When to Plant Winter Wheat
Winter wheat is a highly versatile crop, offering many benefits that other cereal crops do not. It is extremely cold hardy, allowing survival through harsh winters for an early harvest in the spring. What is the best time to plant winter wheat to achieve optimal results?
The best time to plant winter wheat is between mid and late September. Anything earlier will result in pest destruction of the crop, while anything later can result in decreased access to moisture required for vernalization. October is the latest it should be planted.
This article will discuss the timing of planting as it related to acclimation and vernalization. It will also cover the many benefits of planting winter wheat. Read on for everything you need to know about planting this versatile crop.
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How Late Can I Plant Winter Wheat?
For the highest yields, winter wheat should be planted no later than October in most areas. After this, yields are significantly lower, resulting in a loss of profit. For the best results on growing winter wheat, you should consider the following:
Choose the right variety for your needs
If possible, plant into the previous crop’s stubble
Use the appropriate fertilizer with a strong amount of nitrogen
Plan on a planting depth of 1 to 1.5 inches
Plant with plenty of time for vernalization
Moisten the soil before planting
Do not till before planting
Use broadleaf stubble whenever possible
For more information on planting winter wheat, you can watch this video:
What Exactly is Winter Wheat?
Winter wheat is wheat that can withstand freezing cold temperatures for extended periods and is, as you might have guessed, grown during the winter. It must have exposure to near-freezing or colder temperatures to induce reproduction.
Additionally, it must undergo a period of acclimation in which it is exposed to a series of cooler temperatures during the early growth stage. Once the wheat emerges in the fall, the temperature generally experiences daily decreases that allow this process to occur.
Following cold acclimation, winter wheat must go through a series of temperatures below 40℉ to induce reproduction the following spring. The time and temperature required for this period vary based on the variety of winter wheat you are working with.
This wheat is planted in the fall and harvested in the spring or summer. Additionally, it comprises nearly two-thirds of the wheat production in the United States. During the winter months, it lies dormant underneath the snow.
Winter wheat seeds come in kernels, and there are approximately 15,000 kernels per pound of wheat. One acre requires 45 to 90 pounds of wheat to be planted correctly.
Because the seeds can only be planted at a depth of no more than 1.5 inches, a tractor must be driven no faster than 5 mph to complete this task. It is a very large operation that produces massive benefits, both financially and with other crops.
The largest area of the United States that produces winter wheat includes Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. In fact, it is the largest contiguous area of production worldwide.
What are the Benefits of Growing Winter Wheat?
Winter wheat has numerous benefits many may not consider when deciding if they should plant it. This crop is ideal for many situations, from bringing in cash to stopping erosion.
It is ideal for both cash and cover crops. This means you can either grow it to make a profit or cover a large area to protect it from erosion and weeds.
As a cover crop, it is most commonly combined with a legume, such as clover or winter peas. The result of this combination is generally a boost in the soil’s health, protection from erosion, and protection from weeds. As the crops are turned over, they fertilize the soil.
Winter wheat is also an excellent weed suppressant. Once well-established, it competes well with weeds and, during the spring, helps to choke them from developing.
Winter wheat can protect and build the soil. It is an excellent source of organic matter that can easily be incorporated to improve the soil’s overall health while protecting it from runoff. Additionally, it can be harvested as a cash crop to make more income.
The remaining pieces, or stubble, should be left behind when the crop is harvested. They are high in phosphorus and offer excellent nutrients for the soil, increasing its efficacy for future crops. The roots also make great organic residue that should be tilled into the soil.
It offers a higher yield potential than most other cereal crops, resulting in more returns per acre. Because it is planted in the fall, you will not run into any problems with late spring moisture preventing planting.
Additionally, as it is planted in the fall, it will make the most use of the early spring moisture. Other crops do not do this adequately.
The maturation time is well before the frosts set in, ensuring that you will be able to harvest before the crops are damaged due to cold. Unlike other crops, such as spring wheat, winter wheat will not experience frost kill.
You do not have to work the ground in the spring when you plant winter wheat. This avoids complications of compacting the wet earth. When it is grown as a cover crop for grains, it provides an excellent rotation option for underseeding a legume.
Winter wheat is also less likely to become a weed and is generally easy to get rid of, unlike barley and rye. This makes it more manageable and easier to handle when it is time to clear the field.
At What Temperature Will Winter Wheat Germinate?
As we mentioned, winter wheat requires vernalization. While this needs to be at cooler temperatures, it cannot be too cold. The ideal temperature to achieve the best results falls between 40℉ and 50℉.
An additional requirement for germination to occur is adequate water intake. The seeds must take in at least 35 to 45% of their weight in water. As soon as this happens, the vernalization process can begin.
