Is this winter wheat alive?

I planted winter wheat (red fife) for the first time last Fall. It was a bit later than I wanted, about the third week of September in Northern New York (zone 4). But many of the plants got several leaves and started to tiller. Anyway the snow melted about a week ago and I wasn't sure what to expect but almost all the leaves are yellow or completely dried out. I've attached some photos showing a range of plants. (In case it's confusing, you're also seeing twigs and leaves that I used for mulch.)

Having never grown winter wheat before, I'm wondering whether this is normal? Are the leaves supposed to survive or does new growth come from the roots? Does this crop look like it can be productive? Thanks for your input!

No. Those yellowing-browning plant remains are quite decomposed. The  plant may have dropped seed which will emerge.  

that green-ish plant in the bottom picture looks like a 'weed'.

just going off my general knowledge...i'd leave that there and either cover crop into it a low plant like clover along with the wheat.

The bottom one looks like it might survive but it looks nothing like the winter wheat here, we don't really get snow but it comes out of winter looking a bit squashed with brown tips to the leaves but nothing like those pictures. even the fields around a friends where they went to -19C this year don't look like that :(

Thank you both! Since posting I did find this from the Unviersity of WIsconsin. But we did have several nights below 0 F, the lowest was probably -15 F. Most of that was with snow insulating the plants but there were one or two nights without it.

Planting a cover crop is a nice idea but I really do want a wheat crop... Is there any reason not to just hoe up half the field (it's about 1500 sq ft) and seed spring wheat?

I think I would pull up a few of them and inspect the roots and the very base of the plant you should be able to see which ones are truly dead that way, and work out roughly how many you lost. There's no reason why you can't replant with spring wheat if you feel you have lost to many.

Great point, thanks! I'll do that this afternoon and report back.

My winter wheats come out of winter looking green. I have deep snow all winter. My snow melted a week ago, and the wheat is already growing well.

If your crop doesn't green up within a week to ten days, I'd recommend replanting. If you plant spring wheat over top of winter wheat, any winter wheat survivors will mature seed a month before the spring wheat. It can make harvest difficult. However, saving seeds from those that survived the winter will select for winter hardiness.

H Weizen wrote:

Planting a cover crop is a nice idea but I really do want a wheat crop... Is there any reason not to just hoe up half the field (it's about 1500 sq ft) and seed spring wheat?

Planting a cover crop that is low won't compete much yet will increase soil fertility over time, if you leave the plant remains on the soil to decompose and feed the microbes and other decomposers in the soil ecosystem.
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You could also rotate a summer crop and a winter crop, harvesting what you need and leaving any remains to feed the soil life.

Also if you have a low growing cover crop that is winter hardy you could trimm/graze it right around seeding to allow the seed to 'out-compete' and grow above the low-growing cover crop.

diversity of crops increases yields...based on what i've observed and read.

Thanks Joseph, that's really useful information about your wheat being green coming out of winter and also about the differing maturity dates for winter and spring wheat.

I dug up a clod with a few plants in it. The soil was basically frozen, after it thawed the roots looked OK. Or at least not decomposed. There is a hint of green just above the crown. Not thriving, but maybe surviving? I put them in the greenhouse as a little test.

I planted winter wheat last fall for the first time. Yesterday was my first chance to check it, and it looks green, like lawn grass.

Maybe the variety you used isn't a good match for your climate? Some have better cold tolerance than others.

The wheat lives! In about 70% of the field, most of the plants are alive. The other 30% (concentrated in one corner) is sparse. I suppose I could replant that section but I've got other things to seed. Plus I'm curious to see how they'll tiller...

Thanks for your comments everyone. If I'm at this site next year I'll try to plant earlier and mulch more heavily.

Actually here's a follow up question: some of the dead leaves look snipped, would that happen on its own or is it evidence of some critters?