# opinions on buckwheat?



## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

A friend of mine planted eight acres of it and got nothing. 

We tried a small patch and never saw a bee on it.

We're having much better luck with clover. My wife put down crimson clover on the garden plots over the winter (called a "cover crop"). Come spring, the bees were all over it. When you are ready to plant, pull the clover up and compost it.


----------



## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

It is not that invasive I will plant a 20x20 foot patch or so at the edge of veggie garden every yr. Bees will work it but they need dew on it, so I only plant it during late July when nothing else in my area is blooming


----------



## bee keeper chef (Nov 1, 2015)

I plant buckwheat as a cover crop and let the bees work it after it is done blooming till it in and sometimes replant a second time. Bees only work this plant in the morning. By noon it is done producing nectar. You will get some that reseeds on its own but it is not a real problem


----------



## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

My experience is the same as bee keeper chef. I will add that the seeds remain on the plant for a long time. If you want to keep reseeding to a minimum, cut the stalks down with a string trimmer while the seeds are still green. I allowed the seeds in a small patch to mature before tilling them in at the onset of Winter. They came up prolifically three times and were killed twice by frost.













I also planted some Crimson Clover this Spring. The plants grew to about knee high before beginning to bloom, but then it turned hot and it began to die back. The Bumblebees were beginning to work it but no Honeybees. The Bumbles come to our Vitex first, then the Honeybees start showing up a few days later. In our area Crimson Clover does better in the Spring after being planted in the Fall, blooming by April before the heat stress takes its toll. I plan to sow a lot of it this Fall because I believe it will work. 

Alex


----------



## Bigtwin (Jun 19, 2011)

I planted 7 acres of buckwheat this spring and it's been blooming for about 3 weeks so far and is working very well as a cover crop (very thick). The bees are all over it. My plan is to let it reseed and see if I can get a second cycle of blooms.


----------

