Buckwheat?
Whitetail Deer
So I am looking at planting Buckwheat later this year. I started spraying already to kill off the field. I live in NYS and I am planning to plant some brassica in the same field, a month earlier (end of July). I would like to plant the buckwheat the first weekend in September as it will be in prime growth for hunting season (opens October 1). I am concerned that the buckwheat needs the soil to be broken up (seed lightly covered) and I don't want to ruin the brassica that I planted a month earlier.
So here are my questions:
Should I plant both at the same time at the same time? I am concerned the Buckwheat will grow too quickly for the brassica to take hold.
Can I broadcast the buckwheat heavy on top of the brassica without tilling or dragging (will the seed take)?
That's the Guy that was on the Little Rascal's.
Kurt
I planted buckwheat once. I wasn't impressed with it. I would just stick to the brassicas and maybe some oats or winter wheat.
I've planted it as a cover crop in my garden.good for bees and a green manure crop,but have to cut it down before it seeds and work it in the soil.
I plant buckwheat as a summer crop then till it in late summer and plant a combo of oats and winter wheat.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat
I don't know about deer but I like buckwheat and the honey is quite tasty also. A field of buckwheat that is in blossom looks like a field of snow!
Nooooo..... not another Buckwheat vs Alfalfa thread!
you need to plant it as soon as frost risk is gone , june sounds late. it will not crowd out much if you spread the seed out. seeds kinda large so coverage is thin. brassica may chock out it. Its a good mix crop , but I would not plant it alone as deer take time to adjust to it. Beans on the other hand take not time for deer to adjust to it. You can also plant strips of each seed rather then the mix , then you don't have worry about crowding.
We planted buckwheat 2 years ago as a soil builder crop was fantastic and yes the bees love it. Early in october it was eaten to the ground and the brasica and clover came on strong next spring
It is always nice to see food plots incorporate plants for the pollinators. Hopefully this will become a trend in crop diversity, and lend credibility to the concept of food plotting for wildlife.
I planted buck wheat several times, if you do not cut it or it get eaten down before it seeds it does not do well with something else planted with it. When it seeds, the turkeys will love it and as has been said, the bees love it. I planted 3 acres of clover and an acre of buck wheat next to it. It drew both deer and turkey that way. In NY I have had very little luck with oats. I would plant winter wheat or even rye over oats. Scooby
Buck wheat is good to use on a newly broken plot.Helps condition the soil and grows fast enough to keep weeds down.We have used it several times with good results.Adds nitrogen to the soil. Second year plant what you want.
Buckwheat doesn't add Nitrogen to the soil. I'm sure you meant Phosphorous.
So... I'm thinking oats later in the year then?
I don't think it does well after a frost, so depending on how far upstate you live, you may want to take that into consideration and adjust planting time accordingly
If you were wanting to plant buckwheat you could plant it this spring to suppress the weeds you have been spraying. You could mix in oats, and a fast growing annual clover like Berseem. The key with the buckwheat is to return it to the soil before it goes to seed or it will use the nutrients you are trying to improve the soil with.
Then if time and your budget permits you can work the soil again when you are ready to sew your fall plot. I didn't see anything about a soil test so if you didn't get one I would start there and start making the changes recommended from the results.
The challenge is that I don't have anything to work the soil. No big mower, no tractor, no disc. A couple of years ago I planted the field when it was first put in for me with brassica and that took fairly well. I did plant clover and that took in spots. The soil is heavy clay. So I am looking for something that doesn't need to be drilled, that I can plant a few weeks after I get the brassica started. The timing works out to be a month or more before the frost. But I was looking for something that can be broadcast right on top of the brassica and have it take. OR possibly just plant the brassica in parts of the field (center areas) and then the next crop in the remaining parts (outside edges). It seems like I'm going to have to take this second approach - having things separated (?).
Winter rye and oats can be broadcast into the brassicas and will do fine that way. I think those are a better tact in the fall than buckwheat.
I sow buckwheat around the middle of may in wv. I mow a couple times through the summer as needed, if the deer don't keep them browsed. The plants grow back, and I get some volunteers from the seeds the turkeys miss. I broadcast my fall plot into the standing buckwheat. The buckwheat dies with the frost. Deer eat it all summer then it protects my young fall plants while they establish.
Okay - We're getting close!!! Thanks guys! But now I'm confused.
Woodstick and HappyGoLucky both have solutions like what I'm looking for.
