I use Maple syrup as currency as well.
I want to try and grow a little sorghum next year just to see if I can.
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It’s like tall corn, you need full sun, sandy soil, and the full growing season. Max heat units for your area. If you search the seed catalogues, find the shortest growing season variety, and start from there, or maybe better grow a couple of varieties side by side to compare. Probably starting indoors a bit early will give you an edge. Over established plants won’t want to transplant happily.
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I didn’t see the harvest date in this article but I think it is right around 100-110 days before harvest. You need sandy soil. There was a place that grew it around here as a “homestead coop” place that lasted 5 years back in the 80s. You need 65F soil temp before planting. A mother jones article stated a june 20th planting with an october 1st harvest in NC. I don’t think you will have that much of an issue growing it. If you grow a lot, you will want a squeezing machine though.
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I think Bill is pressed for heat units. It’ll be a bit of a stunt, almost like growing bananas here. (Cool overnight temps, lower peak daytime temps). The soil temps and growing season you describe are already a bit optimistic, that’s why I would pull out every trick in the book to at least get some seed for the next year (maybe the odd one better adapted), plus some practical experience.
I think full sun might be a challenge in the bush there too, which all adds up for a challenge.
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That looks like a really promising variety. Corn and all those plants use the “warm” photosynthetic pathway, so your results may vary. But with 85 days to maturity, you’ve got some room to work with if it’s slow.
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No no no no no. That is forage sorghum. You want sweet or molasses sorghum. Totally different breasts.
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That looks better, but I am leary since they didn’t put a variety name in it. I think you can probably find a better deal if you poke around more.
I bought some from like mississipi certified seed with like a 5lb minimum.
http://www.southernexposure.com/sorghum-iowa-sweet-bulk-size-14-g-lb-p-1437.html
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Not sure of its growing season, but just about everyone I know down hee that grows it ONLY uses “Sugar Drip” or preferably “Honey Drip”. And we try to time it so we cut it the week before the first frost and cook it after it has frosted on the ground. Makes for cooler cooking days too. I haven’t made large volume syrup since 2002. I kind of burnt my wife out on it. We did 8 acres that year, just the two of us…The last time I looked for seed I had to get it from the U of Mississippi research dept. But there are probably others who will sell it. I do know that many will sell grain sorghum and claim you can make syrup out of it. Cause you can, it just won’t be very much…or very good.
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Well fellow wood gassers I was hoping to get back on my wood gas project the Doctor thinks outer wise says I have a tear in my rotator cuff not sure what the out come will be hope I will know something after Tuesday.
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Hello Robert
Very sorry to hear that 
Hope all will turn out OK .
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Sorry to hear.
I Know how you feel. About 2 months ago I reached out to catch a falling CO2 bottle and ripped my left one. It is healing slowly. Very slow healing process. There is a product called Distex that helps heal cartilage tissue and vertebrea disks etc. I think it’s worth taking.
Also, I took something called “Christopher’s Original Formulas, Complete Tissue & Bone” It’s a cream. I think it helped heal faster than usual.
I also took “Bone, Flesh & Cartilage” capsules by Nature’s Way.
I just hate having to use surgeons.
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That’s a slow heal, and probably will never be entirely right again, the kind of thing that comes and goes, and will likely remind you when you’re older, like a bad knee.
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Sorry to hear that. I hope you get great news on tuesday!
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I got Dale but this is where I got it from. They only sell 3 varieties M81-E, Dale and TOP 76-6.
I -think- sugar drip matures faster then dale. Dale is 110 days to maturity, I don’t know if that is sugar or seed production though. I was pushing it, and it didn’t do well for a variety of reasons that were unrelated to growing days.
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I’ve grown all three of those and don’t like any of them . M81-E is suseptible to this new aphid problem we have here in the south. Dale tends to be drier I think. Like I said, it’s been a long time, so maybe they have quit dealing with the Honey Drip.
But hey who knows. Every place is different.
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It seems like when I ordered from them they had 5 varieties. I wonder if they are just sold out from larger orders from research institutions.
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Don’t mean to but in the conversation …
but a few decades back I tore up my knee. Doc’s removed most of the cartiladge. I tried all of the over the counter stuff. Condroitrin. Did not really do any good.
A old military buddy of mine turned me on to gelatin. Works pretty good. I take a few table spoons of in hot water every day. Put a little lemon in it to chase away the funky slimy taste. Really lubes up my worn out joints.
There are two kinds gelatin. Gelatin from vegetable and gelatin from animal sources. The animal sourced stuff is the only one that works. Knox brand when I can get it.
That and bone broth.
Hope this helps.
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Thanks Billy I will be looking that stuff up
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