Planting BUCKWHEAT in Spring

trojan7794

Member
What exactly is the process for planting buckwheat? Do I need to till up the ground and spread seed or just spread seed?

If planting buckwheat, do I still need to get a soil test done?
 

dick7.62

Senior Member
Cooperseeds says to cover buckwheat seeds 1" deep so you should till and cover seeds up. It is always best to do a soil test.
 
Cooperseeds says to cover buckwheat seeds 1" deep so you should till and cover seeds up. It is always best to do a soil test.

Your post got me to thinking. 1 inch seemed to be deep for such a small seed as buckwheat, but looking at several sources, they all agree that it should be planted 1 -1 1/2" deep in well prepared soil.

Same sources advise against too much nitrogen.

Also, they suggest that it not be planted until the soil temp is 80 deg.
 

trojan7794

Member
How do I get the seeds 1 inch deep? I was planning on tilling the area and throwing the seeds out. Then I was going to use a hard rake to smooth it out. Can I do that or will that not work?
 

wildlifepro

Banned
RE Plot location

Yea as I suggested you will need to open the canopy layer up to let some more sunlight in. Starting from east to west say 10:00 am to 3:00 pm thin out some of thos pine poles to let some more sunlight get through.
 

win280

Guest
That looks like a road bed and old camping site. You may want to call the forestry service and have them plow for you.Or a local farmer. Then till with you tiller to smooth the ground and break up any large clods of dirt.That would be a BIG task to till that and get the soil loosened up for a proper food plot.
Get a soil test. After the buckwheat is gone you would want a fall food plot I am assuming.
 
How do I get the seeds 1 inch deep? I was planning on tilling the area and throwing the seeds out. Then I was going to use a hard rake to smooth it out. Can I do that or will that not work?


We usually broadcast it and drag it in, and it's work well. That's why I was surprised about the recommendation to plant it 1" deep --especially because it's such a tiny seed. The seed is cheap so you can put a lot out.

I'd try to catch it before a rain to let the rain beat it in.

P.S. I just had this thought, most of the planting recommendations are from the upper midwest, where most of the buckwheat is grown. I'd like to see a planting recommendation from Georgia that takes into account our heavy clay soils.
 

trojan7794

Member
That looks like a road bed and old camping site. You may want to call the forestry service and have them plow for you.Or a local farmer. Then till with you tiller to smooth the ground and break up any large clods of dirt.That would be a BIG task to till that and get the soil loosened up for a proper food plot.
Get a soil test. After the buckwheat is gone you would want a fall food plot I am assuming.

True. I was thinking just tilling around to fire pit and a little up the road. Is that enough sunlight for buckwheat? It gets about 2 or 3 hours of sunlight during the day. I wont be able to clear any trees out. Just not possible.

So I could till or plow to loosen all the dirt up. Spread the buckwheat seed out and smooth back in or rain in. Then what, is that it for now?
 

win280

Guest
Are you going to plant a fall/winter food plot? If so get a soil test done. Add the proper amount of lime right before you till the ground. Lime needs to be covered up to get the most bang for your money.
I would go ahead and till it once until you get the results back. Then add the lime/ fertilizer, till into the ground, smooth and plant.
I don't know if 2-3 hours of sun will be enough for the buckwheat.I've only planted it in full sun .
As the canopy blooms you will not get as much sun on the ground as you do now.
 

trojan7794

Member
Are you going to plant a fall/winter food plot? If so get a soil test done. Add the proper amount of lime right before you till the ground. Lime needs to be covered up to get the most bang for your money.
I would go ahead and till it once until you get the results back. Then add the lime/ fertilizer, till into the ground, smooth and plant.
I don't know if 2-3 hours of sun will be enough for the buckwheat.I've only planted it in full sun .
As the canopy blooms you will not get as much sun on the ground as you do now.

Honestly, I dont know. Is there something that I can plant in the next month or so and not have to replant in the fall?

Is there something out there that I can plant for deer that doesn't need a lot of sunlight?
 

Ocmulgee44

Senior Member
Hard to say about the campfire area but I think you are going to be disappointed trying to grow buckwheat in that roadway. I tried an experiment with some leftover buckwheat seed in a similar roadway with a more open canopy than you appear to have and got very poor results. However, I have to admit that the rain gods didn't smile upon me that season. I'm speculating that that is a shooting lane we're looking at. If so you may be better served by strategically placing a feeder to draw in some deer and just whistle or grunt to stop one in the lane. My understanding is that if they are more than 200 yards and completely out of sight then they are legal.
 
Honestly, I dont know. Is there something that I can plant in the next month or so and not have to replant in the fall?

Not really.

Is there something out there that I can plant for deer that doesn't need a lot of sunlight?

Not really. If you have some honeysuckle, bushhog it, and fertilize it, and it will do as well as anything store bought.
 

dick7.62

Senior Member
Even though this looks to be a less than ideal spot, I would bet that it will beat what you have in that spot now. You do the best you can with what you have to work with.
 

dick7.62

Senior Member
Quote: "If you have some honeysuckle, bushhog it, fertilize it, and it will do as well as anything store bought." X2 I have fertilized and limed honeysuckle in the past and deer ate it better than any food plot I have ever had. And I almost always have super food plots. I limed about every 3 years, used a complete fertilizer(5-10-15 or similiar) in the spring and ammonium nitrate in Sept. The deer loved it so good they almost destroyed it so I had to quit fertilizing.
 

trojan7794

Member
Honeysuckle?

So what is the deal with honeysuckle?
Can you buy that and plant it?
When do you plant it?
When do you mow it down?
Mow it down and fertilize it, is that all that I need to do?
 

dick7.62

Senior Member
honeysuckle

So what is the deal with honeysuckle?
Can you buy that and plant it?
When do you plant it?
When do you mow it down?
Mow it down and fertilize it, is that all that I need to do?

Honeysuckle seed are scarce and expensive when available. Your best bet would be to dig and transplant rooted vines. I have tried that and it was a slow process getting it going. It is usually spread by birds and animals. If you don't already have a patch growing naturally I'm not sure its worth it to try to start one. If you transplanted some now (winter) would be the best time. Mowing is to stimulate new growth. If you lime and fertilize it the deer will mow it for you. Once you have a good patch fertilizing is about all you need to do. If they almost destroy it you will have to quit fertilizing it. I found that that they eat it much better with lime and fertilizer, as opposed to just fertilizer.
 
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