How to Grow Wheat in Georgia

Deep-till the soil with a V-ripper, chisel plow, paraplow or subsoiler to break up hard pans of soil. Firm the seed bed by hitting it with a cultipacker. This will reduce deep ruts from taking plant in the soil, which will interfere with wheat seeds. Use a seed drill to drill plant the seeds 18 to 20 inches below the surface without mixing the soil.

Plant varieties of wheat that are high-yielding and pest-resistant. Consult the Georgia Wheat Production Guide before you purchase seeds. Review this guide for information on the varieties available in a given season, as seed supplies vary from one season to the next.

Plant the seeds during the recommended planting window. In Georgia, the recommended planting window for wheat includes the first week immediately before and after the average frost day of the farm. Calculate the average first frost day using the previous five years. See the Georgia Weather website to determine the first frost date for your county.

Control insect infestations and weeds early, before pests and weeds have opportunity to damage wheat and cause significant yield loss. Spray an approved insecticide on the varieties as soon as you notice Hessian flies or aphids and immediately prior to top dressing. Control weeds, such as rye grass, wild radish, turnips, onions, chickweed, henbit and vetch, by applying an approved chemical to the weeds. Avoid pulling weeds out of the ground, as this will upset the soil and the wheat seeds.

Scout the fields regularly to look for powdery mildew, stripe rust, leaf rust or other diseases that will limit crop yield. Spray a fungicide on the fields to control instances of mildew or mold.