Wild millet, which is also known as watergrass or barnyard grass, is a reseeding annual. It grows from 1 to 5 feet tall depending on soil conditions, moisture, and length of growing season. It can produce as much as 2500 lbs/acre. Most seed shatters from the seed heads by fall. The fall coolness doesn’t allow it to sprout until the following spring when it begins to warm. It either remains on the ground, in the water, or is consumed by birds rather than germinating. Therefore, it will volunteer year after year. It won’t germinate when under more than 1/4” of soil or 4” of water. As the water recedes, it will sprout both in the shallows and in the mud. 

Wild millet is one of the best waterfowl attractors. It is the most important food raised on most state operated waterfowl management areas in California. It is also planted extensively by US Fish and Wildlife on most new projects in Western Oregon. Wild millet will mature on just a couple of irrigations in 60 to 80 days. In Western Oregon or Washington, the Midwest, East and South, even on only fair soil, it will mature with no irrigation. In the Willamette Valley of Oregon, we try to plant in the first 2 weeks of May. We have planted as late as July 15th and had the plants still make seed. We've also watched it continue to make seed even after we begin to flood the hunting ponds in September. Generally, if you have good moisture, the earlier you plant, the larger your seed crop. East of the Cascades or Sierras requires the same basic farming methods. Watch that you have a growing season that is long enough. 80 days is best. Geese do not love wild millet, ducks do. Ducks do not enter the fields as readily when dry as when flooded, so seed harvested by them can be partly controlled by water manipulation. They will, however, feed out into the dry field from an open wet area. Ducks will usually concentrate on a flooded field of wild millet for a week or two and then desert it for another pond for a few weeks, only to return and rework the first one. 

Wild Millet can be flood irrigated once it has grown a few inches. We start draining the pond as soon as it has been filled, which can take a few days. If you are planning on leaving your pond flooded, make sure the plants are well established. It can handle up to a foot of water. The plants will start to yellow if the water level is too deep.