Maned barley is a cereal crop. Despite the fact that he is essentially wild steppe plant, today barley is widely used in landscape design thanks to its unusual and attractive appearance.
In nature, maned barley can be found in the steppes Eastern Siberia and the Far East, in large quantities it is also growing in countries North America. A perennial plant in cultural landscaping is grown as an annual.
Maned barley is popular in garden design thanks to its attractive appearance. It covers the flowerbed with a dense grass carpet consisting of narrow leaves up to 3 mm wide, as well as beautiful silky spikelets. It is the ears that are the most decorative part of the plant. They are long inflorescences with long bristles spreading out like a fan, about 8 cm long.
The crop acquires its lush, eared appearance in summer time. It is then that its stems swaying in the wind look most impressive. At first they have green tint with a slight touch of silver, but after some time they lighten to a straw color. Near the base, the spikelets are covered with small reddish scales.
Maned barley can be found in all kinds of flower beds and flower beds. It looks especially appropriate in rock gardens and rocky gardens, on lawns in combination with other plants. They are very successful at filling the voids between crops that quickly fade in the spring.
Barley is used for turfing areas. It is also used in cut form when making bouquets and various decorative compositions of dried flowers.
The strengths of maned barley are its unpretentiousness and cold resistance, which means it can be planted where heat-loving plants will not take root. The culture loves sunny areas with moderately moist soil.
Barley goes very well with many other decorative plantings, his partners in the flower beds can be:
Maned barley can be planted in April. If you choose this particular time, then already in July you will get beautiful spiking fluffy bushes. You can plant in autumn time- V last days August. In this case, flowering of the crop can be observed in June.
Please note: if you want to plant barley in the fall, then grow the seedlings in containers that are winter period can be entered into warm room. Seedlings can be grown from seeds and spring planting, if the year turned out to be cold and spring was late.
As for choosing a place for planting maned barley, here you need to follow several rules:
You can buy maned barley seeds in a specialized store. As a rule, grains do not need special processing, but to ensure better germination, they can be stratified. This is done like this:
Maned barley can also be grown without seedlings in the spring. Here are some tips on this matter:
Maned Barley unpretentious and grows very quickly. If you don’t want it to fill the entire area and start interfering with other crops, thin it out as it grows. Its inflorescences need to be cut off before new seeds ripen, since the plant reproduces well by self-sowing.
It is convenient to propagate barley by seeds, but you can also resort to the method of dividing the bush. Dig up one healthy large bush, shake off the soil from the roots, divide it into several parts and replant it in any place you choose.
If the climate is warm enough and barley feels comfortable, it can be grown as a perennial.
Maned barley also belongs to the cereal family, but has no agricultural significance. It usually grows as a weed in gardens or in areas free from cultivation. In any case, his unusual look and fluffy beauty did not go unnoticed by gardeners, and they began to use it as ornamental plant. True, the plant has not yet gained much popularity, but perhaps it still has great things to come.
In the wild, maned barley grows in Eastern Siberia and Far East. But in other regions of Russia it is taking root well, due to its unpretentiousness, Siberian health and resistance to adverse conditions. natural conditions– frosts, extreme heat, drought, or vice versa – constant rains and short summers.
The leaves of this type of barley are not too long - from 3 to 8 cm, narrow up to 0.5 cm wide. But from the rhizome it grows in a thick brush. The roots are short, the stems are up to 50 cm high.
The spikelets are collected in threes, one sessile, located in the middle, and two lateral, underdeveloped. Each spikelet has many fluffy hair-like awns up to 7.5 cm long, which generally gives them the appearance of a very fluffy caterpillar, an elongated dandelion, or a horse’s mane, for which, in fact, the barley was called maned.
After flowering, narrow-linear grains with a groove in the middle ripen in the spikelets. They are too small to be of interest to Agriculture, but quite suitable for sowing.
Maned barley conquers everything more space in gardens and flower beds. It blooms from July to September, and landscape designers It is used for homogeneous plantings or in compositions with other plants - decorative foliage or flowering.
In addition, its spikelets make beautiful dry bouquets, especially if you add some blooming immortelle to them.
