Canaryseed

Annual canaryseed is grown mainly for bird feed, with food-grade glabrous cultivars available for human use. It is a cool-season cereal distinct from reed canarygrass and prefers a firm, well-drained seedbed.

Sun

Full sun

Water

Keep moist through establishment and grain filling; avoid waterlogging

Spacing

Dense grain stand; use local row spacing and seeding rate

First harvest

90–120 days

Tips

• Use identified annual canaryseed; only appropriate glabrous food-grade cultivars should be grown for human food.
• Sow around 1 inch deep in early spring according to local grain-production guidance.
• Use a soil test and avoid excessive nitrogen and waterlogging.
• Control grass weeds early and inspect for lodging and head disease.
• Harvest mature grain, dry and clean promptly; ordinary hairy birdseed is not equivalent to food-grade grain.