Is it the right time to plant wheat in IL?

[Starting late]

Hello all, I am returning to farming after a 20 year absence. I am considering planting some wheat or maybe wheat/rye mixture in a couple of played out alfalfa patches. Is it about the right time of year? Will the wheat establish itself quickly enough to prevent erosion. If I disc the patch, broadcast the seed then cultipack it will that work? What month next spring could I expect to bale the wheat? Could I sow clover into the wheat in February? I baled some volunteer wheat of a neighbor's this spring and the cattle are wild about it. Are there any other winter crops I should consider?

 

[dun]

We're in southern MO and it's about 2 weeks late for us so it depends on how far north in il you are.

 

[Starting late]

60 miles north of St Louis MO

 

[dun]

60 miles north of St Louis MO

Any where near Girard?

 

[Angus Cowman]

you might get by with planting rye the kind I use is coolgrazer has more tolerance to cold than wheat and also produces more on baling I usually cut mine in late april or early may try to cut when seeds reach dough stage

 

[Angus Cowman]

also instead of working the ground you might try no till works great for me

 

[Angus Cowman]

We're in southern MO and it's about 2 weeks late for us so it depends on how far north in il you are.

Dun I am in Southern Mo also where are you

 

[Starting late]

Dun, I am about 12 minutes from Girard

 

[dun]

Just talked to the farmer in Girard. He said there is something called the Hessian Fly date. It's around the 7th of October and you don;t want to have wheat in before then. Anytime in the next week to 2 weeks at the ouside will work. It just has to be above the ground by the first frost.

 

[blacksnake]

Just east of St. Louis, there was many acres of wheat drilled this past week. One farmer was drilling today before it rained him out. We used to farm in southeast Missouri just above the bootheel and we planted as late as Nov 15 without a problem.

 

[MoGal]

Hello all, I am returning to farming after a 20 year absence. I am considering planting some wheat or maybe wheat/rye mixture in a couple of played out alfalfa patches. Is it about the right time of year?
Hubby says you're about 2 weeks late
Will the wheat establish itself quickly enough to prevent erosion.
yes, if you get it done soon
If I disc the patch, broadcast the seed then cultipack it will that work?
yes
What month next spring could I expect to bale the wheat?
1st of May
Could I sow clover into the wheat in February?
hubby says not a good idea
I baled some volunteer wheat of a neighbor's this spring and the cattle are wild about it. Are there any other winter crops I should consider?
this time of year you could possibly still sew some rye and could possibly cut it late april depending on what kind of spring we have

 

[bandit80]

Hello all, I am returning to farming after a 20 year absence. I am considering planting some wheat or maybe wheat/rye mixture in a couple of played out alfalfa patches. Is it about the right time of year? Will the wheat establish itself quickly enough to prevent erosion. If I disc the patch, broadcast the seed then cultipack it will that work? What month next spring could I expect to bale the wheat? Could I sow clover into the wheat in February? I baled some volunteer wheat of a neighbor's this spring and the cattle are wild about it. Are there any other winter crops I should consider?

Being in IL, I don't think you are too late to plant wheat, but I wouldn't put it off any longer. Get it done as soon as you can. Your method for planting the wheat sounds like it will work. You will want to mow the wheat for hay in the dough stage, or shortly after the wheat heads out. Soft wheat is better, and the beards in hard wheat can cause problems if the hay gets too mature before mowing and baling.

You can sow clover into the wheat in February. We have done this many of times. Just broadcast the seed out there when the ground is frozen, and any snowfall, rain will take the seed to the ground, and then when the ground warms up, the clover will come up. It can also fail, but we have had it work more times than not. You should be able to get a cutting of clover next year after you cut the wheat.

Our cows have gotten wheat hay before, and they just love it. Ryegrass or triticale (sp?) works well too. If you don't get your wheat in this fall, you could plants oats and clover together early next spring. Cows love oat hay as well, and your clover will have an even better chance of coming on.