John Westfield

I'm a lifelong cooking enthusiast with a special love for strange and underused ingredients. I hope this blog helps open your mind to more of the wonderful edible treasures around us.

Does wheat straw have seeds?

These are the remnants of cereal and grain crops that are used for mulch material. Straw differs from hay only slightly because it’s the remaining hollow stalks of wheat, barley, or rye. Straw does not contain seeds. This prevents the need for pulling weeds constantly in the growing season. Wheat straw sometimes contains viable seeds, …

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Can wheat cause inflammation?

Wheat proteins may cause inflammation beyond the gut New research reveals that a family of proteins in wheat may be responsible for activating inflammation in chronic health conditions such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis. Consuming the amylase-trypsin inhibitors in wheat (ATIs), which make up less than five percent of the total protein, can …

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Do wheat need fertilizer?

“An application of phosphorus as starter fertilizer can be an effective method for part or even all the phosphorus needs of wheat. Wheat plants typically show a significant increase in fall tillers and better root development with the use of starter fertilizer – both phosphorus and nitrogen. When wheat is grown on organic soils, the …

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Will wheat grow in sandy soil?

Grow crop types and varieties that perform well on sands, including wheat, barley, lupins and field peas. Try to avoid 18 month fallows on these soil types. Consider utilising variable rate technology (VRT) in seeders and spreaders to minimise input costs and maximise profitability. The savings and benefits are significant. This begs the query “What …

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