Cool, wet weather and delayed soybean harvest may result in planting wheat late. Generally, the best time to plant wheat is the 10-day period starting the day after the fly-free-safe date. In northern Ohio, we are close to the end of that 10-day period. In central and southern Ohio, we still have about a week before the end of the 10-day period. When wheat is planted more than 10-days after the fly-free-safe date, there is an increased chance of reduced fall growth and reduced winter hardiness. The effect of planting date on wheat yield is shown in Figure 6-2 of the Ohio Agronomy Guide.
The optimum seeding rate is 1.2 to 1.6 million seeds per acre when planting during the first two weeks following the fly-free-safe date. As we enter three to four weeks after the fly-free-safe date, a seeding rate of 1.6 to 2.0 million seeds per acre is recommended.
There is still time to plant wheat, but the window is closing. Wheat planted 3-4 weeks after the fly-free-safe date can achieve the same yield as earlier planted wheat if freezing weather does not occur until late November or early December.