Hard Red Wheat
Triticum aestivum • Poaceae
🌱 Seed Category
Grain / Cover Crop
🌍 Origin Region
Middle East (Fertile Crescent); extensively adapted to North American Great Plains and Central Europe.
📅 Days to Maturity
110-120 days for spring wheat; winter wheat takes 240+ days due to over-wintering. Harvest when kernels are hard and cannot be dented by a fingernail.
🌡️ Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 3-10 (Winter types are very cold-hardy). Usually grown as an annual grain crop.
About This Seed
The seeds are small, oval grains, reddish-brown in color with a distinctive longitudinal crease (the crease) on one side and a slightly hairy tip (brush). The resulting plant is a grass growing 2-4 feet tall, producing upright tillers with flat green leaves and terminating in a dense, bearded or beardless seed head (spike).
Growing Information
Growing Season
Fall planting (Winter varieties) or early Spring (Spring varieties). Requires a period of vernalization (cold treatment) for winter types.
Germination
Germination typically occurs in 3-10 days. Optimal soil temperature is 60-75°F (15-24°C). Light is not required for germination. High germination rate expected in well-drained conditions.
Planting Instructions
Planting depth: 1-2 inches. Space seeds 1 inch apart in rows 6-8 inches apart. Prefers well-drained loamy soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Till soil well to remove weeds before broadcasting.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full Sun (6-8+ hours/day). Requires moderate water during the tillering and heading stages; once established, it is moderately drought-tolerant.
Companion Plants
Beneficial with Legumes (clover, peas, beans) which provide nitrogen. Avoid planting with Alliums (garlic, onions) which may slightly stunt growth.
Special Characteristics
High protein content (gluten), cold-hardy, excellent as a cover crop for soil erosion control, weed suppression, and organic matter addition.