Woodstick - what do you broadcast into the buckwheat for the fall plot?
I would plant BW seperate, and early in the spring, it heads out in like 45 days, and when mowed after heading re-seeds itself. Deer love it, it grows well in crap soil, and you can get two full cycles, then mow and roadcast in fall brassicas/rye late summer/early fall. The BW will die at first frost and the brassicas and RYE will carry through the winter for a great draw/feed plot.
So I'm going to get some buckwheat in the field soon (O-tay?)
Likely by the end of May. Do I have to mow it? Or can I just let it go until I plant brassica in it (via over-seed method)?
I sow rye/clover in part and brassicas in the rest. Rye/clover in Sept and brassicas in aug in wv.
So my field is looking good. I have sprayed it once in these photos. It died off very well, except for where I missed it. I re-applied Gly and will see how it looks in another 4 weeks.
After that, its Buckwheat around the edges. About mid July I will be planting brassica inside the field. And a month later overseeding all of it with oats.
If I weren't such a coward, I would try something new. I'm just afraid of having a whole season of something that the deer wouldn't eat. I did that with brassicas one year and my deer never touched them, so I tend to stick with what I know works. Every time I look at Pat's plots I think I'll try something different.........
Me too. My plots never look that good.
The beauty of buckwheat early in the season is that you are getting good weed protection while providing the deer a food source they like. You can broadcast right into it and then roll it over for your fall plot. Rolling it will cover the seeds and hold water better as the seeds germinate. Rolling will also save some seed from the crows, etc. If you have more weeds or grass, you can spray it first with Gly/AMS, broadcast the seed, roll it down (or cut it), pray for rain and have a great fall plot.
drycreek..........don't give up on the brassicas. I planted, first one variety, then another, with marginal success over several seasons. I read somewhere that sometimes it takes the deer 2-3 years to develop a taste for them. I've been planting a turnip/radish/rape mix for the past 3 years and I have seen a definite dramatic increase in utilization of them each year, especially in the late season. They really pounded them this winter.
Thanks t-roy, but I wonder if it gets cold enough here for brassicas to be attractive to them. They eat the hell out of wheat, rye, or oats. I can't tell much difference in the utilization of the three and they are easy to grow, especially after planting I/C peas in the spring. Only one of my hunting places has enough room to experiment. The other two don't belong to me and I have very limited openings to use. Cutting a pine tree would be a hanging offense on the other two ! :-)
HappyGoLucky - you're saying knock down the buckwheat and plant in it? I only have a drag harrow (similar to this pic). So I was just going to plant around the edges of the field and leave some decent sections that may amount to an acre in the middle of it for planting the brassica. My plan was to leave those smaller sections open so that I can drag and get some seed to soil contact. If I don't need to do that, I would prefer not to.
I was also going to try and plant oats in the buckwheat and in the brassica after the brassica gets growing well enough (maybe 4-5 weeks).
HappyGoLucky - you're saying knock down the buckwheat and plant in it? I only have a drag harrow (similar to this pic). So I was just going to plant around the edges of the field and leave some decent sections that may amount to an acre in the middle of it for planting the brassica. My plan was to leave those smaller sections open so that I can drag and get some seed to soil contact. If I don't need to do that, I would prefer not to.
I was also going to try and plant oats in the buckwheat and in the brassica after the brassica gets growing well enough (maybe 4-5 weeks).
It is common for people to broadcast seed into a summer plot and then cut it or roll/drag it so the seeds make better soil contact. It is all part of the Throw and Mow/Roll methodology for people who lack the big equipment. It is often best to not till the ground too.
The link I provided is a long thread about Throw and Mow.
If the plot has grass and weeds, many people spray Gly/AMS and then broadcast seed followed by the mow or roll. Depending on what you plant, the roll/mow is not always necessary too. Just time the planting around a rain.
Wow! Great read (from start to finish and hour). Lots of acronyms, but I get the gist. I was going to try and plat around the edges and now I'm just going to do the whole field. I may also try some of the grocery store stuff (kidney, pinto, black, peas, etc.) at the same time I "roll the field" and plant in brassica and radish. Very inspiring thread, from people who have my same soil problems (clay, rock and slopes).
