It’s no mystery that wheat has dominated the grain game (at least in the West) for centuries now, but there are other grains that have made the scene. Rice, corn, oats, and barley have been global mainstays as well. Recent culinary adventures have brought “ancient” grains into modern times, popularizing quasi-grains like amaranth and quinoa as well as farro, kamut, and millet.
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Another ancient grain that’s making the show is sorghum. Sorghum dates back some 4,000 years, originating in Africa and—no great surprise—becoming popular in the Deep South of the United States. Though it isn’t regarded with quite the reverence of grits, it has featured in the south for centuries now, mostly as a syrup and dating back to the mid-s.
But, there is more to sorghum, and it is making a huge comeback of late, especially with that crowd looking to be self-reliant. Sorghum grows as easily as corn and offers a simple way to get both a healthy whole grain and a natural sweetener. Heck, there are even varieties that make knockout brooms.
Source: Esoteric Agriculture/Youtube
Essentially, each strain of sorghum comes with one of three useful qualities. Sweet sorghum has a juicy cane that is ideal for making syrup. Grain sorghum, frequently called milo, is good for milling as flour, popping like popcorn, and using it as a whole grain. Broom corn sorghum holds onto its seeds tightly and can be used to make brooms and in decorative arrangements.
By and large, sorghum looks and grows similarly to corn. It is a type of grass that can, depending on the variety, reach somewhere between five and ten feet tall. It has big leaves and a loose cluster of kernels. Sorghum performs best in very warm weather, such as the Southeast where temperatures hit the 90s regularly.
Sorghum shouldn’t be planted until the summer truly sets in. That might be as late as early June when temperatures don’t dip below 60 F, and it takes about three or four months to reach maturity. In other words, it won’t work as a great crop in the Northern USA, but for those of us in USDA Zone 6 and warmer, we’ve got the weather to work with.
Sorghum can be treated a lot like flint corn. It should be sown about four inches apart and then thinned to roughly eight inches as the seedlings developed. Weeds should be kept at bay while the plants are young, but they’ll dominate the space after a few weeks. Then, it is left to reach maturity, with grain varieties drying and sweet varieties harvested a couple of weeks after the “milk” stage.
Source: SuperfoodEvolution/Youtube
For sweet sorghum, the canes of the plants must be harvested and processed. The canes are pressed to extract the juice from within them. This can be done by chopping them into manageable pieces and putting them in a cider press. Then, the juice is boiled at until it reaches the right density, “stringing” as the ladle or spoon is removed from it.
With grain sorghum, the plant heads are harvested, allowed to dry thoroughly, and then beaten to separate the grain from the panicles. Ideally, the moisture level of the seeds should be 15% before being stored in the ventilated bags. The kernels can be milled into flour (sorghum pancakes are popular), or they can be cooked whole like brown rice or popped like popcorn and amaranth.
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In short, sorghum is nothing for modern chefs to be afraid of. It’s nothing for home-growers to shy away from. It is, in fact, a crop that is drought-tolerant, soil-versatile, and multi-purpose. It’s the type of food that ought to make a big splash on the scene. Turns out, it is.
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These little guys started slow but took off like crazy once they were ready. The vines are loaded. Harvested some, lots still on the vine and more coming. If the weather holds I’m sure I’ll be picking them well into October (6b here) Now I just have to figure out some clever things to do with them.
So this poor plant is doing great even after a battle with Aphids. I did have to cut some of the leaves but I'm not happy to see that that didnt stop the plant from starting to regrow and produce such a cute little squash. I am wondering how long it will be until it starts turning orange as I've never grown butternut squash before.
Every seed I planted germinated and I'm really happy with it so far!
Zone 10b. I was so excited for these. All the seeds germinated so I ended up with 5 huge viney, very productive plants. Gave up trying to contain them . Next year I might try to make better use of the tomato cages. These tomatoes are so great for snacking, bruschetta, caprese salad, pizzas, etc. Once they start producing it can be hard to keep up. Almost getting a pound every few days and they are still going strong. Highly recommend!
Zone 10b. I only planted one of these seeds and went heavy on the Texas Tiny seeds. However I wish I sowed more. They are beautiful. Hornworms ended up taking out about half the plant pretty much overnight right when it started to fruit. Pictures are from before the devastation. It recovered though and is still producing new fruit.
Zone 10b. My first time growing these. Shishitos have always been my favorite pepper to grill up to eat. 2 out of 2 seeds sprouted. Slow to grow but absolutely worth the wait. Such a great flavor to them. The aphids and hornworms liked em too so keep an eye out (which likely slowed their growth too). Definitely going to grow double the number of plants next year.
Got these zucchinis to try because they looked and sounded lovely. They grew beautifully and have a very good flavor (both when picked smaller and larger). Since I’m typically just gardening to feed myself, a smaller zucchini like this is ideal for having fresh produce to cook with while also not becoming over run with zucchinis.
I’m a beginner gardener with a raised garden bed in Northeast Florida (Zone 9A), and my Cinnamon Basil from Threshseed has been such a joy to grow! The plant is thriving, and I’m able to harvest abundantly weekly. The flavor is warm—it adds a special touch to so many dishes. My favorite way to use it is in homemade pesto, where I swap walnuts for pine nuts, and it turns out absolutely delicious. The plants are vigorous and easy to care for, making this variety perfect for new gardeners like me. I’ll definitely be planting it again next season if needed!
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