By Andrew Hector, Agronomy Extension Specialist – Cereal Crops, Manitoba Crop Alliance

It is good timing for this question as winter wheat is being planted right now! Winter wheat used to be a common sight across Manitoba, with over 600,000 acres planted in 2013. Now, winter wheat acres average around 35,000 – 45,000 acres annually. That said, with improved genetics and its weed suppression benefits, winter wheat is starting to be tried by growers again.

SEEDING DATE

Seeding date is very important. For the best chance of winter survival, winter wheat should be around the 3-leaf/1-tiller stage going into freeze up, with a developed crown. Planting too late will result in small plant that will have a less developed crown. Planting too early will result in plants with too much growth going into winter, making them more susceptible to freeze injury.

In Manitoba, the ideal seeding timing is between late August, into the first two weeks of September. In more norther regions, ideally winter wheat should be seeded by Sept. 15. That said, planting still can occur later than that. Below is the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation crop insurance seeding deadline.

Figure 1. Difference in crop development between two seeding date August 29 (left) and September 29 (right). Photo Credit: Alex Griffiths.

Table 1. MASC’s 2026 seeding date deadline for full and extended coverage for winter wheat.

SEEDING DEPTH

Winter wheat is seeded shallower than spring wheat. The recommended seed depth is 3/4 – 1 inch deep, as seeds require only small amounts of moisture to start germinating. Seeding deeper to chase moisture is typically not recommended, as this could delay emergence and growth in the fall. Adequate moisture for germination routinely occurs in the fall. 

Figure 2. Winter wheat plant size and development differences. Seeding depths:  1 inch (left), 2 inches (right). Photo Credit: Alex Griffiths.

There are many differences between winter wheat and spring wheat production, in terms of agronomic decisions. Check out this MCA article for comprehensive information on a variety of winter wheat management consideration.