How to Harvest Wheat by Hand

Before tractors, threshers and combines, people harvested wheat with a scythe or a sickle. In many parts of the world, wheat is still harvested by hand. For the small-time grower, heavy machinery is not a necessity. Read on to learn how to harvest wheat by hand.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A scythe or sickle
• Heavy string
• Work gloves

1. Watch for the signs that the wheat is ready to be harvested. It should have a large, brushy top full of grain seeds and beginning to turn golden yellow. The seed is ready when the grain is hard, but you can still dent the seed with your thumbnail.

2. Use the scythe or sickle to cut the stalks of wheat close to the ground.

3. Bundle the wheat into large stacks and tie each stack with a length of heavy string.

4. Stack the bundles upright in an area where they are protected from moisture.

5. Allow the wheat to cure thoroughly before attempting to thresh and winnow. The wheat will be hard and you will no longer be able to dent the kernel with your thumbnail.

Tips & Warnings

• Cutting wheat when wet only leads to mold and rot. Make sure you cut your wheat on a clear, sunny day when all the dew has evaporated from the kernels.
• Winter wheat makes an excellent cover crop for vegetable gardens.
• A 10 X 110 foot area of winter wheat will provide about a bushel of wheat for grinding.
• A bushel of wheat weighs approximately 60 lbs.
• Look for another article on how to thresh and winnow your wheat harvest.
• Wheat can be harvested using garden or pruning shears although it makes the work harder on your back and arm muscles.