Hungarian varieties. Broom straw is thick and stalky. Very ornamental. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Red Seeded Hungarian- 130 days- Another Hungarian heirloom that we are pleased to offer again. This is a twin variety to the black seeded version. 16 inch length brooms with deep red seeds on 8- 10 foot plants. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed
White Seeded Broom - 115 days - White seeded version of broom corn. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
GRAIN SORGHUM
Used for feed grain and human consumption.
Black African - 90 days - Early, black seeded, darker grain sorghum. This one grows fast and does well in our sandier areas and still produces a decent crop. Seed is a very shiny black and is best suited for bird feed. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Black Seeded- 105 days- Black seeds on 7 inch heads on 7 foot stalks. This one tends to produce larger seed heads and stalkier plants than Black African. Excellent ornamental, also good bird seed producer. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Crookneck Milo - 110 days - Crookneck seed heads, some straight heads occur. We had some of the most beautiful plants this year that reached 6 feet tall with large drooping crookneck heads. When given proper planting distances this is a good yielder of nice grain quality sorghum . It takes a bit of a season to get to total dryness but the heads can be quite large. Pkt. $2.00 1 lb. $25.00 Certified Organic Seed
Tarahumara Popping - 120 days - Seed frequently used after popping and then ground into a flour. We tried popping some in an air popper (used for popcorn) and it made a very nutritious snack with a good, nutty flavor (looked like mini-popcorn). Make sure the soil is very warm before planting this one. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2020
Texicoa- 100 days - 40 inches tall, white seeded grain sorghum. Pkt. $3.00 8 oz. $15.00 Certified Organic Seed
SWEET SORGHUM -
Used for making syrup and seeds make great animal food.
Honey Drip - 120 days - Heirloom producing many tillers. Reports from sorghum makers say this one has a great flavor. Seed heads are decent sized and are paler in seed color making them more palatable. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Iowa Sweet- 115 days- A very sweet sugar cane type, reaches about 9 feet tall with nice thick juicy stalks. This is another one from our late friends Virgil and Hazel Johnson from their families in southwest Iowa. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed UNAVAILABLE OR 2020
Mennonite - 95 days - 7 feet tall, good flavor. A very high producing and good stalk strength. Pkt. $2.50 Certified Organic Seed
Rox Orange- 115 days- A sweet sorghum, 7 to 8 feet tall. This is the common commercial variety. Seed heads are a rusty orange red color. Pkt. $1.50; 4 Pkts. $5.00 Certified Organic Seed
Salts Red- 105 days- Nice, red-seeded, loose grain head. Heirloom sweet sorghum from southern Missouri. Pkt. $2.50 Certified Organic Seed
Sand Mountain - 100 days - 8 feet tall, good flavor. Another southern Missouri heirloom. Pkt. $2.50 Certified Organic Seed
Sugar Drip - 110 days - Southern sugar syrup type. Seed heads are a paler color, stalks are thin and flexible unless planted far apart. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
White African - 120 days - Tall (8 to 10 feet) sweet cane sorghum with white seeds. This one is late and the seeds do not come of the heads very easily. Birds love to get the seeds before they get a chance to fully mature. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2020
Yellow Bonnet - 120 days - Cane sorghum heirloom from Southern Missouri. It has a long season, but is very sweet. Stalks seem to have less foliage than some and stalks are thicker. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
SUNFLOWERS
(15 varieties to chose from ) UPDATED FOR 2020
These can be used for both garden decoration and seed. Some are better suited for one purpose than the other. We struggle to compete with the birds for the seeds. Large patches tend to give us very small seed return as the birds get most of them prior to the heads being totally mature.
SEED SUNFLOWERS
Unless stated otherwise packets will contain around 100 seeds.
