Straw Skeps

[Stephenw]

Hi

What type of straw is used to make Skeps Wheat, Barley?

Anyone know would there be a Straw Skep making workshop in Northern Ireland?


Steve

 

[Headnavigator]

Not NI, but lots of info here:
http://www.martinatnewton.com/page6.htm

 

[Stephenw]

Thanks head navigatorfor your help.


Steve

 

[Silly Bee]

Can you get one of those laundy baskets?

My wife has one, which I have my eye one for collecting swarms.

 

[Stephenw]

Make sure you dont collect swarm with laundry in it .


Steve

 

[Silly Bee]

Or make sure all the swarm goes in the hive,

 

[Stephenw]

Yeah thats more important silly bee .


Steve

 

[adrian wilford]

dont know i just approached the farmer and asked if i could pull a sack full of stalks, no problem, it did work, but after a long discussion it transpired that he put a fertilizer on the field to increase the speed of growth then put something else on to stunt the stalks as there wasnt as much money in straw a few years ago, i believe the price has gone up now.

 

[Teemore]

The length of the stalks are largely dictated by the variety of grain. It is better to watch out for a field of oats and get your straw there as they tend to have a longer stalk. Also i would recommend that you follow adrian's example and gather the stalks before the field has been combined as once it has been throught the combine, the straw is 'damaged' i.e. no longer 'straight' and this makes it a little more difficult to make the skeins of straw for the skep.

Lyndon.

 

[Stephenw]

Sorry Teemore I forgot to say thanks to your last comment.

Steve

 

[boatspeed]

I've heard of people collecting swarms in cardboard boxes; would a plastic bucket (well scratched on the inside) work?

 

[Stephenw]

Yeah should work. People attach vaccumm cleaners to plastic boxes to suck in swarms. Just make sure the arent left to cook in the sun as it can be a greenhouse inside a plastic box if ya know what I mean.


Steve