Grain yield and quality are critical factors in agricultural production. This study aimed to investigate the impact of sowing time on wheat yield and quality and identify the optimal sowing period for wheat in the Xinjiang region of China. The yield and quality changes of different spring and winter wheat varieties were investigated under different sowing periods. The results showed that late sowing of winter wheat and winter sowing of spring wheat adversely affected wheat yield, especially in spring wheat. For winter wheat, late sowing resulted in higher protein content, wet gluten content, rheological properties, and tensile strength, indicating potential quality improvements with delayed sowing. In contrast, the four spring wheat varieties showed an increase in protein and wet gluten contents under winter sowing treatments. However, the effects of winter sowing on grain quality parameters varied among the four varieties. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing wheat sowing dates locally to achieve both high yield and quality in wheat production.