My favorite to use (especially for compact soil) is daikon. I interplant them between most veggies (esp. squash/tomatoes) to naturally till/aerate soil. I plant densely for ground cover. I don’t mind insects eating these guys as it keeps them away from my other veggies. They are also edible…. even the bolts! Delicious stuff.
Awesome! I tried to use daikon this spring but didn’t leave enough time for them to really do much before I terminated them. “Next year I will better plan ahead” (she told herself, for the eighth time…)
Great video! I have a 1/2 acre ppty with plenty of sun & shade - and amazing weed growth in both sun and shade. I JUST planted some buckwheat about 5 days ago and intend on adding to a few more areas. I’ve also started with chickens and rabbits, so forage for these critters is another advantage of buckwheat. You did a wonderful presentation on this video, thank you! I will be planting kale in every available patch of ground!
Thanks! Question for you-what else are you growing for rabbit forage, specifically? I am thinking of adding rabbits next year (as a manure source and pets, not meat production) and am just starting down the rabbit hole-no pun intended-of how to grow their food.
@@WellGroundedGardens oh! Well, I’m an amateur at all of this. Rabbits are veg eaters (unlike chicks). Grass, grass and any veg matter you got! Keep away from sweet items….like fruit or carrots! Carrot tops are better for them….weird, right? So, beet and sweet potato greens, kale, chard….any kind of leafy green will do. Note, folks tout comfrey but (a) it’s invasive, and (b) too much will build up toxins in the meat (can’t speak for the poop). They DO like some wood to gnaw and control their teeth. Alfalfa pellets and Timothy hay, of course. Keeping them in a movable tractor would be great for feeding on grass.
Thanks for your detailed timeline, really helpful. I want to grow BW for seeds as well as biomass, so I guess it would be the late summer sowing that would be best? Great video, I'm a kale lover too 🥬
Always delighted to find another kale lover-there aren’t that many of us. :) I think you’re right about the late summer sowing. It’d give time for the seeds to fully develop before the plants are frost-killed (assuming you live in a climate with freezing temps). Curious: are you saving them as an edible grain or just for sowing next year?
@@WellGroundedGardens Thanks for your reply. Yes, it would be for edible grain. We have hot dry summers, usually, & some frosty days in winter & early spring. The potential for invasiveness wouldn't be an issue as things only grow where we've added compost etc... Here in Spain we have many different types of giant kale, called Berza. It's used in traditional soups (Caldo Gallego).
Buckwheat is so easy to terminate by just bending the stem or snapping it. I let the stems and above stay on top of the soil as a shading mulch, leave roots in tact to rot. It will not sprout back, unlike young winter grain covers. I'd be concerned about incorporating, encouraging early, Nitrogen-demanding decomp when your other plants may need it. Let the Kale live! That top mulch can wait for winter to dissolve a bit, or continue to hold back weeds (esp. by NOT bringing up buried weed seeds by the 'tillage').
Have u had any problems with Lygus bugs or root lesion nematodes? I read that they attract and harbor these insects. I’m scared to grow buckwheat because of that. Nice video btw!
Are you harvesting the mature seeds? We try to cut down before the ten week mark because that’s when they start getting mature seeds (and we don’t want baby buckwheat invading the next year). Based on what we’ve seen, they start getting mature seeds around 10-11 weeks so I’d suggest checking then, and maybe planning on another 1-2 weeks after that for full maturity.
@@WellGroundedGardens You've been lucky they haven't found it yet. We planted it last year without a fence and they ate it down to nothing after growing about 3 weeks. This year put up a fence and scarecrow. So far so good :)
Oh I’ve got nothing against buckwheat as a crop! For the area I’ve been planting I’d get MAYBE two handfuls of groats…not worth the effort. But the garden at our new, larger property is 3X the size and I may try and raise it to maturity for a pseudo cereal yield. For now I love it for the shady microclimates, pollinator support and organic soil content.
You are the first video I’ve watched that actually includes information on why we have to cut it down when it flowers. Thank you.
I’m glad it was helpful!
Really enjoy your videos. Very informative and you have given me a few ideas for next year. Thanks!
Thank you. Glad to hear they are helpful :-)
My favorite to use (especially for compact soil) is daikon. I interplant them between most veggies (esp. squash/tomatoes) to naturally till/aerate soil. I plant densely for ground cover. I don’t mind insects eating these guys as it keeps them away from my other veggies. They are also edible…. even the bolts! Delicious stuff.
Awesome! I tried to use daikon this spring but didn’t leave enough time for them to really do much before I terminated them. “Next year I will better plan ahead” (she told herself, for the eighth time…)
Great video! I have a 1/2 acre ppty with plenty of sun & shade - and amazing weed growth in both sun and shade. I JUST planted some buckwheat about 5 days ago and intend on adding to a few more areas. I’ve also started with chickens and rabbits, so forage for these critters is another advantage of buckwheat. You did a wonderful presentation on this video, thank you! I will be planting kale in every available patch of ground!
