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Winter Wheat is a grouping of wheat that is over-wintered in the ground before it is harvested the following year.

It generally tend to be hard-grained wheats, but there are some that are considered soft grain.

The wheat is planted in the autumn: September through December in the Northern Hemisphere, depending on the region.

It will actually sprout before freezing sets in, then lie dormant until the spring. Ideally, it will have developed at least 2 to 3 leaves first, which die off in the winter. What's important is the crown, just below the surface. The seed should be therefore planted quite shallowly, at most 3/4 to 1 inch (2 to 2 1/2 cm) below the surface.

In the spring, the plant starts growing again from its crown, and is ready to harvest in mid summer.

Winter Wheat grows best in fields where stubble from a previous crop was grown. The previous crop doesn't have to have been a wheat crop: rape, barley and oat work fine. The stubble acts to trap snow, providing insulation during the winter, and melt water for the plant in the spring.

For the most part, Wheat is a competitive plant, that can choke out weeds in the spring, particularly weeds that aren't perennials, but the seed generally needs to be treated with a fungicide to ensure good yields.

History
Winter Wheat was brought to North America in the 1800s. In America, it is Russian Mennonites who are credited with its introduction.

Other entries for:

Wheat
Bulgur Wheat, Cracked Wheat, Durum Wheat, Emmer, Hard Wheat, Soft Wheat, Spring Wheat, Wheat Berries, Wheat Bran, Wheat Flakes, Wheat Germ, Winter Wheat

Other entries for:

Grains
Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Cereals, Corn, Flax, Kamut, Millet, Oats, Quinoa, Red River Cereal, Rice, Rye, Semolina, Sorghum, Spelt, Teff, Triticale