Maned barley - perennial, which does not require constant planting, the place for it is chosen for several years, if it is sown between perennial flowers and ornamental shrubs– you won’t have to think about creating decorative compositions for several years.
Because the root system barley is not very developed, it can be used for planting on rocky areas, rock gardens, alpine slides, containers, and flowerpots. It is also suitable for creating mixborders and flower beds, among annual and perennial flowers.
Maned barley is unpretentious and frost-resistant; it can be sown in the middle or early spring, as soon as the snow melts and the soil warms up a little. It will begin to bloom 3 months after sowing - when planted in April, fluffy spikelets will appear in July. In conditions short summer You can prepare seedlings in advance in a greenhouse or at home. If you sow the seeds in the fall, flowering will begin in June of next year.
Ornamental barley can grow in shade or partial shade, but will develop best in a sunny location. It does not tolerate stagnant moisture well; this must also be taken into account when choosing a place for sowing it. In general, the plant tolerates drought better than excessive moisture.
Barley is unpretentious in terms of soil composition, but it must be moisture- and breathable. In cultivation, barley is planted in soil rich in minerals and organic matter, but it will also take root in poor sandy loam soil. In this case, it is fed with humus. As for acidity, the soil should be alkaline or slightly acidic.
Before sowing, the seeds are stratified - placed in a dry and cool place for several months. Stratification increases seed germination and plant resistance to typical diseases.
To harden in winter, the seeds can be taken outside or stored in the refrigerator in a fabric or paper bag. A few days before sowing, they are brought into a warm place, germinated by moistening warm water, and planted in place.
Barley can be planted in any way. They dig up the soil, knead the lumps, make holes or shallow grooves, water them with water and place the seeds. They are covered with dry soil with crushed lumps on top, mulched with sawdust or other suitable material. IN further care for barley consists of thinning, watering and weeding.
The decorative relative of the famous cereal crop evokes a dual attitude towards itself: some see it as amazing air decoration garden, and in many central regions of Russia it is considered a malicious weed and they try to exterminate it by any means, including the use of strong herbicides.
The homeland of maned barley is Eastern Siberia and the Far East, as well as North American regions of temperate latitudes, from where the plant was brought to the central part of our country along with imported Canadian grain. IN Western Siberia and to the territory Central Asia the spectacular grass spread from the east.
Externally, the eared plant from a distance resembles feather grass, distinguished by a subtle bluish tint of the foliage. The root system of maned barley is weak, does not penetrate too deeply and does not stay firmly in the soil - the grain is easy to pull out of the soil. However, nearby growing stems soon form a dense turf, which is stronger than single blades of grass.
A perennial herbaceous grass that grows in height up to a maximum of 60 cm. The stems are erect and slightly leafy, sheet plates narrow, silky, 0.3-0.5 cm wide. The spikes are single-flowered, grouped in groups of 3 into a complex spike about 7 cm long. The flower scales are thin and protruding, the bases of the awns, fan-shaped, arranged in a luxurious mane, are reddish-violet. At the beginning of flowering, the spikelets are silver-emerald in color, and by the time they ripen they become light straw-colored. Because of the characteristic mane, the plant received its specific name, and also a cute synonym - “squirrel tail”. The caryopsis is furrowed and narrow-linear, ripening in August-September. The cereal has been cultivated since 1782.
Maned barley is a perennial plant, but in temperate latitudes with frosty winters, despite its certain cold resistance, it is cultivated as an annual.
The grass is quite unpretentious and grows on any soil, even poor soil; it cannot tolerate only swampy hollows, but it still gives preference to drained, breathable soils with sufficient humus capacity.
The site for sowing maned barley is chosen to be sunny and well lit throughout the day. Sods do not need special watering; they often have enough sedimentary moisture, but in severe drought the plants are moderately moistened.
There is no special need for fertilizing; in the spring, if desired, apply mineral fertilizers in a small concentration, but it is important to do this in a timely manner - before the start of the growing season. The plant reacts worse to organic fertilizing.
In the fall, to strengthen the root system, wintering sods of maned barley are fertilized with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.
