Buckwheat and yellow clover

[wngsprd]

Glad to read you are planting for the bees. A while after the first time I planted a field of buckwheat, I heard a sort of roar from the direction of the field when I was walking nearby. I walked closer only to learn it was the hum of thousands of bees on the flowers.

I grow it every year, and don't cover the seeds. If I've tilled, then I drive the tractor over the plot (over and over again, paralleling my tread marks) since I can't find a reasonably priced cultipacker either. My R4s press the seeds into the soil, and make a kind of imprint not unlike what a cultipacker is doing. It takes a while, but can do it at a higher speed, and the germination rate makes it worth it. Once they've gone to seed, I sometimes bush hog them, and get a very nice second crop by just letting them germinate loose on the ground.

I do the same with my clover plots.

I only drag over the bigger seeds, like pure sunflower, or my soybeans/cowpeas/sorghum/sunflower/buckwheat mix.

Good luck.

 

[fishheadbob]

An old pine tree makes a cheap drag. it certainly isn't a cultipacker, but often does the trick in a similar fashion.

 

[Buty]

An old pine tree makes a cheap drag. it certainly isn't a cultipacker, but often does the trick in a similar fashion.

Any pictures of that?

 

[Buty]

Has anyone had success with buckwheat reseeding itself with a little help from equipment? What I mean is, my buckwheat is currently going to seed and I was thinking about taking a cultipacker and just packing it down. Sort of smashing it all down into the soil. If so, what is your method? I know it's not a traditional thing to do with buckwheat but I also grow for the bees and would love to just help it along and, take advantage of all that good seed on the plants.

 

[jeff9366]

I use Buckwheat to suppress weeds in a small commercial Blueberry patch.

We seed in March, here in Florida. The second crop is about 20% of the size of the first crop and is in flower now. We do absolutely nothing to encourage the second crop as it is tight around the Blueberries.

Nothing germinates stronger than Buckwheat.

Just leave it alone. Water if it is parched.

 

[jcummins]

Glad to read you are planting for the bees. A while after the first time I planted a field of buckwheat, I heard a sort of roar from the direction of the field when I was walking nearby. I walked closer only to learn it was the hum of thousands of bees on the flowers.

I grow it every year, and don't cover the seeds. If I've tilled, then I drive the tractor over the plot (over and over again, paralleling my tread marks) since I can't find a reasonably priced cultipacker either. My R4s press the seeds into the soil, and make a kind of imprint not unlike what a cultipacker is doing. It takes a while, but can do it at a higher speed, and the germination rate makes it worth it. Once they've gone to seed, I sometimes bush hog them, and get a very nice second crop by just letting them germinate loose on the ground.

I do the same with my clover plots.

I only drag over the bigger seeds, like pure sunflower, or my soybeans/cowpeas/sorghum/sunflower/buckwheat mix.

Good luck.

That's good to know. If I don't find a cultipacker, and probably won't, I'll do it that way next time. I'm not giving up on getting a good stand.

As to when I planted, don't recall the exact date, but close to 04/09th. We had a dry spell after that.

 

[teejk]

OP doesn't say what was on the plot previously and perhaps the soil contains residue of old herbicide used on corn ground. I bought two acres of land that used that stuff a few years ago...the old stuff would kill the ground for anything other than corn for several years. Thankfully things have changed. Not familiar with buckwheat but sounds like it "takes" easily. No sense in repeating that soil test thing because that would have been my first suggestion.

 

[jcummins]

OP doesn't say what was on the plot previously and perhaps the soil contains residue of old herbicide used on corn ground. I bought two acres of land that used that stuff a few years ago...the old stuff would kill the ground for anything other than corn for several years. Thankfully things have changed. Not familiar with buckwheat but sounds like it "takes" easily. No sense in repeating that soil test thing because that would have been my first suggestion.

Fescue, fairly decent too.

 

[teejk]

Fescue, fairly decent too.

Ok then! Bad seed or just the "luck of the draw" on weather! Friend of mine planted chicory last fall...I think he broke the record on seed failure!

 

[Zerk]

I planted buck wheat one year by running over with a UTV. It doesn't need to be deep. I thought the advantage of it, was it could grow in many places, and help restore the soil. Getting ready to do some again.