When is the best time to sow wheat?

As a cold-resistant crop, the sowing timing of wheat is crucial to the growth of the plant and its final yield. The sowing time should not be too early or too late. Let’s learn below when is the best time to sow wheat?

When is the best time to sow wheat?

Winter wheat: Usually sown in autumn so that the wheat can grow certain roots and leaves before winter and survive the winter safely. In temperate regions, the appropriate sowing time for winter wheat is usually from September to November, depending on local climate and soil conditions.

Spring wheat: sown in spring, has a shorter growing cycle and does not need to go through winter. The sowing time of spring wheat is generally from March to May, especially when the soil temperature is stable above 10℃ in spring.

The impact of early and late wheat planting

As a winter crop, the sowing time of wheat has a significant impact on crop growth and yield. If sowing is too late according to local conditions, it may have the following three adverse effects:

When the temperature drops, the optimal temperature for wheat germination may not be reached, thus affecting emergence and causing seedling shortages or broken ridges.

The root system of late-sown wheat may not be well developed and its cold resistance is weak, so low temperatures in winter can easily cause frost damage.

For varieties with a long growing period, sowing too late may delay maturity and affect timely harvest.

Likewise, planting wheat too early can have three negative effects:

For varieties with a short growing period, early sowing may cause the crop to mature prematurely and affect yield.

Sowing under high temperatures may cause wheat to grow too vigorously, increasing the risk of frost damage and lodging.

Sowing too early may lead to earlier wheat heading period, and low temperatures in spring may exacerbate yield reductions.

Therefore, it is crucial to determine the optimal sowing time for wheat, which mainly depends on regional characteristics and the harvest time of the previous crop, and needs to be flexibly adjusted according to actual conditions. You can refer to the experience of others, but the final decision should be based on local climate and soil conditions, as well as the harvest time of the previous crop.