Emmer

Emmer is an ancient hulled wheat commonly sold as farro. It prefers well-drained soil and moderate fertility, and its grain remains enclosed in tough hulls after threshing.

Sun

Full sun

Water

Keep moist through establishment and grain filling; avoid waterlogging

Spacing

Dense grain stand; use cultivar-specific row spacing and seeding rate

First harvest

100–150 days

Tips

• Sow into a firm, weed-free seedbed; use the seed supplier’s depth and seeding rate, generally about 1 inch deep for small grains.
• Use a soil test for fertilizer; excess nitrogen promotes lodging and can lower grain quality.
• Keep weeds down early and water during heading and grain filling if rainfall is insufficient.
• Inspect heads for ergot, smut or mold; segregate suspect grain and seek testing before food or feed use.
• Cut mature heads, dry and thresh, then dehull before food preparation; all these wheats contain gluten.

Use a spring or winter emmer cultivar suited to your location; spring maturity ranges are approximate.