Barley
Hordeum vulgare
Gramineae
“Look! Here’s a young person with five barley loaves and two small fish . . . but how far would that go with this huge crowd?” “Have everyone sit down,” Jesus said to his disciples. So on the vast grassy slope, more than five thousand hungry people sat down. Jesus then took the barley loaves and the fish and gave thanks to God.
John 6:9-11 TPT
Find barley in God’s Word for Gardeners Bible mentioned in "Reaping Abundance," near Ezekiel 4:9, part of the Garden Work theme of Sowing & Reaping, and as part of the "Seven Species" in the "Lay of the Land" for The Promised Land, and a crop of Egypt, places in the Garden Tour, pages a-14 & a-15
Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side.
Ezekiel 4:9 NIV
Cultural Information
| Type | Edible Annual |
| Height | 18 to 24 inches |
| Soil | any soil will do |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Leaves | linear, narrow, grass-like, alternating from strong, central stem; fold mid-length as plant matures |
| Fruit | heads form at top of stalk, 3 inches long, made up of paired seeds encased in hulls with 4 inch long awns growing upright, which give the characteristic broom or brush-like appearance to the grass head |
Planting Tips
- barley is a durable plant that grows well in cool weather
- sow seeds late fall for zones 7-9; late winter zones 6 and colder
- prepare soil by clearing the planting area, raking soil to an even leveling, scatter seeds abundantly, 2 to 4 per square inch, cover lightly or gently rake, and water daily until sprouts take root
- seeds will germinate quickly - keep soil moist but not wet as seedlings grow to short tufts and establish
- plants will remain 4 to 6 inches tall through the cold season, a brilliant, vivid green in a winter landscape
- warming temperatures will encourage barley stalks to increase in height and form grainheads
- barley is cold hardy to 10 degrees at least, but late, heavy snows could damage plant structure
- barley begins to turn from bright green to pale brown as grain grows ripe
- for harvest, cut stalks at ground; leave plant roots to improve soil organic content
- hang drying stalks upside down in bundles until green color has completely faded
- barley seed is usually sold in 1 pound minimums yet stores well - this size bag may provided 5 years' of annual garden bed grain!
- in the garden landscape, add handfuls of barley seed in between perennial shrubs which are cut back in winter. Barley's bright green will keep the garden looking lush until perennials fill out in warmer weather
Garden to Table
- sprinkler spray, heavy rains or late snows may cause nearly-ripe stalks to "lodge," or bend over without being able to stand tall again on their own (see Exodus 9:31) cut these and add them to table arrangements or hang to straighten while drying
- cut fresh barley stems for table bouquets; they add a whimsical vertical element to arrangements - fresh stalks will be green
- try sowing seeds in small pots for table display during Passover or Resurrection celebrations to remember the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt at the time of the barley harvest
- dry stems by hanging upside down to assure upright heads, otherwise dry in a vase for a "floppy" look
- hang a bunch of barley among other dried herbs on display for unique texture and variety
- for growing the 4 main types of barley - two-row, six-row, hulless, and waxy - consult Brie Arthur's Gardening with Grains (Pittsburgh: St.Lynn's Press, 2019)
- are you ready to move beyond barley as an ornamental grass? this versatile grain can be ground into flour, malted for beer brewing, or cooked as a porridge or side dish
- hulls need to be separated from seed in order to eat - an involved process I haven't tried yet! search homesteading and self-sustaining sources for good how-to advice
- barley is available in grocery stores and markets - cook similar to rice for a hearty side dish, try this "Weed & Barley Recipe"
- barley flour is available commercially - bake your own barley loaf (see John 6:9) barley does not have the high gluten content of wheat, so its breads and cakes are more dense and rustic
More Research
See Blog Posts on BarleyWhen unveiling the good land the Israelites were to receive, God had promised that wheat, barley and choice fruits would be plentiful (Deuteronomy 8:8), as well as abundant bread and full stomachs. Reaping great harvests from the land would be a direct effect of sowing their humility before the Lord, remembering his love for them, honoring his generous hand and gracious favor on their lives. If they ever forgot the Lord — that is, if they lived as if he didn’t exist or had no place with them, or as if their own efforts yielded their accomplishments — they would be destroyed (verses 17 – 20).
-from the NIV God's Word for Gardeners Bible
Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side.
Ezekiel 4:9 NIV
Photo Credits
©2021 Shelley S. Cramm Barley heads nearly ripe catch the morning light in a Texas garden
©2021 Shelley S. Cramm Dried barley stalks pose with a handful of seeds for next year's crop
©2020 Shelley S. Cramm Barley sprouts are vivid green! Enjoy them in the garden as a refreshing plot of spring, shown here after rainshowers sprinkled down spring flowering tree buds
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