When Should I Plant a Browntop Millet?

Time Frame

• Browntop millet can be planted from the spring through the fall. The seeds germinate best when soil temperatures range from 68 to 80 degree Fahrenheit. This millet can grow in nearly any type of soil. It reaches maturity in 45 to 60 days, a much shorter range than other millets. Because of the short time to maturity, you may want to stagger planting for successive harvests.

Considerations

• Once planted, the millet can reseed itself for years to come. If your millet patch reseeds itself, you should still plant the following year to ensure a full crop. Additionally, if you plan to plant something else in the garden bed the next year, you may find yourself weeding a lot of millet seedlings.

Planting Technique

• Prepare the garden bed for the browntop millet by turning over the soil to loosen and aerate it. Remove rocks, weeds or sticks so the millet can grow. Dig a trench 1/2 inch deep. Sow your browntop millet seeds in the trench, leaving 1/2 inch between seeds. Cover the seeds with soil, and add enough water to saturate the earth. If you're planting a large lot, sow 20 to 25 lbs. of seed per acre, using a seed spreader.

Uses

• Browntop millet works well to attract game birds, such as doves and ducks. The grass also makes a very good hay. Millet grains can be harvested and eaten by humans, although teff and finger millet are more commonly used for human food than browntop millet is. Because of this millet's high nitrogen content, it should not be used as a livestock feed.