Steps on How to Grow Wheat

Determine whether you wish to grow wheat for pastries, breads or pasta. Plant low-gluten, soft wheat for pastries and crackers. Choose durum wheat for pastas. Select hard wheat with a high gluten content for breads.

Decide when the best time is to plant wheat in your part of the country. Sow winter wheat in the late fall to harvest mid- to late summer. Sow spring wheat early in the spring to harvest in the fall. Generally, plant winter varieties in northern areas six to eight weeks before the winter freeze to allow a root system to develop. The plants green again early in the spring and the wheat grows quickly.

Clear any organic debris from the area where you plan to grow wheat. Use a rake to loosen the soil.

Use a hoe to dig a trench 1 to 2 inches deep to plant wheat in. Drop wheat seeds in the trench at a rate of approximately one seed every 3 inches. Cover the seeds with approximately 1/4 inch of soil. If you prefer, you can sow the wheat on the top of the ground with a broadcast spreader and rake the wheat to bury it into the soil. Sow wheat seed at a rate of 15 to 75 lb. per acre depending on how fertile the soil is. Once you plant wheat, use a roller to tamp the ground in place.

Water the wheat with approximately 1 inch of water every month. If you get rain, skip this step.

Harvest the wheat when the heads turn a golden yellow and the seeds are firm. Taste a seed. It should be crunchy. Use a scythe or other sharp object to cut the heads from the wheat. Place the heads in a cool, dry place to allow them to finish drying. Put the wheat in a location where rodents and other animals cannot access it. When the wheat easily falls out of the head, proceed to the next step.

Remove the wheat from the heads. One way is to beat the heads against the side of a plastic-lined trash can. Another way is to crumble the heads, allowing the wheat to fall into a container. Once the grain is out of the heads, take it outside on a breezy day. Throw the wheat above the container and allow the wind to blow away the chaff and other foreign matter. Repeat the process until you remove all the chaff.