Bryan,
We grew Sorgum nigra in 2003. The customers liked it. It went really well with the Purple Millet. I don't know why we didn't grow it last year. Oh, yeah. We tried White Popping Corn, which did not make the "must have again" list this year. We also grew the Cramer's Millet (brown) you mentioned. We really liked this fresh and dried. Used it alot in dried arrangements later in the season. Sold straight bunches of it also. I think it is going to be beautiful in wreaths. We are growing some Egyptian Wheat Sorghum this season. Also, Hegari Sorghum. I am looking for a white club shaped sorghum; however, I haven't been able to locate that one. And, we're trying ornamental wheat. Last, but not least we are growing Red Spire, Melica transsilvanica. All the seed is from Germania

flowerfarmer or anyone, have you tried the french black oats? I just ordered the Hegari and Cramer's tapestry millet.

Now to get some dry weather.

Bryan

Bryan,
I have grown the mixed sorgham varieties, the limespray millet, purple mist millet (a drapy one like limespray), and then Highlander. Some are from Johnny's and Gloeckner. Humm...you've given me an arranging idea...I never put them together! Just sold them as bunches. People like the limespray and purple mist the best. My mom makes a great broom corn wreath...people like them, and at Christmas, we added a bow and some Ponderosa Pine boughs and cones and it looked great and lasts all year. One of my subscription customers bought one and its still on their door! The broom corn takes lots of room to get lots of quantity though.

I also grew black tip and silver tip wheat (territorial) and Forest Bouquet Oats (which I forgot to harvest on time), but I think would work really well in dried arrangements and wreaths. My mom (the wreathmaker between the two of us) also made a wheat wreath...very pretty too! I also sold bunches of wheat in fall type containers (some were actual terra cotta pots and they even had ornamental corn in them too!).

I need to get the wheat seeded...thanks for the reminder!
Wendy

I'm growing the Lime Green spray millet this year for the first time. Do I need to do successive plantings of it or does it remain nice and green before it dries?

Thanks,

Steve

Steve, I haven't tried succession planting it due to time and space limitations. It doesn't retain the bright lime green color, but still is attractive once its dried. I think the key is picking it when it's green and storing it somewhere dry and probably dark (I didn't have a big enough dark spot to do this!).

It is a fun one to have!
Wendy

Bryan. Sorry I missed this one. I hope you didn't order the French Black Oats yet. This is my perspective on it; and, you can draw your own conclusion. Forest Bouquet from Johnny's is the same as French Black Oats from Germania. They are both Avena sativa. It is interesting Johnny's indicates 45-65 day sow to bloom; and, Germania lists 14-17 week. (It did start producing right around the 65 day window--both Germania and Johnny's.) We ordered both Forest Bouquet and French Black Oats last year. It's the same. The grass is pretty much as pictured in the Johnny's catalog. It grew to about 36." I thought it looked like grass that had gone to seed. And, it really gets lost in the bouquet. It does go to seed rather quickly. Succession planting would probably be a good idea if you chose to grow this one. We are not growing it again. It's not really good in wreaths. For your large arrangements, I think you will be happier with the sorghum and millet you have ordered. You and your customers will just love Sorgum nigra.
The Cramer's Tapestry Millet from Germania is the same as Highlander fom Johnny's. I mentioned in a previous post that this one is great fresh, dried, and beautiful in wreaths. This is one of my favorites.
We didn't order Limelight millet this year. It was nice in small bouquets; but, everyone hated cutting it. And, this is mostly our fault. The weeds grew faster than the millet; and, we didn't get all the weeds out of the rows. We did have the best intentions though. Wendy, you might try drying it again this year because it really does hold it's color well. It's nice in wreaths and swags. And, I can't believe I am saying this because I am now half tempted to order some. If I grew it again, I would probably do 2 or 3 succession plantings. We did not succession plant last season. It seemed to produce well, and took a breather when it got hot; and, started producing when it started to cool down.