Mandatory measures for caring for crops in the garden include constant loosening of the soil and removal of weeds.
The plant reproduces well by seeds, which are sown in open ground in the spring, usually in April in most regions, or in the fall in boxes installed for the winter in a cool room with a low above-zero temperature.
Shoots that appear with the arrival of warmth are transplanted into the garden after the end of the period of return spring frosts.
In those regions where the plant overwinters well, it is propagated in the spring by dividing the turf, thinning them and planting them in a new place.
Maned barley easily spreads by self-sowing, the grains overwinter in the soil and appear in completely unexpected places in the spring, turning into an annoying weed, which, in principle, is not difficult to fight; it easily pulls out of the soil and can be weeded due to its weak roots. But the easiest way is to simply not allow ripe spikelets to spontaneously shed, but to cut them off before final ripening.
In garden design, a pretty airy grass is a fairly popular decoration. It is grown in group plantings along lawns, used in mixborders and on flower beds, performed in different styles. Maned barley is a common component of rocky gardens and alpine slides, amazingly coexists with bright blooming accents, evergreens and annuals, from fragrant roses to flaming marigolds, look ideal among thyme and sedum, as well as in the company of other cereals.
Cut ears of corn are used in floral arrangements, giving them mysterious elegance and delicate tenderness.
Barley is a well-known cereal crop, but many do not even realize that it can be used for decorative purposes. He will become interesting decoration garden, will bring airiness, lightness, and create an atmosphere of mystery. Maned barley is easy to propagate; caring for it is not difficult—even novice gardeners can do the task.
Maned barley, in Latin Hordeum jubatum, is a perennial plant of the Poaceae family. IN natural environment it extends across the steppes of North America. The height of the bush varies from 15 cm to half a meter (depending on the fertility of the soil). The herbaceous stems are thin, flexible, and have a greenish tint. The foliage mass is dense: the leaves are oblong, belt-shaped, with pointed tips, the color is rich green.
Fancy silky spikelet inflorescences appear in July. Their length is 5-6 cm. They are decorated with long hairs with a pinkish or purple tint, which develop like a mane when the wind blows. The splendor lasts until the end of summer; in September the grains begin to ripen. If you cut off the inflorescences in time, re-blooming is possible.
Maned barley starts to spike from the first year of life. Over time, the plantings grow and become even more beautiful. But there is no danger of aggressive spread throughout the site - the crop is not a malicious weed.
Sprouts appear in early spring. You can easily distinguish them by their greenish-gray tint. The root system is shallow: the plant is easy to pull out, so be careful when piercing.
Barley is clearly an annual plant: the crop dries out completely when the seeds ripen. It can reproduce by self-sowing, the main thing is that the sprouts do not freeze in early spring, when the snow melts and severe frosts are possible.
You can surprise yourself and your friends with new plants in your flowerbed every year, don’t be afraid to experiment. Maned barley looks unusual, and planting and caring for it is easy.
Reproduction is exclusively by seed. Seed material can be purchased at a specialized store. To get good seedlings, select clean, large seeds for sowing. They must be stratified before planting. To do this, put a thin layer of peat on the bottom of a small tray, spread the seeds over the surface, cover with cling film on top, make several holes, store in the vegetable section of the refrigerator for 1-2 months.
You can sow in open ground in the spring (around April) or before winter (in this case the seeds will grow natural process stratification).
The site should be pre-prepared; do this a couple of weeks before sowing or planting. Dig to a depth of half a spade, apply mineral fertilizers and compost, and remove weeds.
You can scatter the seeds on the surface of the ground and cover them with a rake, or make shallow rows at a distance of 10-15 cm, and sow the seeds rarely. When seedlings appear, they are thinned out to a distance of 5-6 cm between plants.
Care must be taken to ensure that weeds do not choke the tender shoots of maned barley. Later, when he gains strength, he will be able to independently conquer territory from small weed seedlings.
If you grow seedlings, spikelet flowering will occur much earlier. When to sow maned barley for seedlings? Start sowing in early to mid-March, and by mid-May the seedlings will be ready for transplanting into open ground.
The plant tolerates the transshipment procedure well. To keep the bushes fluffy, place 2-4 seedlings in one hole.
