# Buckwheat-seed saving



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

I just let my BW crop die in the field.........it came back (re-seeded?) in the spring!


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## Dave Burrup (Jul 22, 2008)

When I have just let mine volunteer it comes back too thick. When it is dry I take the wheel barrow or a garden cart, pull a handfull of plants and banged the tops against the sides of the cart. In a couple of hours I can harvest 70 -80lbs of seed. Then on a windy day winnow the seed into a washtub or 5 gallon bucket. You can get good clean seed this way that will go through a seeder the next season. I maintain several acres worth of seed this way. The seed will last several years if kept dry.
Dave


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

This is my vegetable garden, (last year’s peas, radishes, kohlrabi) I was pulling it up so I don’t have the problem of self-sowing. I have a 5x20 with some lavender on the ends that I planted so I could get seed for the following year. The ‘flat’ garden I sowed Fava and one end some buckwheat. The buckwheat looks like crap in the cucumber section 10x17’ section. Fava is belt buckle high + some. I wonder when they will put beans on? I generally cut it down early spring but maybe let a patch stand until late enough to get enough seed that I do not have to purchase it.


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

I just put some gloves on and walk around pulling off the dry seeds, I get about a gallons worth in 20 minutes, then just set them in the garage to dry in a paper bag. Gloves are for the spiders that love to hide in the seed heads. I get reseeded ones and some to sprinkle around ever year this way.


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

If you leave the tops on, hold a handful of plants head down in a bucket or barrel, and beat them against the side, the ripe seeds (dark, very firm to almost hard) will fall into the bucket.

You can either screen it or winnow it with a fan to remove chaff.

Buckwheat seed doesn't all ripen at the same time. The greener, softer seed won't germinate.


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