Malted Barley

[MotaZona]

People recommend grinding it & using it immediately.

I’ve been wondering if using it whole during the cook or just adding it to an organic mix will give the same benefits long term as well as aiding in drainage(?)

I reuse my soil.

Any thoughts or experience with this?

 

[Old Dawg]

I generally grind it up in the blender but have added the whole grains to my soil mix if I have leftovers from the previous year.
My sense of this is that the whole grain will at a minimum feed soil life but is it as good as the freshly ground grains I doubt it. I have been using malted barley for several years and the soil / plant benefits are undeniable.
I am an outdoor grower and use 2 to 4 cups per plant each week (photoperiod plants) after a month or so of barley and other top dressing a fungal mat will form. Underneath that mat is an amazing community of soil life taking great care of our plants.

 

[Susitna]

I would definitely grind it first, the hulls will still add tilth to the soil as long as you don't pulverize it too fine.

They say to use it soon after grinding because there are certain volatile enzymes and such that are good to get in the soil before they oxidize. Fungi really love it, and as @Old Dawg said will make a great mat over the soil when top dressing.

It does add nitrogen though so be cautious with auto's and which stage you're in. Also, don't be like me and put a bunch in soil without good drainage....I had the soil start fermenting like a vat of beer, smelled like sour wine and the runoff was bubbly lol. Crispy fried my plant, apparently it didn't like beer...

 

[MotaZona]

Cool.
I bought 5 pounds to try on my next plant(s).

 

[GHO]

I use malted barley a lot. Its great stuff but I prefer it fine. Main reason for that is in my head it makes sense that itll mix through more evenly than grains. I don't think the husks will make much difference to drainage but it may take longer to affect your plant if they've gotta break down before the roots and enzymes can make music together?

 

[zweibeir]

Roughly what % of malted barley would you add to a living soil mix…5%? once added, would you let the soil cook,
or condition for a longer period of time before adding young seedlings? Very interested!

 

[Susitna]

Roughly what % of malted barley would you add to a living soil mix…5%? once added, would you let the soil cook,
or condition for a longer period of time before adding young seedlings? Very interested!

I'm not great with math lol, but 5% would probably be my max. 1 cup per gallon should be plenty. You can always top dress with more later. No need to cook it longer, fresh barley is good stuff to add any time.

 

[DCLXVI]

Brew with it!

 

[hecno]

What is Malted Barley Grain?
Barley Grains are an exceptionally rich source of microbes, with a wide range of bacteria, filamentous fungi and yeasts colonising the area between the husk and the pericarp. Many of the bacteria and fungi found on Barley Grains produce biologically significant levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a vital plant growth hormone that promotes cell division and is involved in the coordination and development of plant organs.
During the malting process the grains are made to germinate under strict conditions in order to facilitate the development of internally present hydrolytic enzymes. These enzymes catalyse the degradation of the starchy endosperm and cell walls of the grain in the presence of water, modifying the structure of the barley endosperm. Once germinated the grain is dried under conditions designed to prevent the denaturing of the enzymes.
How do I use Malted Barley Grain?
Malted Barley Grain makes an exceptional Sprouted Seed Tea (SST), soil amendment and topdressing.

Soil Amendment:	Use 1½ - 2 cups per 30L of base mix.
Topdressing:	Grind into a powder, apply 1 tablespoon to the base of a 30L pot and water in.
Sprouted Seed Tea:	1. Add 7 grams of ground Malted Barley Grain per Litre of water. 2. Bubble the water with Barley in it for 12-24 hours. (Warning: it will foam a lot)