Soft White Wheat Wheat is a versatile crop. There are 6 classes of wheat grown in the United States but there are more than 30,000 different varieties, each with its own characteristics. Spring wheats are planted in late spring, usually before or in the month of April. Spring wheats do not go thru a dormant stage, but just develop and mature until they are harvested. Winter wheats are planted in the fall, starting in September and continuing thru October.
Winter wheat sprouts and grows in the fall.
Once it freezes in the fall, winter wheat becomes dormant until the soil warms up in the spring. Then the wheat grows and matures until harvest in the summer. Hard wheats are higher in protein and gluten and are usually used for yeast breads. Soft wheats are primarily used for tender pastries, cakes, cookies, flatbreads, crackers and muffins. Soft and hard wheats are often blended to make all-purpose flour, used in a wide variety of baked products.