Educate me, Spearhead winter wheat.

[shumungus]

Firstly I am not an arable farmer. Have been growing Winter Wheat this past couple of years for wholecropping into the silo. Didn't get my Spearhead Winter Wheat sown last autumn (thankfully) as too wet. Wanting to sow spring Wheat now instead. Winter Wheat seed is sitting in shed, agronomist on phone today telling me I can't sow it as a spring crop need to buy spring seed. Is this true or is he on the hard sell? TIA

 

[e3120]

True. Proper winter wheat needs a period of cold weather to vernalise, or it won't go into reproductive stage.

There was a very recent discussion about skyfall - how late can you sow? It's probably the lowest risk variety, but I doubt many would chance it now.

 

[Gong Farmer]

Although you are wholecropping and don't need the grain, there's still a lot of extra biomass put on during the reproductive stage. Wheat that doesn't vernalise looks bulky but is usually quite short.

 

[RmfJ]

Although you are wholecropping and don't need the grain, there's still a lot of extra biomass put on during the reproductive stage. Wheat that doesn't vernalise looks bulky but is usually quite short.

Wholecropping and don’t need the grain? New one on me

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

Wheat/barley without an ear is just expensive grass.

 

[shumungus]

Although you are wholecropping and don't need the grain, there's still a lot of extra biomass put on during the reproductive stage. Wheat that doesn't vernalise looks bulky but is usually quite short.

Need all the grain that's what we do it for, it's more a cereal silage than whole crop as we let it go nearly ripe then direct cut it sith a sph fitted with a mill.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Wholecrop with no grain is a waste of time, might as well grow grass. You need to treat wholecrop the same way as an arable crop.

 

[Shutesy]

Need all the grain that's what we do it for, it's more a cereal silage than whole crop as we let it go nearly ripe then direct cut it sith a sph fitted with a mill.

You definitely need a spring wheat variety now. Save the winter wheat seed for next autumn and up the rate a bit.

 

[deleted user 837354]

If you're going spring wheat for wholecrop it needs to be in by the end of March really or it will turn into cuckoo corn. Good seed bed and reasonable conditions if you can get them and you'll get a crop that is not far off a winter wheat going up a forager.

 

[shumungus]

No spring crops in anywhere round here yet. Large percentage of the winter crops have been burnt off as they failed in the wet.