Sowing winter wheat in the spring

[Bovril]

Ok. So I know you can't. Vernalisation. Cut off date end of Dec or Jan. That's what we're told. But has anyone actually tried it? Say in Feb or Mar. I don't like to blindly believe everything the experts tell me...

 

[Wheatland]

I've planted Claire wheat well into March before but it's success relays on having a cold snap afterwards for vernalisation
Last May I planted a cereal mixture including winter wheat and oats and some spring barley (+phacelia/kale etc) for wild bird food. Only the spring barley produced an ear this summer. The wheat and oats have stayed vegetative and I presume they try and produce an ear next summer

 

[Bovril]

I've planted Claire wheat well into March before but it's success relays on having a cold snap afterwards for vernalisation
Last May I planted a cereal mixture including winter wheat and oats and some spring barley (+phacelia/kale etc) for wild bird food. Only the spring barley produced an ear this summer. The wheat and oats have stayed vegetative and I presume they try and produce an ear next summer

Right. So rather than drilling date, need too look into crystal ball (more accurate than met office) and and go by conditions...

 

[som farmer]

allways told up to end of jan, cousin regulary plants in jan, reckons its better for seed with lengthening days, than dec, and stuck in poo.

 

[DRC]

there's another thread on here discussing the same thing. I think Skyfall is one that can be drilled later as it has some spring wheat parentage . i would drill ww in feb ok

 

[ridger]

Sowed winter wheat once on st Patrick's day, done better than November sowed stuff

 

[Clive]

Ok. So I know you can't. Vernalisation. Cut off date end of Dec or Jan. That's what we're told. But has anyone actually tried it? Say in Feb or Mar. I don't like to blindly believe everything the experts tell me...

in 2012 march drilled winter wheat was our best yields - that was Soltice

 

[Adeptandy]

Skyfall end of Feb cut off

 

[Hindsight]

I've planted Claire wheat well into March before but it's success relays on having a cold snap afterwards for vernalisation
Last May I planted a cereal mixture including winter wheat and oats and some spring barley (+phacelia/kale etc) for wild bird food. Only the spring barley produced an ear this summer. The wheat and oats have stayed vegetative and I presume they try and produce an ear next summer

Claire had if I recall a end February safe date, and in practice had very little vernalisation requirement, so could be safely sown into March, and as you testify was.

So very much a variety specific issue. Those on the list with later safe sowing dates, are quite obviously the safest but there will be a risk. I am sure many will be turning to advice from breeders in the coming weeks.

Hey ho.

 

[yellow belly]

in 2012 march drilled winter wheat was our best yields - that was Soltice

coldest march since 1963 vernalisation was no problem
2019 would have been a big issue but you could plant heavy land till mid november with no soil damage

 

[Spud]

in 2012 march drilled winter wheat was our best yields - that was Soltice

Was that March 12 or 13 Clive? ie before or after the deluge

 

[Spud]

I'll drill wheat up to Christmas, probably Jan after fresh lifted beet, a slot normally occupied by spring barley.
More spring barley than normal, where winter barley would normally be
If we get enough frost for tractor wheels to run clean, I might try direct drilling some second wheat into heavy land that has been disced and shakerated. It's in good order, just very very wet. Combi will just stir clart, hence dd idea.
Probably a few more spring oats.
Jury out as to wether I buy some spring beans to plant where winter should be, never had a decent spring bean crop on strong land here.
Always a seed time, always a harvest. Somehow!!

 

[Marius]

Does anybody know how cold and for how long it has to stay cold for vernalisation to happen?
Cheers.

 

[Clive]

Was that March 12 or 13 Clive? ie before or after the deluge

Match ‘13 - after the deluge, it should have gone in September!

 

[goodevans]

Does it need to vernalize once germinated or could it be tricked in a cold store pre drilling to give an extra week or two's grace

 

[Banana Bar]

Does it need to vernalize once germinated or could it be tricked in a cold store pre drilling to give an extra week or two's grace

I think, the emerged plant needs to feel the cold.

 

[czechmate]

I was looking into this some years ago and seem to recall that you could sort of cheat and in Russia for some reason it was quite common practice to freeze seed.

Or I may have just dreamt the whole thing.
I did take the chance of sowing some solstice well into March but it came very cold anyway and was fine. (Quite a relief to see the ears emerging as it was on a share farming deal)

 

[Marius]

Does anybody know how cold and for how long it has to stay cold for vernalisation to happen?
Cheers.

Thanks to mighty google there is the answer: "
Vernalization has significant effects at typically 2–10 °C, with dramatic decline at temperatures above 11 °C and an apparent loss of effects above 18 °C (Brooking 1996). Based on their various vernalization requirement durations with a combination of the amplitude and duration of low temperatures in different geographic areas, winter wheat cultivars are typically categorized into three types: a weak winter type that is stimulated to flower by brief exposure to low temperature, a semi-winter type that requires 2–4 weeks of cold exposure for flowering, and a strong winter type that needs 4–6 weeks of cold exposure (Crofts 1989). The winter wheat cultivar Yeoman reportedly requires up to 12 weeks at low temperature to attain a vernalization saturation point (Berry et al. 1980)."

 

[glasshouse]

in 2012 march drilled winter wheat was our best yields - that was Soltice

Winter 2012 began in march!!!

 

[Two Tone]

Match ‘13 - after the deluge, it should have gone in September!

2013 was also spring. Heavy snow showers in April