What's Going On With My Winter Wheat?

With the harsh Winter we are experiencing many are curious if there winter wheat will make it.  How does one see how it's doing?  According to agriculture.comThe University of Nebraska has come up with a way to sample test the soil to give a good idea of how it's doing.

1. Remove the top 3 inches of soil containing the plant crown (typically located 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface).
2. Thaw the samples and warm to room temperature.
3. Remove soil from the roots and wash with cool water to remove attached soil.
4. Cut off roots below the crown and fall growth to within 1 inch above the crown.
5. Rinse the crowns with cool water.
6. Place 10 wet crowns in a labeled plastic bag, inflate the bag, and tie shut.
7. Place the bags in a lighted room, but not in direct sunlight.
8. Check the crowns in two days, rinse with cool water, and reinflate the bag.
9. After four days, the crown should show about 2 inches of new growth.
10. Plants that are not growing after six days should be considered dead when estimating survival.
11. Some plants may grow poorly and develop molds that live on dead or injured plants.

Remember winter-kill is a localized event.  Pick your sample areas carefully and don't over try to get your results too widely.