🌾 Buckwheat
Field Crops · growing reference
| Days to maturity | 40 days – 80 days, by type |
|---|---|
| Germination | 5 days |
| Planted as | lb |
| Water | ~0.75–1.2 in a week |
When to plant
In USDA zone 6, for example: Plant out around Apr 22, once your last frost has passed.
| Spring | |
|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May 22 |
| Zone 4 | May 14 |
| Zone 5 | May 3 |
| Zone 6 | Apr 22 |
| Zone 7 | Apr 8 |
| Zone 8 | Mar 22 |
| Zone 9 | Feb 27 |
Dates are the typical window for each zone's average frost dates — your own last frost can differ by a couple of weeks. Zone 10 and warmer is effectively frost-free: plant to the season, not the frost. Southern Hemisphere: shift six months.
Buckwheat Uses
- Cover · 40 days · 30–60 lbs of green manure/plant — The classic 30-40 day smother crop — shades weeds, feeds pollinators; terminate at flowering.
- Grain · 80 days · 15–25 lbs/plant — Grown on to set seed — buckwheat groats and flour. Frost ends it, so sow with time to ripen.
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