Dad has what he thought was corn growing in his garden but it turns out it's millet. It's where he often throws the seed husks etc... so makes sense. It's quite tall and all but one 'spike' is just starting to look like millet yet still green and small. The tallest spike is quite big and has the hairy tufts growing off it too, yet it is also still green.

 

From what I have read, you let it keep growing and then dry off till it looks like the millet you see in shops, so light golden/brownish then cut it off and store or feed it to them... yes??? I know it shouldn't be fed too often, but it was quite an exciting find to have our very own 'lolly' bush in our backyard lol.

We grow it too and sunflowers......we feed it green. They seem to enjoy it more that way.

We grow it too and sunflowers......we feed it green. They seem to enjoy it more that way.

 

 

I've also read that any of the seeding grasses are good to feed them green. I wonder how easy it would be to dry it and store it?

Ahh awesome! Thanks.

While I don't have the number of birds you guys do, I have tried growing seeds from the seed mix and have found it surprisingly easy. Unfortunately the budgies haven't been as enthusiastic to try as I have been to grow, but have found leaving the pot unloved seemed to encourage the seedlings to keep growing once they were past the sprout stage. I have quite often found little millet heads on some but the only time I tried the budgies with one, I can only describe their reaction as "spat it out". After Kaz's comments, I think I will persevere, hopefully they will come around to my way of thinking.

 

On the subject of grasses, seeded or otherwise, I give mine a little bundle of grass each every morning, either from the back yard or pilfered on my morning walk. They love it. Not so keen on the leaves, it is more the stalks or the seed heads they go for. And yeah, any old grass. Even the lawn grasses like couch and buffalo.

I've grown millet a few summers ago. It was very interesting even for me who honestly isn't into gardening at all, and it wasn't that hard! I admit that I put them in the ground a bit too late on the year, and it didn't really get better from the fact that I'm born an raised in Finland. I can tell you that it isn't the warmest country on earth, especially not if you are a millet plant...

 

I strongly recommend you to try it out! I just put my seeds in the ground and watched them grow. They didn't get as big ad the ones in the stores since we have like three warm months here... but my birds totally loved them anyway! And also they are way healthier when they are green and fresh than after getting dried.

 

My Fjådor wanted them aaaaaall for himself.

 

 

as you can see, my millet didn't get big at all... But they say size don't matter

If I can grow millet in Montreal Canada, it can be grown pretty much anywhere, but you need sun, lots of sun. If summers were you live are short, it is best to start the seedlings inside.

 

Birds go wild over fresh seeds. They like it much better than the dry stuff.

Millet doesn't have hairs on it I had they in my budgie seed too when I grew it my budgie didn't eat the hairy one but my pop has a farm and he grows it so I just go down and pick some I think it's japenise millet any way my budgie loves it