Thanks! Question for you-what else are you growing for rabbit forage, specifically? I am thinking of adding rabbits next year (as a manure source and pets, not meat production) and am just starting down the rabbit hole-no pun intended-of how to grow their food.
@@WellGroundedGardens oh! Well, I’m an amateur at all of this. Rabbits are veg eaters (unlike chicks). Grass, grass and any veg matter you got! Keep away from sweet items….like fruit or carrots! Carrot tops are better for them….weird, right? So, beet and sweet potato greens, kale, chard….any kind of leafy green will do. Note, folks tout comfrey but (a) it’s invasive, and (b) too much will build up toxins in the meat (can’t speak for the poop). They DO like some wood to gnaw and control their teeth. Alfalfa pellets and Timothy hay, of course. Keeping them in a movable tractor would be great for feeding on grass.
Thanks!!!
Great tips! Thank you 😊
I love buckwheat. I cook it in chicken stock and it's one of my favorite foods.
I haven’t tried the groats but this is on my list for next year ❤️
Great video, thanks for posting.
Thanks! :)
Thanks for your detailed timeline, really helpful. I want to grow BW for seeds as well as biomass, so I guess it would be the late summer sowing that would be best?
Great video, I'm a kale lover too 🥬
Always delighted to find another kale lover-there aren’t that many of us. :) I think you’re right about the late summer sowing. It’d give time for the seeds to fully develop before the plants are frost-killed (assuming you live in a climate with freezing temps). Curious: are you saving them as an edible grain or just for sowing next year?
@@WellGroundedGardens Thanks for your reply. Yes, it would be for edible grain. We have hot dry summers, usually, & some frosty days in winter & early spring. The potential for invasiveness wouldn't be an issue as things only grow where we've added compost etc...
Here in Spain we have many different types of giant kale, called Berza. It's used in traditional soups (Caldo Gallego).
Buckwheat is so easy to terminate by just bending the stem or snapping it. I let the stems and above stay on top of the soil as a shading mulch, leave roots in tact to rot. It will not sprout back, unlike young winter grain covers. I'd be concerned about incorporating, encouraging early, Nitrogen-demanding decomp when your other plants may need it. Let the Kale live! That top mulch can wait for winter to dissolve a bit, or continue to hold back weeds (esp. by NOT bringing up buried weed seeds by the 'tillage').
Good advice! I’ll try that this year.
Have u had any problems with Lygus bugs or root lesion nematodes? I read that they attract and harbor these insects. I’m scared to grow buckwheat because of that. Nice video btw!
Hi, no issues with those. I keep an eye out for Lygus bugs in particular because of our strawberry bed.
And thanks! :)
When you work the buckwheat back in to the soil, so you leave the flowers on as well, or remove them first?
We leave them on-just chop up the whole plant, basically :)
How deep did you plant the buckwheat
I raked back the mulch and just sprinkled it on the surface, then covered with a thin layer of soil and replaced the mulch
is it true the bichwheat just need 30 days for full flowering after planting?
Ours has a few flowers by then but needs more like 45 days for what I’d call “full flowering.” Might depend on the temperature, etc.
@@WellGroundedGardens when it full flowering its need 30 days completely for can harvest it ?
Are you harvesting the mature seeds? We try to cut down before the ten week mark because that’s when they start getting mature seeds (and we don’t want baby buckwheat invading the next year). Based on what we’ve seen, they start getting mature seeds around 10-11 weeks so I’d suggest checking then, and maybe planning on another 1-2 weeks after that for full maturity.
How tall does it get?
At full height ours got to around 2.5 feet 👍
Do deer eat it?
Not that we’ve seen-and we have a TON of deer pressure 👍
@@WellGroundedGardens You've been lucky they haven't found it yet. We planted it last year without a fence and they ate it down to nothing after growing about 3 weeks. This year put up a fence and scarecrow. So far so good :)
They didn’t at our old property (where this was filmed) but we have way more deer pressure at our new place. I will have to see!
But kasha is so good....
If I ever save seed, I’ll give kasha a try. :)
Buckwheat is more nutritous than kale!
Oh I’ve got nothing against buckwheat as a crop! For the area I’ve been planting I’d get MAYBE two handfuls of groats…not worth the effort. But the garden at our new, larger property is 3X the size and I may try and raise it to maturity for a pseudo cereal yield. For now I love it for the shady microclimates, pollinator support and organic soil content.
Buckwheat grows well but it is actually poisonous to animals and humans. It's also a big cause of allergies to people.
The seeds (groats) are edible and can be used to make flour but the leaves do contain fagopyrin, which can be a problem if eaten in large amounts
Great tips! Thank you 😊
Thanks! 😁