How to Grow and Care for Wheat

How to Plant Wheat

Most of us picture wheat in huge fields, waving golden in the sun. However, growing a small amount of wheat at home is easy and satisfying. Wheat is grown from seed, but if you want to plant seedlings, your local farmers market or nursery may be able to help you source seedlings.

When to Plant

You can plant wheat in spring, or in fall, which is also known as winter wheat. Winter wheat is commonly grown by farmers because it’s one of the few crops that can be grown easily at this time.

Selecting a Planting Site

Plant in a spot with full sun that gets at least six hours of sunlight per day. The planting site should have well-draining soil that’s amended with organic matter such as compost, straw, or shredded leaves. You can plant roughly 25 plants per square foot, which can yield between 10 and 12 pounds of wheat grain when harvested from a 100 square-foot (5-foot by 20-foot) plot.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Plant about 25 seeds of wheat per square foot in loose soil. Evenly broadcast the seeds across each 12-inch by 12-inch plot. Plant seeds 1 inch deep for spring wheat and 2 inches deep for winter wheat. Lightly rake the soil to cover the seeds to the appropriate depth. The vertical strawlike growth will not typically need support.

Wheat Plant Care

Light

Wheat thrives in full sun conditions, and you will need at least six hours of direct sunlight per day to produce a thriving wheat crop. Winter wheat crops grow more slowly because they get fewer hours of sunlight.

Soil

A well-drained loamy soil is best for wheat; poor drainage can lead to problems from excessive moisture. If the soil is too rich or heavy with nitrogen content (from manure or other amendments), wheat growth may be stunted. For this reason, the use of fertilizers is discouraged after planting. If your soil does have a heavy nitrogen content, companion planting can help your wheat crop; choose plants that feed heavily on nitrogen such as spinach, beets, cauliflower, or squash.

Water

Wheat doesn’t need a lot of water and most farmers who grow large amounts of wheat rely on rainfall for its water needs. This can be challenging in seasons of drought. Home growers may choose to water during drought as needed, which is best done in the early morning or at sunset. Drip irrigation is a useful method for watering wheat and keeping excessive moisture from the tops of plants, getting water to the roots where it is most needed.

Temperature and Humidity

Temperature is a consideration for growing wheat because it is normally planted in either the spring or fall. Spring-planted wheat can withstand higher temperatures, but fall-planted wheat has a longer growing season with cooler temperatures. Heavy rains or long periods of high humidity can affect wheat’s growth. If your summers tend to have long periods of humid weather, you can try planting wheat in a higher location or one more exposed to wind, which can tend to help the plants stay drier.

Fertilizer

Fertilizer isn’t necessary for wheat during its growing cycle and may even stunt the plant’s growth. However, enriching the soil before planting is a good idea if your soil is thin or devoid of nutrients. Adding phosphorous is beneficial for wheat and follow product label instructions for the correct amount to use.

Pollination

Wheat is a self-pollinating plant. As wheat releases pollen, it is carried by wind to florets, resulting in fertilized plants.

Types of Wheat

There are a few fairly common varieties of wheat you can grow, and each variety has qualities that make it desirable. The red wheats are some of the most commonly grown in the United States.

• Hard red winter wheat is planted as winter wheat. It is the most popular form of wheat used for “whole wheat” flour, whole-grain breads, and other products.
• Soft red winter wheat is similar to the hard variety but is easier to mill and produces a softer textured flour used in making cakes, crackers, and cookies.
• Hard red spring wheat is grown in spring. It has a high gluten content and is preferred for pastries that require a lot of handling such as pizza dough or croissants.
• Hard white wheat has a more subtle, sweeter flavor than red wheat and is commonly used for making tortillas and some kinds of noodles.
• Soft white wheat is used for a wide variety of baked goods including yeasted breads and rolls, and this wheat is used to make commercial cake and pastry flour. Depending on the cultivar, soft white wheat can be grown as spring or winter wheat.
• Durum wheat is also commonly called “pasta wheat” and has a hard dense texture and a high protein content. Durum wheat is also the source of semolina flour which is used to make cous-cous and other pasta products. The crunchy wheat berries of durum wheat plants are used to make bulgur wheat.

Spring Wheat vs. Winter Wheat

Spring wheat is planted in spring and harvested in the fall, and it is a high protein, strong gluten wheat used for bread, rolls, bagels, and pizza crust. Winter wheat is planted in the fall, goes dormant in the winter, and is ready to harvest in the summer. The most common variety grown in the United States is hard red winter wheat, which has moderately high protein and produces general, all-purpose wheat.

Harvesting Wheat

Wheat is ready to harvest when the kernels are crunchy and hard. You can test them between your teeth. Soft kernels need to ripen further. You can harvest by hand if you have a small crop. Use a scythe or sickle for larger crops. It is necessary to thresh your wheat to separate the grain from the chaff (the husk around the seed). There are several ways to do this by hand, including a fairly simple and efficient method where you use a box fan and two buckets and pour the grain back and forth. But as this is the most important part of growing wheat you should seek out a method of threshing that works best for you.

How to Grow Wheat From Seed

Unless you’re growing wheat as wheatgrass or as an ornamental grass, the best way to grow wheat as a crop in your garden is by direct-sowing the seeds outdoors. See the How to Plant Wheat section above for details.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Like many other food plants, wheat is susceptible to various pests. One common problem is aphids. An infestation of aphids will slow wheat’s growth and affect the appearance of leaves. Usually spraying them with water is effective. You can also use neem oil for more stubborn infestations. Stinkbugs are another common insect problem with wheat. Careful weeding is a good way to avoid attracting them. You can also use food-grade diatomaceous earth mixed into the soil surface to help eliminate them. Some insects lay eggs on wheat, like armyworms. You can use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) applied according to product directions to get rid of them.

Various diseases can be problems for wheat. Powdery mildew can occur in periods of high humidity. Watering carefully can help prevent this; watering at the base of the plant helps cut down on unnecessary humidity. Ergot fungus can also form in humid conditions, and this is potentially toxic if consumed. This is identifiable by the black or dark purple color of the grain when this fungus is present. Wheat mosaic virus causes yellow discoloration and curling of leaves.

Diseases present in your wheat crop require the removal of affected plants to prevent the disease from spreading, and discarding them effectively away from the garden but don’t put them in your compost heap.