Rocky Mountain Barley Grex

Hordeum vulgare

Origin: Paradise, Utah

Improvement status: Landrace/Breeding material

Seeds per packet: ~70

Germination tested 12/2019: 89%

Life cycle: Annual or Biennial

Another gem from Joseph Lofthouse, Landrace Seedsman, in high-altitude Paradise, Utah. Like all of Joseph's seeds, these are super resilient and contain a great diversity of genes — perfect for the farm-scale plant breeder. From Joseph:

"Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance's Heritage Grain Trials project has been trialing a vast number of ancient and heritage barleys for productivity in the Rocky Mountains. We took the best performing of these and closely interplanted them to encourage promiscuous cross pollination. This seed is a grex of the original varieties, and new promiscuously pollinated hybrids. Selected for human scale harvest (taller plants, non-lodging, easy threshing, early season harvest). Two and six row varieties. Awned and awnless. Some seeds are purple. Up to about 10% of the seeds in this lot are expected to be F1 hybrids."

We're honored and grateful to be the near-exclusive source of Joseph's amazing seeds — freeing him up to do more farming, plant breeding, pickling, yoga, and loving. We know you will enjoy planting these extraordinary seeds. Thanks Joseph!

GROWING TIPS: Plant in early spring. About 2"-6" apart in rows about a foot apart. Grows 2 to 3 feet tall.