# Buckwheat



## Eaglerock

To me, Buckwheat is the best honey....I know a tree farmer uses it to put things back into the ground that other things take out. Must be good.


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## randydrivesabus

buckwheat is an annual so in that sense its not invasive. but it reseeds readily and will reappear.


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## NeilV

How do you sow the seeds? I've got hives at a guys property where he would not mind if I spread some seed, but it would only work if I could just spread the seed. Will that work?

Also, would buckwheat plants be edible by livestock. The property owner plans to start raising goats in the future. I figure goats eat just about everything, but I would not want to accidentally start a poisonous plant.


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## Docking

Could it be planted as a fall crop in the south? Would it create a necture flow large enough to get a hive to draw out comb?


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## BEES4U

*Here is a web search for you.*

http://search.rr.com/search?qs=grow...rt=1&num=10&channelId=&clientId=aol-rr&pd=yes

Buckwheat: A Multi-Purpose, Short-Season Alternative
University of Missouri
http://extension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/crops/g04306.htm

Good luck,
Ernie Lucas Apiaries


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## Zane

Ha just what I wanted!!! I was goingto disc some dirt today and now I think I'll throw some buckwheat on top of it! See this site has helped me already!!!
Actually I was gong to put some on in the spring but this late season plant will be more benificial for the bee's and for a cover crop till spring!
Thanks for the info Bees4u and Docking for putting up the post


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## Zane

ok I'm the only thing I found locally is buckwheat oats. He has it on order and wont be here for a week so I cant look at the seeds as decribed in the Missouri extention link. arghh. It may be the same thing or I'll order it. If anyone in Missouri or Kansas knows of a place close let me know please
thank you


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## BeeAware

Docking said:


> Could it be planted as a fall crop in the south? Would it create a necture flow large enough to get a hive to draw out comb?


Buckwheat is quick to bloom, about 30 days. So, you could plant it now and it will bloom before frost. However, the first frost will kill it all. I grow it during the summer for my bees to use for overwintering and they work it heavily during the morning hours. After lunch, no bees in the buckwheat.

Good luck.


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## BEES4U

*Buckwheat Seed Sources*

Here are my web searches:

http://search.rr.com/search?qs=BUCK...rt=1&num=10&channelId=&clientId=aol-rr&pd=yes


http://www.nextag.com/buckwheat-seed/search-html
(It has small photos that you can click on)

Regards,
Ernie


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## justin

i waited until june 15th to plant about 5#s of buckwheat for the bees(and the deer)here in montana.on june 17th it snowed an inch.none of it came up.next year i'll wait till july 1st.it is deffinately not poisonous.or i would be dead from pancakes.


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## Zane

I found some @ my MFA store warehouse in Sedalia,MO for $26.00 for 50lbs!!
Wil be picking it up next thursday. In the ground friday If I'm lucky


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## dcross

Stores that sell bulk grains will sometimes have it. I've found that the hulled stuff will sprout.


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## Dave Burrup

I planted about 1/2 A of buckwheat this year to see what it would do. It only produces nectar in the morning, but my bees are collecting a lot of honey from it. My wife and I really like the honey from it. I got my seed from Outside pride. They seem to have about any kind of seed you want, and get it to you real quick. I drilled it about 1 inch deep with a little push seeder, produced some sweat, but it was not too bad of a job. I do not think that broadcasting the seed on top of the ground would work, unless you had some continous moisture for about 5 days. I will definately be planting it again next year.

Dave


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## dragonfly

I planted it one time by broadcasting it over a disced field before a rain. It came up readily and did well, but I did not find it to be a problem with re-seeding.


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## dcross

If you want to broadcast, I would till or roll afterwards unless you could water every day for about 2-3 days.

I have some that came back from last years seed, but it's pretty wimpy as weeds go.


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## Docking

I was wondering where BeeAware found the seed in limestone Co.? My plots are about an acre, about how many hives could that carry? or how many should I start and test?


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## BeeAware

Docking said:


> I was wondering where BeeAware found the seed in limestone Co.? My plots are about an acre, about how many hives could that carry? or how many should I start and test?


I work for a seed and chemical supply firm and I ordered the seed from a company in Mississippi. There is a company in Lauderdale County which used to sell Buckwheat also. I think the name is Clemmons & Hammer, or something like that. Also, C.T. Garvin in Huntsville sometimes has the seed.

About 2 hives per acre is ideal for pollinating the buckwheat and for collecting a surplus of honey.


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## dragonfly

I bought mine by the 50# bag at a feed and seed in Ft Worth, so you may try checking your local feed and seed stores.


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## Jeffzhear

Maybe Next year I will plant some buckwheat. I will have to look for seed now, in anticipation.