Overmoistening of the soil can lead to the development of diseases - mold and gray rot. Be sure to remove the affected areas. Fungicide treatment will be required.
Grains can be processed into healthy and tasty cereals. They are also used to make beer (this requires special equipment). The decoction is used to relieve spastic pain.
It is versatile in use: it will fit into almost any composition, looks self-sufficient in a solo planting, and can be combined with other ornamental grasses, evergreens and flowering plants.
Spikelets of maned barley will fit into living bouquets natural style(combine with wildflowers).
To prepare ears for creating dry bouquets and compositions, they should be cut in the first heading phase. Tie into bundles, hang down with inflorescences and dry in a well-ventilated place.
In winter bouquets, maned barley goes well with flowering and fruiting plants. It should be noted: flax, nigella, lunaria, stachys, wormwood, bramble, hogweed, physalis, echinacea. Combine with thorny plants: rose hips, mordovnik; cereals: corn, miscanthus, anthoxaum; harmonizes perfectly with the inflorescences of heather, gomphrena, helipterum, xeranthemum, .
Don’t be lazy to prepare dried flowers every year, since the created compositions quickly accumulate dust and can be harmful to health.
Cereal and herbaceous garden. The fashion for this style came to us quite recently. One of the most beautiful grains, in my opinion, is MANED BARLEY. This is a perennial ornamental grass with beautiful emerald leaves. They called it that because its inflorescences resemble a mane.
In the summer, maned barley forms a lush “cap” of many lacy spikelets that sway gracefully in the light breeze.
The spikelets are initially silvery-green, and when ripe they become light straw-colored. The red-violet hue of the flower scales at the base of the ear adds a special charm to it. 
Do you grow ornamental grasses?
The plant belongs to the Bluegrass family. There are about 30 species in the genus, including well-known agricultural ones. For decorative purposes, only one is used - maned barley. It grows naturally in Eastern Siberia, the Far East and North America.
perennial grass maned barley in conditions middle zone grown as an annual. Only in case warm winter the plant can survive and start growing again next year.
It grows in the form of a small turf of narrow basal leaves about 5 mm wide, slightly drooping, green in color. Above them rise weakly leafy stems up to 70 cm high. Each stem ends in a drooping inflorescence, consisting of spinous spikelets up to 7 cm long. The spikelets fan out from the base, which really looks a bit like a mane. At first, the color of the inflorescence is straw-golden, then the tips turn slightly pink. This gives appearance ears of corn tenderness, elegance.
Flowering, depending on the timing of planting, begins in June and ends in early September.
Barley loves open sunny places. The soil should be permeable, rich, slightly moist, but water should not stagnate. With good drainage - moderate, regular watering. Usually the plant does not get sick, only when the planting is dense and in damp weather, gray mold may appear. In this case, the plants are planted and fed with compost.
At favorable conditions the grass multiplies by self-sowing and becomes a harmful weed. To prevent this from happening, the inflorescences should be pruned before they are fully ripe. They can be used in compositions with fresh flowers. To create winter bouquets, cutting should be done when the inflorescence begins to spike.
Reproduces maned barley seeds. Can be sown in boxes in autumn and kept in a cool and bright room in winter. In this case, the plant will bloom in June. In temperate latitudes, you can sow in April directly into open ground on permanent place. Then thin out the bed. With this planting method, the plant will bloom in early August. If weather conditions do not allow, then you can sow seedlings in boxes in early April. The seeds should be lightly sprinkled with soil and the soil should be kept slightly moist. Keep the boxes in a cool, bright place, but without direct sun rays. After 25-30 days, the seedlings should be planted in small pots. Maintain the same growing conditions. From May, it is advisable to take it out onto the balcony for hardening. When the threat of frost has passed, you can plant it in open ground. With this planting, flowering will begin in July.
Barley can be used for planting in flower beds instead early flowering plants. He's good and joint landing with other grains. A composition in calm tones will be achieved if you plant sage or angustifolia lavender or annual bicolor ragus next to barley. Marigolds, coreopsis, rudbeckia will add bright notes to the planting.