So, I built this "turf buster" that I am going to use as a drag behind my 220 ATV. This is the "top side" view. I have a fastening system on it at the front and have done my best to have the spikes line up on each side. I hope that it holds together. I have 8" spikes that I will hammer into it, facing on an angle going forward and have them stick out a couple of inches (maybe 2"). Without any extra weight, it's fairly heavy (maybe 50 lbs). I built it so that I can lay a cinder block on it and strap that down, or if I need to stack a couple on it.
My goal is really to just want scratch up some soil. I don't think it will sink in the 2" that I will have the spikes sticking out on the bottom. I'm not looking for this to be a tiller. I just want to loosen the soil a little before I plant the buckwheat. We're getting rain now, which will hopefully soften up the hard ground (more clay than topsoil). Sunday when I'm going to plant is supposed to be clear skies followed by 3 days of rain (if the weatherman can really predict it that far out).
Once I have the buckwheat growing, I will be using a "seed, roll and spray" method going forward. The link Happy provided really talks about leaving thatch and a layer of "biomass" as the seedbed on top of the ground instead of constantly tilling tearing everything up. That type of method works best for me (as you can see, my limited equipment) as it is much less costly than trying to buy a tractor.
Just wait until you see my compactor/roller :) It's going to be more like a sled with weighs - I already drew up my plans. I am going to build that on-site this weekend and use it to get better seed-to-soil contact.
Hey 35 Acre, my $.02.
For "seed, roll and spray", I would broadcast winter wheat or rye in the fall into your brassicas. It will germinate the following spring and give you something to roll. If not, oats and buckwheat in the spring.
This year, fall sown winter wheat regenerated better than rye for me.
Buckwheat is planted. Now just waiting on the rain. I used my "spike harrow". It held together. The spikes did back out after a while and I had to pound them back in. I only left 2 inches sticking out and it went very well. Only one nail bent slightly. I did try to pound them in deeper and the whole thing just hopped around.
Spread the seed and then I used my barrow rake to set the seed. I got lazy and just drove over the seed with my at instead of making the cultipacker. I'll make that when I need to roll the buckwheat down. Here's a pic of drag I made.
One more so you can see the wingspan on this thing.
Super excited! This looks great so far!
Buckwheat germinated well and got wiped out in the last 2 days. For the next week night time temperatures in the 40's. Will the buckwheat continue to grow?
Yikes. Mine looks great. We had good rain. I just threw out some fertilizer to help it along. About 3-4 weeks and I will plant my fall seed into it and knock it all down.
I would replant the buckwheat but I don't want to mess with the sorghum and sunn hemp already planted. Have not gotten any heat yet.
Buckwheats real value is in soil building. If you soil is in good shape, there are much better forages to plant.
Phosphorus (P) 22 ppm Potassium (K) 23 ppm Calcium (Ca) 303 ppm Magnesium (Mg) 91 ppm
Actual Soil pH 5.5
CEC 3.1 Organic Matter 2.2 %
Limed and fertilized. I am ready for suggestions. Planting winfred brassica, forage peas, radish and kale for the fall. I wanted the buckwheat to do its job, but it got wiped out.
you need 800 lbs pellet lime per acre and for that blend we need 300 lbs per acre of 9-23-30 to build back up your p and k levels and add 50 lbs of ammonium sulfate to sweeten the brassicas and give extra nitrogen and sulfur.
Not sure where your buckwheat is but one year I got a triple crop out out it. Let it reseed and cut down and do all over again. But the buckwheat weed pressure was horrible in subsequent years. Never again will I let buckwheat go to reseed. Fyi.
that spike harrow, home made, was awesome... well done
I finally knocked down the buckwheat. I threw my fall seed into it first. I'm following a process on another site called throw and mow. Albeit, I didn't mow the buckwheat down, I used my harrow rake and knocked it down. The plants laying on top of the seed act as a little greenhouse and will help germination, while also holding the seed in place from rain, etc.
For the fall planting, I planted primarily Winter Rye, Oats and Barley. I did throw in some Brassica, Kale, etc. But I am primarily looking to have this plot build up a layer of thatch (also referred to as organic matter) to help each subsequent planting.
This photo shows to progression. The time between photos 3 and 4 was three weeks! Man that buckwheat can grow! The birds, bees, turkey and deer loved it. I have some great photos.
I'll be headed back this weekend to take care of some last minute camp preparations for the season (split wood, mow the lawn, etc.). Maybe there will be some new growth but I doubt the new seed will come up that fast.
Sorry - 501 internal server error, can't post the photo.