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## redhawknc1

I've been planting buckwheat for about 5 years. Plant 1/2 my garden with veggies, the other 1/2 with buckwheat. Rotate places the next year. Also plant winter rye after the garden is cleaned up for fall. Helps keeps weeds out, gives my bees something to do in the mornings and enriches my soil. I buy a 50# bag every year from my local feed store. I just disk lightly, broadcast and then water heavy for a few days, then every week or so if it's dry. Usually let it go to seed, but the seed is so reasonably priced, I usually plant pretty thick. Also get 2 crops a year. Just now planting my second crop, a little late.


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## pugdog

I love buckwheat. Planted me 7 acres of it for my bees. How do I attach pics?


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## Zane

*Buckwheat seed*

My connection here in Missouri didnt pan out. They are on backorder until Oct. !, too late for me to plant this year. I did call a place in south Minnesota and they can get me 50lbs for $17 plus $21 shipping and a week to get there, which might pan out if you think its not too late? The Missouri Ag ref on an earlier post said I needed it in the ground a week ago!
Any ideas buckwheat farmers?


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## dcross

Zane said:


> The Missouri Ag ref on an earlier post said I needed it in the ground a week ago!
> Any ideas buckwheat farmers?


I would go with their advice. Maybe canola?


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## BULLSEYE BILL

In August of last year when I planted my clover and vetch field I also seeded some buckwheat with it. I believe it was the second week of August, It all came up and the buckwheat made me about 20 gallons of nice dark honey but did not reseed it self. I assumed that it froze too early to make seed.

On a better note, the deer really liked grazing on that field last winter, I got a nice 10 point at 305 yards.


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## brooksbeefarm

*buckweat seed*

Zane,I plant almost an acre every year except this year, as you know it was to wet to work the ground this spring.I try to plant may 5th or10th in our area.I plow and disk the plot, broadcast the seed, 50#and lightly disk it in.After it blooms and goes to seed I use my brushhog on it and run a disk on it,If you don!t the doves will find it.Most years I can get 3 blooms off it,depends on the rain.I get my seed through MFA feed store here in fair grove,Mo.and they get it through green seed co.Springfield,Mo.your local MFA may be able to get it for you.You told me you get down this way some times.I!ve got a 50# bag in the shed.


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## Scrapfe

Docking said:


> I was wanting to plant some buckwheat for my bees but I do not know much about this crop. I was told that buckwheat honey is dark like molassas? Can this crop be invasive if I were to plant in on my deer food plots? Does buckwheat produce alot of necture? Will it produce well here in the south?


#1Yep.
#2Nope.
#3Yep.
#4yep.

Docking, look at the thread just down from this one. 
HAGD and GOOD LUCK


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## Brent Bean

I have eleven hives on 20 acres of buckwheat, the bees are working it very heavily it will present nectar early in the morning until around mid day. Unless it’s cooler in the morning then it will go until 2-3 in the afternoon. The bloom is very heavy and it will put out a set of flowers from low on the plant to the top and as it grows it just puts out more flowers.
The farmer that owns the field swears the bees don’t even fly to the field they just walk because the hives are only about six feet away. If I were a bee I would call it a field of dreams. 
Oh yea I am working hard to keep empty supers on each hives. I haven’t determined what color the honey will be but so far it looks dark. Years ago dark honey demanded lower price put in today’s health awareness I have people asking for it. 
One good side benefit I won’t have to worry about the bees going into winter light in either honey or pollen.


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## 1reb

I need to plant some buckwheat next year!


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## Zane

Brooksbee- Thanks for the offer. The MFA is on backorder until October some time. I found some in Southern Minnesota that was quite a bit cheaper btw. Its too late this year(so I read) so I think I'll hit it in the spring. I'll throw out some white clover for now!!! I'm cleaning out and building up my terraces and its perfect for stuff like that!!! Maybe by next spring I can figure a nice place to put up a plot. Maybe 100-200 yds from my backporch thinking of what Bullseye said!!!
"On a better note, the deer really liked grazing on that field last winter, I got a nice 10 point at 305 yards."

Brooksbee are you going to the Lake of the Ozarks gathering in late October?


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## brooksbeefarm

*Zane*

I am going to order some things from Drapers co.,they will have a truck there.This saves on postage.My brother in law lives there and we might go to visit or I may have one of our club members pick it up for me?To many things to get ready for winter here on the farm,I just got my hay up today.Crazy year.


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## Zane

if your putting up hay that explains the rain!!!!! just saw a neighbor setting up rows of grass to roll up, it was clear as a bell and not 1 hour later the clouds moved in and soaked his rows of hay! typical!!!!
Whats Drapers and where are they? Good luck catching up!!!!!


