Growing Organic Hard Red Winter Wheat Cover Crop Garden Seeds
- Latin Name: Triticum aestivum
- Common Names: Buckskin, Common Wheat
- Hard Red Wheat Wheat Hardiness Zones: 2-11, Annual
- Days to Maturity: 90 Days (longer when sown for fall mowing)
- Winter Wheat Seeding Rate: 2-4 lb per 1000 sq. ft
- Seed Planting Depth: Broadcast directly and tamp or, for garden sowing, plant 2-3 seeds 1-2” deep
- Growth Habit: Organic hard red winter wheat seeds mature into a classic 30-40" tall grassy wheat field grain
- Hard Red Winter Wheat Soil Benefits: Replenishes nitrogen into the soil, roots loosen soil to improve tilth, drainage, and weeds
- Grow Temp Preference: 35-65° F
- Garden Light Preference: Full sun
- Pests/Diseases/Troubleshooting: Non-GMO Triticum aestivum is a winter-hardy grain with no serious pests or diseases.
- Color: Classic light green field grain that turns to golden brown as harvest nears
- Winter Wheat Mow: When growing as a cover crop, mow down non-GMO hard red winter wheat before it begins to seed, tilling grass back into soil a month before sowing a new spring crop.
About Organic Hard Red Winter Wheat Cover Crop Garden Seeds
Like many cereal grains, hard red winter wheat is a popular cover crop broadcasted directly in early fall for spring tilling or second year maturity, intended to overwinter. For a traditional garden harvest, sow 2-3 organic hard red winter wheat cover crop seeds ½” deep and 2-3” apart in fertile, loamy, and well-drained garden soil in full sun. Non-GMO hard red winter wheat seeds germinate in 4-10 days, with no thinning required. Non-GMO Triticum aestivum is a winter-hardy grain with no serious pests or diseases. If grown as a winter cover crop, mow to crop before heirloom winter wheat begins to seed. If sown to harvest grains and berries, then harvest hard red winter wheat when heads of seeds have become dried, hard, and heavy.
Depending on size of crop, anything from a pair of scissors to a scythe would work to cut down hard red winter wheat for tilling or grain drying. Using twine, bunch up loose wheat into a bale, about the size of a bundle of wood. Allow winter wheat to dry for 2-3 weeks before harvesting hard red winter wheat berries. Like many grains of the Triticeae family, non-GMO organic hard red winter wheat berries can be milled, rolled, steel-cut, and boiled for nearly any occasion.
Organic Hard Red Winter Wheat Benefits
Non-GMO organic hard red winter wheat is planted in the fall and harvested the following summer and will often yield more than spring wheat. Like all the heirloom winter grains, one of the major advantages to organic winter wheat is that it starts growing right away in the spring, meaning you will not get stuck in the spring moisture trying to plant. Non-GMO organic hard red winter wheat must sprout and grow in the fall and then go through a period of vernalization for it to produce grain the following summer. Which is why it is important to seed heirloom winter wheat early enough for it to establish. Like many other cover crops, organic hard red winter wheat is known to replenish tired soils of their depleted nitrogen and nutrients, while improving soil tilth, structure, waterflow, and weed suppression.
Wholesale Organic Hard Red Winter Wheat Cover Crop Seeds Per Package:
- 1 lb - Wholesale - Approximately 8,000 Seeds
- 5 lb - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 40,000 Seeds
- 25 lb - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 200,000 Seeds
Non-GMO Organic Hard Red Winter Wheat cover crop seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on orders over $45.