If you are looking for a way to grow weed-free garden walkways that also enrich your soil, you’ve come to the right place. Winter grains have seasonal growing characteristics that can be utilized to grow lush green walkways in your garden. This unique gardening technique was developed by my father Dennis Worwood, a horticulturist and 40-year gardener.
As some of you who follow the blog might know, my wife Jessica has graciously turned the gardening section over to me, her husband Dane. My wife is an amazing woman who has so many talents that I am lucky to be a part of. She is the brains of our family and I am the brawn, or (grunt labor) as we like to call it.
Here’s a video that details how to grow garden walkways using winter grains.
Video Highlights
- Winter grains can be used in gardens as a walkway cover crop
- Benefits include: mud free walkways, added organic matter, and weed abatement
- Grains are classified as fall/winter, spring and facultative
- Winter grains planted in the spring produce little to no seed heads
- Plan ahead and purchase your winter grain in the fall when dealers carry it
- Barley winter grain varieties include kold, strider, schuyler, scio, eight-twelve, boyer, and hesk.
- Tools needed are a drop seed spreader, tiller and or rake
- Fill the spreader with your choice of a true winter grain
- Set spreader to wide open and make 3-4 passes, the more seed the better
- Lightly till or rake the seed into the soil to a depth of 1″ to 2″.
- Water every day or two as needed to maintain moist but not soggy soil to promote seed germination
- Once established water as needed
Are you ready to get out there and plant some grain walkways in your garden?
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I’d love to see what your walkways look like, tag me on Facebook or Instagram @cedarlanefarmhouse.
Check out our other post on how to plant onions.
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