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## brooksbeefarm

*Zane*

Drapers Super Bee 914 s street Aubun.NE.68305.is one of the bee supply co. I buy from.They are good people to deal with.You can ph[402]274-3725 for a catalog.I got my catalog at our bee club.If they have something you need ,you can order it and they will bring it to the lake of the ozarks gathering.Their are other bee supply co. that do this also,They don!t charge for shipping this way,you can save quite a bit.I usally buy my wax foundation this way,most companies won!t ship it in cold weather.


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## Zane

Brooksbeefarm-Thats a great idea thank you!!! Its raining so hard here today the frogs are beating at the door to come in!!!!! hope you got that hay up? I didnt get my terraces done  oh well it'll warm up and dry out again I'm sure. Wish I had that buckweat and or clover out!


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## newbee816

Hello there

My husband planted buckwheat for my bees and they forridge in the am. I read the nectar only flows early morning with buckwheat. 

Eileen


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## Brent Bean

Newbee816:

Nectar flow periods depends on night time temperatures, warmer nights, 60’s they will forage heavily until around noon. But temperatures in the 50’s they will forage until around 2-3 in the PM. But I have still seen them working at 7 PM but primary foraging activity have switched to different areas.
This can be seen on six of the eleven hives because there is a road behind them and buckwheat in front of them. During the day they are flying in the direction of the buckwheat in the later day they are flying in from behind the hive. Where there is a lot of fallow land.


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## Zane

I found some Buckwheat seed on accident at the local greenhouse so I got some. He thought I could throw some out and might get some to root. What do you think????


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## brooksbeefarm

*Buckweat*

Wait till spring to sow it,after last frost date[May 10th]in my area.If you sow it now, the first freeze will kill it.


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## Zane

Thanks Brooksbee, I'll try and wait!!! I just can't get out of "plant" mode!!!!
Oh well I have more fruit tree's comin' ,guess I can dig holes for them!
And a flower bed or 2 needs attention, and more tree's for the wind row and ???? arghhhh
Well I guess I can stay busy doin something! The weather is perfect right now to work outside!


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## wayacoyote

We want buckwheat seed. How often could you plant to get a constant flow during the normal derth? (I just read about doing that in an old American Bee Journal). And how well does it work as a smother crop?


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## brooksbeefarm

Wayacoyote,Your weather is probably different than ours.I plow and disk about 3/4 or 1 acre of ground between may 5 or may 10 (last frost date) I then broadcast 50# of buckwheat and disk lightly.Last year I got 3 blooms off one planting.:thumbsup:It will bloom and go to seed rather quickly,when the plant and pod turns alittle brown their should be black seed in the pod,I then just disk it in.Of course you need rain but it is drought hardy and it does make a good cover crop.This year it rained every other day and I never got any out,but I!ve got a 50# bag of seed ready for next mayHope this helps and good luck.
PS-The bees will be all over it in the mourning,but after 11:00am you won!t see a bee on it.


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## wayacoyote

Thanks, Brooks

We're keeping our farm chemical-free as we're about to have it certified "organic". Will disking and planting 50# be enough to combat fescue? Anyone mix in some clover? (Papa Beekeeper just had an area of the yard smoothed out and would love some forage plants there.)


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## brooksbeefarm

Fescue is tough stuff,I think you will have to plow it under and disk it just before you plant your buckwheat.50# of buckwheat on an acre or less will choke out most other plants once it germinates and starts to grow.Most anything you mix with it you would kill anyway if your going to disk it after it goes to seed for another stand.Good luck.Jack


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## MGBee

Waya<

Buckwheat, from my experience, has been effective in shading nutgrass (a tough customer). 

Have you seen no-till work being done? Not knowing what you will be planting, no-till rye is an effective way to manage in row weeds. Rye is alleopathic and thus prevents other seeds from germinating.

We are trying some no-till vegetables this year. We are organic as well. It's the only way to grow in our opinion.

You might be interested in this site if you have not found it already.

http://rodaleinstitute.org/

Regards,

Miles


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## brooksbeefarm

*buckwheat*

I was going to sugest no-til planting,but when he said he was organic I didn!t.The farmers in my area and I use round-up to kill the grass and weeds before we no-til?Jack


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## Dave Burrup

*Buckwheat and weeds*

I found buckwheat easily competes with annual weeds that emerge with it and after. The weeds that are there when you plant will stay ahead of it. This year I am going to plant the buckwheat and 4 days after spray the field with a 1/2 % roundup to kill existing weed seedlings. Planted in warm soil with moisture buckwheat will emerge in about 5 days.


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## wayacoyote

Thanks, All.
I forgot all about Rodale! Thanks. 
Incidentally, there's a feed store in Leitchfield, KY near Walter T. Kelley that sells buckwheat by the pound. It was less than $0.70/ lb this week.


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## slickbrightspear

southern states and heritage feed here in Bowling Green Ky both have buckwheat seed


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