Wyrd byth ful araed

Or, to translate very loosely from the Anglo Saxon, you can't argue with fate. 

I think I have to face the fact that my Maris Widgeon wheat is not germinating.  I have no idea what happened to it.  It didn't even sprout as far as I am aware.  There is the odd little thread of green sticking up here and there in my 'field', but not the healthy emerald mat that my friend Brian has in his plot.  He grows Triticale for his chickens.  It is a similar long stemmed wheat, which I may have to resort to if my crop has failed. 

I particularly wanted to grow Maris Widgeon as it is the wheat traditionally used in corn dolly making, which is what I intend to do with it.  I'm not giving up though. Nature has thrown down the gauntlet, and I will take up the challenge.  I kept some grain back, aware of the likelihood of failure from last year's experience, and have now sown a small deep tray of grain which I will nurture in very controlled conditions in my garden. 

 

I considered stratifying the grain, in other words creating winter conditions for it, and thereby inducing the embryo to sprout.  It should be cold enough outside anyway though, but I don't know if the period of cold left before things warm up for the spring will be long enough now.  Sometimes nature totally bewilders me.  Wish me luck!

There is a really good guide to stratification here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratification_(botany)