How Do You Plant Buckwheat?

Buckwheat is a warm-season pseudo-cereal crop that can be used in the kitchen and in livestock feed. It’s not quite usual to grow buckwheat at home and this is all the more reason to give this plant a try! Time to start gardening!

Intro to growing Buckwheat

Wise choice. Growing buckwheat is a lot of fun. Plus, they are tasty and healthy!

Soil

Buckwheat is a short-season crop that grows well in low-fertility or acidic soils. Choose a container that is 5 to 14 inches deep and has a diameter of 8 to 14 inches. Too much fertilizer, especially nitrogen, reduces yields, and the soil must be well drained. Buckwheat ideally wants sandy loam to grow in. Sandy loam simply means soil consisting of less than 7 percent clay, less than 50 percent silt, and between 43 and 50 percent sand.

Seeds

You are obviously also going to need seeds!

Sun-Requirements

This plant needs full sun.

Sowing

Sow the seeds from late spring to late summer. Broadcast the seeds such that they are 2 inches (5cm) apart and one-half inch (1cm) deep.

Depth

Buckwheat should be sown at a depth of 0.75 inches (2 cm).

Germination

For best germination, barely cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. Buckwheat will germinate within a few days and flower in 4 weeks. It should take around 5 to 12 days for buckwheat seeds to germinate. Stay tuned!

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