Visitor to my sorghum seed garden

[Gardenboy]

This beautiful American Redstart Warbler was seen eating some of my sorghum seed heads this morning. Was hovering in/out of the brushes to catch flies and skipper moths.

[PhilaGardener]

Worth every bit! Do you plant the sorghum for the birds to eat in the garden, or other uses?

[Gardenboy]

Like growing tomatoes and most all my veggies, I learned from grandpa. He also grew sorghum to make sorghum syrup and to keep the seeds for next years crop. The birds of all kinds love the grain seed heads as in most bird feed as well. U wait until the stalks are plump and full of sugar and boil the long stalks of sorghum to make the syrup. It's less sweet than sugar cane syrup or molasses. As far as sorghum sudan, it's a tall grass that is planted as cover crop to add nitrogen back into your field. Some cut it twice or mow it before it goes to seed. Some farmers don't let it go to seed and use it for fodder. I plant the sorghum sudan grass as well called Piper Sudan Grass. I also grow Pearl Millet for the birds as well.

[ddsack]

Really nice photo! You must get many bird visitors all year.

[mecktom]

Douglas...how tall does your Pearl Millet get? Many here plant it for hay and cut it at about three feet tall. They usually get several cuttings before frost. If left alone and not cut, it will get 8-10 feet tall.
Hope you are doing well!

[Gardenboy]

Remember, I grow everything in 20 gallon containers...so with the container size the Pearl millet gets about 5 to 6 feet high. I all ready have about 12 seed heads forming and filling out with millet. Getting to much rain now and some of the grasses are starting to yelllow. Plus now, looks like we will have a Cat. #1 hurricane Laura by late Monday or Tuesday! Let's hope it down grades to tropical storm.

[Oliver]

That's awesome. My grandpa, great grandpa, and 2G grandpa grew sorghum. My grandpa used the syrup on his breakfast as long as I knew him.

[Salsacharley]

That bird is beautiful. Great shot! Good luck with the hurricane. I don't know how you Floridians can stand all those monster storms. I guess the beautiful weather the rest of the time makes it worth it. How do your containers do in the hurricanes?

[NewWestGardener]

First time I ever heard of sorghum syrup.
As a child we used to chew on corn stalks like you would with sugar canes, some varieties are quite sweet. We never tried sorghum, very interesting! But there were sorghum gummies that we all liked as children, and we would stretch them it as long as possible before eating them.
Sorghum makes a very nice reddish porridge that is quite fragrant.

Originally Posted by Gardenboy

Like growing tomatoes and most all my veggies, I learned from grandpa. He also grew sorghum to make sorghum syrup and to keep the seeds for next years crop. The birds of all kinds love the grain seed heads as in most bird feed as well. U wait until the stalks are plump and full of sugar and boil the long stalks of sorghum to make the syrup. It's less sweet than sugar cane syrup or molasses. As far as sorghum sudan, it's a tall grass that is planted as cover crop to add nitrogen back into your field. Some cut it twice or mow it before it goes to seed. Some farmers don't let it go to seed and use it for fodder. I plant the sorghum sudan grass as well called Piper Sudan Grass. I also grow Pearl Millet for the birds as well.