We made our own brooms

[FarmerDenise]

to clean the gutters. We have been growing broomcorn for years. I have made brooms for home use and ceremonial brooms. This morning we decided it would be a good idea to clean the gutters before the big rain hit. As we were gathering the ladder, small trowels and donning our rubber gloves my SO said: "wouldn't it be nice if we had a sturdy short handled broom to fit in the gutter to help clean it out." "Just a minute, honey" I replied. I ran to the barn where we store the seeded broomcorn (seeds removed for food for people and animals) in small bundles. I grabbed two of them, wrapped some red duc tape around each, trimmed the ends and voila! we had two new gutter brooms. They worked like a charm. It was easy to fit them in the tight and often uneven space between the shingles and the edge of the gutter and sweep the debris into piles and then get it out with either the shovel or gloved hand. I left the string that I had used to bundle them in the first place and now that we are finished, we simply rinsed them in a bucket of water and now they are hanging in the barn to dry and ready for the next job. They are not too pretty, but they work.

 

[enjoy the ride]

Clever girl- you must make SO proud.

 

[freemotion]

Do give us some details about broomcorn growing and using! I have been pondering growing some for fun. Wondering how many new projects I can handle in one year! Tell me more.....

 

[Nikki28]

Wow! Please do share the details of growing broomcorn do you find the brooms you make with it pretty sturdy? (I would guess the answer is yes)

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Could we get a picture of these brooms???

 

[FarmerDenise]

I don't have my own computer right now, so I cannot post pics.
Broomcorn is quite easy to grow. It is similar to corn. I bought a packet about 14 years ago and planted it at the employee garden at a winery I worked at at the time. It grows about as tall, and looks similar to sweet corn. The leaves are narrower though and no ears form. The tops are where the kernels grow. It is a very cool looking plant and is often used in arrangements. If you want to have nice straight brooms you have to bend the tops down, so they stay straight, otherwise the weight of the kernels bends them over into sprays, which look very nice. For broom making they can be harvested before the corn is ripe. I wait for the corn to ripen, because I can feed it to our chickens.
We usually plant it in May and harvest it in October. I hang some upside down and out of reach of rodents to finish drying. I set some upright in buckets. They usually end up all over my house to keep them away from the rats until I pull off the corn.
It also makes a nice wind break, or source of shade while growing.
I've used the stalks to make fencing.

 

[sylvie]

Do you replant saved seed each year? Who sells the seed type that you plant?

When you bend the tops down, I assume that you avoid breaking at the bend point? When do you bend, early on or close to maturity?

I really want to plant broom corn and try my hand at making brooms. I can see many uses in my home, chicken coop and more. I have a huge fireplace that by burning 4 1/2 foot long logs the ash needs to be swept constantly.

 

[justusnak]

FarmerDenise....where do you get the seed? I would love to get some. I think this could be a new adventure I could really get into!

Edited to say....I found a place to get GREAT heirloom seeds, includeing Broom Corn. Check it out...good prices too!

http://www.dianeseeds.com/sorghum-broomcorn.html