Sorghum circle - for continuous supply and a rare total solar eclipse

I was mentioning about sorghum grown in 3 batches each at an interval of one month, in the previous post.  Weather here is sliding towards wetter period, but it is generally hot with temperature hovering around 90 degree Fahrenheit.  It was a rare total solar eclipse yesterday as the Moon passed between the earth and the sun. It happened as I was driving to the office in the morning, and indeed the feeling was rather eerie....... However the phenomena couldn't bring down the temperature, as it remained hot right to sunset.

First batch of sorghum
Photo 1

Second batch of sorghum with thin mulch
Photo 2

Third batch of sorghum with thin Napier leaves as mulch
Photo 3

Three batches of sorghum, the youngest on the right
Photo 4

3 batches of sorghum, the youngest on the right
Photo 5

It happened as I was driving to the office in the morning around 8.15am

bangchik and kakdah

Garden: Putrajaya presint 8

Sorghum grains forming

I am following the development of sorghum closely, since its my first experience growing them. They had come up to the matured stage now, all having heads held high by peduncles, but their grains are at different stage. A few has grains becoming more white, like the colour of sorghum seeds I bought end of last year.  I am expecting full harvest somewhere in March.

Grains becoming more white

still retaining much of the green colour

still young

bangchik and kakdah

garden: presint 8 Putrajaa

Sorghum, I am counting.

SORGHUM

picture from  How a Sorghum Plant Develops

www.soilcropandmore.info

There are 3 types of sorghum, namely grain sorghum, sweet sorghum and broom corn. I am currently growing grain sorghum which will produce tall panicles. The first trial was with 20 plants. They are doing well right now.  Fourteen of  them had heads towering high. The rest are queueing, within a week all heads will appear.

The next stage is to keep watering when weather is hot, and wait for plants to dry up for harvest.  From far sorghums look very much like corns, except for flower and grains appear at the top, nothing in between leaves.

Sorghum grains 

Two rows of sorghum

bangchik and kakdah
Garden: Presint 8, Putrajaya

Growing Sorghum in Putrajaya Malaysia.

I have tried planting different crops again and again. Now its SORGHUM, with seeds bought through ebay. I germinated a few, and quickly got them in the ground November last year. Monsoon was just starting then.  Sorghum grew with nature, with regular monsoon rainfall.  Now, weather is moving towards drier period, so we have to water them twice , morning and late afternoon.

Sorghum, 6 inches apart

Sorghum flowering

Sorghum

Update 14.1.2016 - The weather wasn't too hot as yesterday, with cloud forming later half of the day. It drizzled  around 8.00pm. It's my day off today. I managed to plant 16 marigold seedlings in between okras. I hope they become companions. The rest of sorghum were planted too, completing the second trial of 18 seedlings. The first trial, are almost at the final stage, with 7 stalks of sorghum flowers swaying under the hot sun.

Bangchik and kakdah

Putrajaya Presint 8