Vysokorosky foxtail millet
$4.00 – $8.00
(Setaria italica)
From Kazakhstan. An Indica type with few tillers and very furry heads. Large and vigorous plants. Some theorize that Kazakhstan may be where foxtail millet was domesticated, which intrigues me. This variety came from the USDA National Plant Germplasm System (the American national seedbank), where it is accession # PI 662290.
Plant once soil is warm, a week or two after the average last frost (about the same time as common beans and amaranth). Sow seeds ¼” deep, 6” apart in rows 8” apart. Millet likes heat. Bird like millet; when the heads near maturity, pay close attention, and take precautions if you observe the birds beginning to feast. Seedheads can be harvested after frost kills the plants and dried further if necessary before threshing, which is easily accomplished by treading on them.