How to Grow Forage Sorghum
Forage sorghum, one of the five main cereal crops, is an annual grass often used as an alternative crop for the silo. It is cheaper than corn and equally efficient but yields a slightly lower quality product. The grass can only be planted in the warm season at the end of spring or even early summer. Knowing how to grow forage sorghum will increase your yields and help you care for the grass, thus keeping it healthy. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose an area with warm, fertile, and well-drained soil and that receives partial to full sunlight. Start the planting process in late May or early June, once the soil reaches 65 degrees F. Work the soil with a spade, digging in an organic compost, in rows 12 to 16 inches apart. Test the soil, with a soil test kit from a garden store, to see whether it is nutrient deficient, and if necessary, amend it with the nutrients recommended by the test to balance it out.
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Plant the seeds, pushing them 1 to 2 inches into the ground every 2 to 3 inches in the designated rows. Tamp down the soil in the rows, giving the seeds a solid base. Water deeply immediately after planting.
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Water the rows regularly, keeping the soil moist until the forage sorghum begins to emerge and grow vigorously. Growth early in the season is slow, so this may take awhile. Once it emerges from the ground, however, the grass is drought-resistant and will withstand dry periods, especially in the hot summer months.
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Harvest forage sorghum 60 to 65 days after planting by cutting it with a scythe when the plants are two to three feet high. Leave a four-inch stub to grow for the next harvest, which you can take 30 to 35 days after the first.
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Tips & Warnings
Wait four days after a killing frost to harvest forage sorghum. Before this, the plants are high in prussic acid, which can be poisonous to animals.
