I want to grow a 20x20 foot patch of wheat to use as chicken feed over the winter. Where I want to grow it there is currently grass which is used for hay.

I thought about solarizing the soil, but the experiments I did only killed the top inch, not all of the grass.

My primary concern is with the wheat competing with the grass.

Another idea is to lay down slices of baled straw and scatter the wheat seed on top of the straw and keep it moist. The grass will be less likely to push through that and the wheat seed could germinate right in the straw.

Anybody have any other ideas?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), May 20, 2001

Answers

Paul,

Have You considered fencing in the area, then letting the chickens do the work? If You confine them close they will eat the grass out and scratch the soil. I'm thinking of the 'chicken-tractors'. After the chickens are done, rake the plot level, broadcast the seed, lightly rake and You're done.

If the wheat is strictly for the chickens, You could even turn them into the patch when it's time to harvest and let them do that too!

Randle

-- Randle Gay (rangay@hotmail.com), June 01, 2001.