Buckwheat Cover Crop (Fagopyrum esculentum)

• Ancient Warm-Season Crop: Native to Asia and cultivated across North America since early colonial times, Buckwheat has long been valued as a quick-turnaround green manure.
• Phosphorus Mobilizer: Buckwheat roots release mild organic acids that convert insoluble soil phosphorus into a bioavailable form, releasing it back into the soil for subsequent crops when incorporated.
• Beneficial Insect Habitat: The profuse white blooms act as a nectar source for beneficial insects, including hoverflies, predatory wasps, and pollinators.

Buckwheat is a tender, broadleaf warm-season annual that must be planted after all frost danger has passed.

• Retail Pack (4 oz / ¼ lb): Covers 100 sq ft
• Bulk Coverage (1 lb): Covers 400 sq ft
• Small Bed (20 sq ft): Requires 0.8 oz of seed

1. Bed Preparation: Sow into warm soil (above 60°F). Clear existing vegetation and smooth the soil surface.
2. Sowing: Broadcast seeds evenly and cover with ½ to 1 inch of soil.
3. Termination Timing: Crucial Step: Cut down or chop in the crop 7–10 days after flowering begins, but before seeds set, to prevent buckwheat from re-seeding itself.
4. Incorporation: Succulent stems decompose rapidly in soil, allowing you to plant warm-weather fall crops just 1 to 2 weeks after termination.