How to Grow Millet Spray

Millet does not refer to one single grain, but a variety of small cereal grains. Millet spray, for example, contains the dried seed heads of foxtail or finger millet. Millet has been cultivated for thousands of years as a food for livestock, but today most people are familiar with millet as a treat for birds such as parakeets, canaries and finches. Depending on how many pets you have, the amount of millet you use may start to get expensive. By simply saving a few millet seeds and planting them, you can have your own millet spray supply in less than two months.

Things You'll Need

• Rich, sandy soil mixture
• Flower pot or prepared garden area
• Millet seeds
• Fertilizer
• Gardening supplies

Instructions

1. Plant your foxtail or finger millet seeds no earlier in the year than late spring. Millet grows well in warm soil that is at least 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. May is an ideal month to plant millet.

2. Plant the millet seeds about 1/2 inch into rich, sandy soil that is at least 1 foot deep. Plant one seed every 2 inches in rows about 1 1/2 feet apart.

3. Fertilize the millet with a nitrogen fertilizer. Apply the amount of fertilizer recommended on the packaging for your garden area and soil type.

4. Keep the soil slightly damp. Millet does not require a lot of water, so avoid overwatering and drowning the plants.

5. Harvest the millet once the seed heads are mature and the millet leaves have begun to dry out and die.

Tips & Warnings

• Wild birds love millet just as much as pet birds, and may begin to feed off your millet plants. If this becomes a problem, cover your millet garden with a net. Another way to keep wild birds away is to hang shiny objects near your crop. The flashes of light these objects produce when the sun hits them can scare birds away.

References

• Chet Day's Health & Beyond Online: Millet -- A Healthy Whole Grain
• Plant Biology: Guide to Growing Foxtail Millet--Setaria