Climate matters. This page is a practical baseline. Confirm cultivar, local frost/heat conditions, mature size and regional restrictions before planting.
Barley — Growing reference
| Scientific name | Hordeum vulgare |
|---|---|
| Seed germination (days) | 7–14 |
| Soil temperature for germination (°C) | 7.2–18.3 |
| First harvest or flowering (days) | 60–90 |
| Measured from | Seed |
| Plant spacing (cm) | 2.5–7.6 |
| Mature height (cm) | 61–101.6 |
| Mature spread (cm) | 7.6–15.2 |
| USDA hardiness zones | 3–9 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Water | Moderate |
| Sowing method | Direct sow |
Growing directions
Barley is a fast-establishing cereal grain used as a soil-building cover crop, sprouting grain, and livestock feed. Drill or broadcast the seed into cool, firm soil in early spring or fall and rake it in for good contact. It germinates quickly, tolerates light frost, and produces abundant biomass that suppresses weeds and protects bare ground. Mow or turn under the growth before it heads out to return organic matter, or let it mature if harvesting grain.
Source and local conditions
Typical planning ranges from OpenPlantDB (CC0). Cultivar, climate, season and growing method can change these values. Confirm the seed label and local guidance before planting.
OpenPlantDB · barley-cover-sgs
Source & verification
OpenPlantDB · CC0