Tarahumara Popping
What's special about Tarahumara Popping
Small red-brown grains that pop like tiny popcorn.
Growing this variety
Tarahumara Popping follows the same growing basics as Sorghum. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Sorghum family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Sow into warm soil like corn. Tall (6–10 ft) drought-proof grain — plants make dense seed heads that ripen to red, brown, black or white grain. Cut heads when hard-dent and hang to fully dry, then thresh.
Grower's tip
Sweet sorghums are boiled down for molasses. Broomcorn types are grown for the long stiff seed brush used in whisk brooms. Grain sorghums replace wheat in gluten-free cooking.
Soil preferences
Almost any free-draining soil; most ornamental and prairie grasses prefer it lean.
5.5–7.5
None needed. Rich soil makes clumps flop.
Watering
Water through establishment, then only in extended drought.
Soak the root zone; overhead is fine on grasses.
Overwatered: floppy, splayed clumps. Underwatered: browning tips, early dormancy.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water (overhead or rain) — grains are wind-pollinated and tolerate wet foliage. Water deeply and infrequently.
Temperature tolerance
Broad — warm-season grasses want 75–95°F, cool-season 60–75°F
Down to the species' rated zone minimum
Most perennial grasses go dormant with frost and return from the crown.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
5–15 gal (19–57 L) for ornamental clumps
Clumping types behave in pots; running types will escape any bed you give them.
Detailed harvesting
Cut ornamental clumps back to 4–6 in (10–15 cm) in late winter, before new shoots emerge. Leave the winter structure standing until then.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Dry seed heads upside down in a paper bag for arrangements or re-sowing.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Movement and winter structure, erosion control, meadow and prairie planting, wildlife cover.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Wind-pollinated — expect crossing between nearby species.
Not practical outdoors.
Strip ripe seed heads into a bag once they shatter easily, then dry and clean.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for sorghum in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Tarahumara Popping Sorghum notes
Tarahumara Popping Sorghum seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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Other Sorghum varieties
Black Amber (sweet)
110 daysClassic syrup sorghum — juicy canes crushed and boiled for sorghum molasses.
White African (grain)
100 daysTraditional white grain sorghum for flour, porridge and popping.
Broomcorn Mix
110 days8–10 ft plants topped with long colorful seed brushes for making brooms and fall decor.