State × crop calendar
Winter Wheat planting in Maine.
- Primary crop
- Zone 5a
- 130-day season
- Last frost May 15
- Row Crop
- Frost Hardy
Winter Wheat planting in Maine is shaped by the state's 5a dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around May 15, and a 130-day growing season. Winter Wheat is widely grown in Maine — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.
Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against University of Maine Cooperative Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.
Planting calendar — 2026
Frost-anchored windows.
Winter Wheat · Maine · planting calendar
Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.
Planting windows
Earliest → ideal → latest.
Fall planting
Winter WheatEarliest
September 4
Ideal start
September 18
Ideal end
October 9
Latest
October 23
Soil-temp trigger
Plant 6-8 weeks before first hard freeze for adequate fall tillering. Hessian fly free dates often dictate exact timing.Harvest window
Typical start
May 16
Typical end
June 15
Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.
Growing notes
Winter Wheat grows well in Maine's typical climate. Maine's 130-day growing season and 5a hardiness zone support reliable production with appropriate variety selection.
Winter Wheat is widely grown in Maine — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.
Agronomy reference
Winter Wheat fundamentals.
Soil-temp minimum
40°F
Soil-temp optimum
50–75°F
Days to maturity
240–270
Water (in/wk)
0.5–1"
Soil pH
6–7.5
Nitrogen demand
moderate
Winter wheat requires vernalization (cold exposure) to flower — fall planting is mandatory. Spring wheat is a separate crop.
Common pests to watch
- Hessian fly
- Aphids
- Cereal leaf beetle
Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Common diseases
- Stripe rust
- Fusarium head blight
- Powdery mildew
Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.
Variety selection
Winter Wheat varieties for Maine live with your extension.
Variety selection
Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension →Search the extension site for “winter wheat variety trial” or “recommended winter wheat varieties” to find the current report.
Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.
Winter Wheat timing. Live alerts.
Bield Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.
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