Cool Season Annual
Buckwheat is an upright broadleaf plant that acts more like a warm season plant than a cool season plant. Buckwheat grows quickly during the summer. One issue is its early maturity. Buckwheat has the potential to reseed itself if seeded too early or not terminated in time. It will not tolerate any frost throughout its life cycle. Drought resistance is low as well with its salinity tolerance. Buckwheat does not tolerate much shading, so if the cover crop gets ahead of buckwheat, it will get choked out. The claim to fame for buckwheat is smothering weeds and improving phosphate availability for the next crop. In blends if seeded too heavy it can choke out slower growing plants. There is also reports of dermal photosensitivity if animals consume too much buckwheat, especially horses.
Seeds per pound: 20,000 Seeds/sq ft/pound 0.54
Uses:
- Erosion control
- Weed suppression
- Pollinator attracter
Strengths:
- Quick growth
- Long flowering period
Concerns:
Can become a weed, can have feeding issues.
Grazing:
Fair. Have to watch dermal photosensitivity if there is much in the blend.
Hay:
Fair. Have to watch dermal photosensitivity.
Mycorrhizal support? No