Even if the temperature is perfect, without proper water intake, vernalization will not be able to occur. You must ensure that the ground has enough moisture, but not too much, to allow the seeds to soak up the correct amount of moisture for germination to proceed.
How Long Does it Take for Winter Wheat to Sprout?
The emergence of wheat is dictated by several factors, including seed depth, air temperature, and soil temperature. The time is measured by growing degree days or GDD. Typical depths and their GDD are as follows:
0.5 inches = 105 GDD
1 inch = 130 GDD
2 inches = 175 GDD
Growing degree days are calculated based on the average high and low temperatures of the day in degrees Celcius. The formulate is
(High Temperature + Low Temperature)/2 = Growing Degree Days
Quick Guide to Growing Winter Wheat
USDA hardiness zones 3 - 7 are the ideal areas for winter wheat growth. When considering if you should plant it, ensure you are in one of these zones for the best results.
Mid to late September is the optimal timeframe to seed your winter wheat. The seeds will have the most access to ground moisture to prepare them for vernalization. Additionally, planting any earlier will cause problems with pests, such as aphids.
You can help promote germination by watering the seed bed before you plant the seeds. If you are planting in a garden, simply take the hose and mist the plot. Ensure that you avoid overwatering, as this could be damaging to the seeds.
Do not plant your seeds more than two inches deep; plan for your rows to be approximately ten inches apart. Plant between 20 and 60 live seeds per square foot. Finish up by covering the area with organic matter if you did not plant in stubble to ensure there is insulation.
Seeding into stubble from the previous crop is recommended as it will help protect against extreme cold. As the snow becomes trapped in the stubble, it will protect the seedlings by creating a barrier of insulation. This helps reduce winterkill in these crops.
The soil underneath stubble can be anywhere from five to seven degrees warmer than that found underneath regular types of fallow. It is recommended to seed into broadleaf stubble as this will reduce the risk for pest problems better than using wheat stubble.
If you plan to plant in a conventional fallow field, you must stop or minimize tilling operations just before planting. This process can increase winterkill, bury protective residues, and destroy the firmness of the seedbed. It can also decrease the amount of moisture in the soil.
When choosing your winter wheat variety, ensure you consider the traits of the varieties. You’ll want to look at yield quality, yield stability, and yield potential to find the one that will provide the best results.
During warmer winter days, it is a good idea to apply any herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides you plan on using. It should be a minimum of 50℉ before you complete the application. This step is essential to keep pests and diseases off your crops.
What Else Can Winter Wheat Be Used For?
Winter wheat, once harvested, can be used to make flour. Hard red winter wheat, which is the most commonly grown type in the United States, is high in protein. This protein content makes it higher in gluten content as well.
However, it is also an excellent source of selenium, manganese, and dietary fiber. It is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, which makes it an ideal flour for bread making. It is ideal for rustic bread and sourdoughs.
Soft red winter wheat is full-flavored like the hard version but is easier to mill. When processed, it results in a softer texture, creating a finer flour that is better suited for making cookies, cakes, and crackers.
In addition to making flour, winter wheat can be used as part of a crop rotation schedule in which other crops are boosted by its use. Studies were conducted on adding winter wheat to a soybean-corn rotation.
The results showed a 15% increase in corn yields and a 13% increase in soybean yields once winter wheat was added to the mix. The study was conducted over 25 years, validating the findings with significant amounts of research.
Winter wheat can be used as a weed cover with other crops. For example, if you plant potatoes and are concerned about weeds, you can plant winter wheat as a cover crop. It will compete with the weeds, choking them out so the potatoes can grow with no competition.
It can also be used as a mixed crop with other small grains. Provided your area is experiencing enough rainfall, winter wheat can function as a nurse crop for frost-seeding other crops, such as red clover and sweet clover.
An uncommon but still viable option is to plant winter wheat in the spring. This will work as purely weed protection and elimination. There will be no nutritional or profit gain from doing this as you will not be able to harvest valuable wheat from this crop.
Final Thoughts
Winter wheat is a unique crop in that it offers many benefits while providing the versatility of being both a cash and cover crop. It should be planted between mid and late September for optimal results but no later than October before yields exponentially decrease.
It can be used to underseed a legume when planted as a rotational crop. It can also protect and build up the soil, helping to fertilize it for the next round of crops to be planted as its remnants add significant organic matter to the earth.
Winter wheat can be made into flour, which is one of its primary uses. However, it can also be used as a rotational crop, increasing yields on the crops it rotates with, such as corn and soybeans. It truly is a very versatile crop that offers many benefits to those who grow it.
Be sure to add winter wheat to your garden planning this year - and let us know in the comments what your experiences have been like growing this plant.
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