Wheat

Growing Conditions

Growing Zones

Thrives in USDA Zones 3 - 9

Companion Planting

When to Plant

• Direct Sow

  Winter wheat: sow in autumn 4-6 weeks before first hard frost. Broadcast seed at 2-3 oz per 100 sq ft and rake in to 1-2 inches. Spring wheat: sow as early as soil can be worked in spring. Harvest when grain is hard and golden and moisture content is below 14% (bite a grain - it should crack, not dent).

• Harvest

  Cut stalks when grain is hard and golden; tie in bundles and hang to dry for 1-2 weeks. Thresh by beating bundles against the inside of a trash can or barrel. Winnow by pouring grain from bucket to bucket in a breeze to separate chaff.

Organic Growing Tips

• Crop rotation is important; do not grow wheat in the same bed more than once every 3 years to prevent soil-borne disease buildup.

• Rust is the most serious wheat disease; good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering reduce risk significantly.

• Harvest before extended wet weather if grain is approaching maturity; wet weather at harvest promotes sprouting in the head.

Common Pests

• Wheat Rust
• Hessian Fly
• Aphids
• Fusarium Head Blight

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Family

Grass family (Poaceae)

Genus

Triticum

Species

Triticum aestivum

Natural History

Triticum aestivum is the product of multiple hybridisation events between wild grass species in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East, with domestication of einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum) beginning approximately 10,000 years ago in what is now southeastern Turkey. Modern bread wheat (hexaploid T. aestivum) resulted from a later hybridisation between emmer wheat and Aegilops tauschii, creating a plant with three sets of paired chromosomes - a genomic complexity that contributes to wheat's exceptional adaptability across diverse climates. Wheat cultivation spread rapidly across the Old World and became the dietary foundation of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, European, and Central Asian civilisations. Archaeological evidence links the surplus production enabled by wheat agriculture to the emergence of cities, writing, and complex societies. The Green Revolution of the 1960s, centred on semi-dwarf wheat varieties developed by Norman Borlaug, increased global wheat yields by over 100% and is credited with preventing widespread famine. Today wheat is grown on more land area than any other food crop, on every continent except Antarctica.

Traditional Use

Wheat has limited distinct medicinal traditions; its primary role across human cultures has been as a food staple rather than a therapeutic plant. Wheatgrass juice (from young shoots) has been promoted in 20th century natural health movements for its chlorophyll and nutrient content, though clinical evidence for specific therapeutic effects is limited.

• Traditional Chinese Medicine - Grain

  Wheat grain was used in TCM contexts as a food medicine for calming the heart and treating restlessness and insomnia, often prepared as a decoction; floating wheat (partially formed, lightweight grain) was specifically used in formulas for night sweats.

• 20th century natural health movement - Young shoots (wheatgrass)

  Wheatgrass juice was popularised by Ann Wigmore at the Hippocrates Health Institute beginning in the 1960s as a concentrated source of chlorophyll and enzymes; it became a fixture of raw food and juicing culture despite limited clinical evidence for specific health claims.

Wheat grain and wheatgrass are safe for most people. Individuals with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity must avoid wheat grain products. Wheatgrass is gluten-free if harvested before the grain stage and free of grain contamination, making it generally tolerable for celiac individuals, though individual sensitivity varies.

This information is provided for historical and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions related to your health.

Morphology (Plant Structure & Identification)

• Root System

  Fibrous root system 3-5 feet deep; roots dense in the upper 12 inches and tapering below; extensive root hair surface area for nutrient absorption.

• Stem

  Hollow culm (grass stem) 2-4 feet tall; six nodes; straw-colored at maturity; semi-dwarf modern varieties are shorter and more lodging-resistant.

• Leaves

  Flat linear blades with prominent auricles (ear-like projections) clasping the stem; a key identification character distinguishing wheat from other cereals.

• Flowers

  Compact spike inflorescence (the "head" or "ear"); spikelets arranged alternately; awned varieties have long bristles projecting from each spikelet.

• Fruit

  Grain (caryopsis) - the wheat berry; enclosed in the glumes until threshing; endosperm composition determines flour quality (hard vs. soft, red vs. white).

Known Varieties

Common cultivars worth knowing

• Hard Red Winter (general)

  The standard home garden wheat for most of North America; sown in autumn, winter-hardy, and produces high-protein flour excellent for bread. Most widely available planting wheat in the US.

  Best for: General bread flour; zones 4-8; autumn planting

• White Sonora

  Ancient heritage soft wheat grown in the American Southwest since Spanish colonial times; mild, slightly sweet flavor; lower gluten than hard red. Excellent for tortillas and flatbreads.

  Best for: Zones 7-10; heritage varieties; tortillas and flatbreads

• Emmer (Farro)

  Ancient hulled wheat with a distinctive nutty flavor; hull must be removed after threshing. The farro of Italian cuisine; easier to hull than einkorn but harder than modern wheat.

  Best for: Heritage grain growing; farro; whole grain cooking

• Red Fife

  Canadian heritage variety dating to 1842; excellent nutty flavor and good disease resistance; a landmark variety of the heritage grain revival movement.

  Best for: Heritage grain; artisan bread; garden grain growing