Arikara- 85 days- 6 to 8 foot tall, sometimes multi headed. Seeds seem to come in an array of colors. Some heads get quite large. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed SOLD OUT AS OF MAY 25
Early Russian - 80 days- Quick maturing. Shorter, faster maturing version of Grey Striped Mammoth. Pkt. $2.50 Certified Organic Seed SOLD OUT AS OF APRIL 10, 2020
Grey Striped Mammoth- 90 days- about 10 foot tall, big 12 inch heads, yellow petals, good bird feed. . Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Hopi Dye Sunflower- 100 days- 5-7 foot tall plants producing small seed heads which contain deep purple to blackish colored seeds. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Mongolian Giant- 105 days- Plants get abut 8 feet tall and produce nice shaped heads some close to a foot across. The unique characteristic here is the shape and size of the seeds. The seeds are striped and long in shape of a rather large size. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Rostov- 80 days- very early black seeded oil type. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Skyscraper- 95 days- Very tall (to 12 foot), huge heads for seed production. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Tarahumara White- 110 days A tall (10 foot) seed type sunflower with pale orange-yellow petals and white seeds. (75 seeds/Pkt.) Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Titan - 90 days - Huge heads, strong stalks. We only saved seeds from heads 15 inches in diameter or larger. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed SOLD OUT AS OF APRIL 10, 2020
ORNAMENTAL SUNFLOWERS
Unless stated otherwise packets will contain around 50 seeds. Birds love these.
Evening Sun - 85 days - Beautiful, reddish bronze colored single flowers. Gorgeous cut flowers. Pkt. $2.50 Certified Organic Seed
Italian White- 70 days - 6 foot plants are multi-branched. Flowers average 4 inches across with creamy white petals. Pkt. $3.00
Lemonhead- 100 days- I embarked on a sunflower breeding project 15 years ago and prior to our family dog’s arrival, sunflowers were always destroyed by skunks eating the grubs at their roots. I persisted with limited return crossing some wild Polish lemon yellow sunflowers with orange ones and offer this for trial. The flowers are a mix of single and double and are over 95% a bright lemon yellow. Flowers range up to 8” across, plants 8 foot tall. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2020 We keep losing it to the birds.
Multiflora Single Yellow- 90 days- 7 to 9 foot tall plants with many single yellow flower heads. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2020
Red Sun- a very attractive selection of Evening Sun that is mostly red shades. Birds love it and they are gorgeous ornamentals. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Sungold Sunflower- 4 to 5 foot tall plants with large double yellow flowers. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed
Velvet Queen- About 7 foot tall, dark, mahogany petals, good bird food. Pkt. $2.00
AMARANTH
Plant early in the season, thin to 1 plant every 6-8 inches for best results. Packet plants 50 to 100 foot of row.
GRAIN TYPE
Elephant Head- 95 days- an amazing looking top like an overgrown giant cockscomb. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed
Golden Giant- 90 days- large heavy heads that are a golden orange in color . White seeds. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed SOLD OUT AS OF APRIL 30
Mayo Indian- 90 days - Black seeded, robust plants. When the first seed heads were cut, it regrew more for a second crop. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed
Orange Giant - 110 days - Huge 7-8 foot plants, loaded with gorgeous burnt orange seed heads. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed
Red Amaranth - 95 days - Deep red seed heads. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2020
Red Leaf Grain- 105 days - Red foliage and flower heads. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed (Limit 1 Pkt.)
BARLEY
Plant early in the season as this must make its growth prior to the super heat. We always struggle getting this planted soon enough in Iowa. We do nto have much seed of this variety but seeing it nowhere else we want to share .UPDATED FOR 2020
Neiger- beautiful dark black seeds with the stiff awns typical of barley. A true ornamental. Pkt. (25 seeds) $2.50 Certified Organic Seed
QUINOA
Plant early in the season as this must make its growth prior to the super heat
Brightest Brilliant- bright colored and heavy production when the season allows. Pkt. ( 50 seeds) $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
SESAME
Plant after frost is past. Thin to 1 plant every 4 inches. Care must be taken at harvest to keep the seed from shattering on to the ground. Approximately 1000 seeds/pkt.
Black- Shades of dark brown to black, Taller and more irregular than Line 31. Pkt. $1.50 Certified Organic Seed
Line 31- White seeded plants grow to about 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
TEFF
Brown Teff- A graceful grass, landscape plant. Seed is very tiny. Used as a cereal grain. Approximately 10,000 seeds/pkt. Pkt. $2.00
