Failed buckwheat plot

[Creek chub]

I started a new plot this spring. I didn’t get a soil sample but a plot close by tested about 5.0 ph. I nuked it with gly and disced in buckwheat and sunn hemp. I added a few bags of lime and a couple bags of 10-10-10.
I got decent germination but the deer seemed to keep it mowed down. Now weeds are taking over and the remaining buckwheat is turning yellow.

Any suggestions on what to do?

I hit the plot again with gly for the second time yesterday with plans to disc it all in and try buckwheat again

 

[Native Hunter]

From what you said, there is only one reason that it failed - your plot is too small for your deer pressure. You said it germinated, and from what I've seen, nothing will stop buckwheat - except being constantly eaten off at the ground.

The solution is a plot large enough to handle the pressure. If you get enough rain in the future, you could do the same plot again - only much larger.

 

[Creek chub]

From what you said, there is only one reason that it failed - your plot is too small for your deer pressure. You said it germinated, and from what I've seen, nothing will stop buckwheat - except being constantly eaten off at the ground.

The solution is a plot large enough to handle the pressure. If you get enough rain in the future, you could do the same plot again - only much larger.

The plot is about 1/3 acre and I suspected over browsing kept it from doing well.
Any idea why the remaining buckwheat is yellow and appear stunted too? They have flowered but are only about 10” tall

 

[Native Hunter]

The plot is about 1/3 acre and I suspected over browsing kept it from doing well.
Any idea why the remaining buckwheat is yellow and appear stunted too? They have flowered but are only about 10” tall

Yes, they got eat off so many times it made them sick.

Buckwheat will grow in the bed of a truck and do well, but it does need a little break.

 

[cutman]

Have you gotten good rain?

 

[Creek chub]

Have you gotten good rain?

Yes, I’d say we are a little above average with rainfall from April up to about a week or so ago

 

[George]

With a ph of 5 at 1/3 acre the recipe would call for 15-20 bags of lime. With a ph of 5 nutrients just aren't available to the plants.

G

 

[Creek chub]

With a ph of 5 at 1/3 acre the recipe would call for 15-20 bags of lime. With a ph of 5 nutrients just aren't available to the plants.

G

Ah, that makes sense.
This plot isn’t going to be a hunting plot. It’s almost right in front of the cabin. My goal was to get the soil in decent shape to fall plant clover and winter rye. I guess I’ll be picking up some lime this week. May try solu-cal in a portion to see how that does

 

[Mennoniteman]

1/3 acre isn't going to break the bank in lime costs and time. I've had these same conditions, planted buckwheat on a new field and it doesn't do well. But the buckwheat releases nutrients in the soil and the next crop always did better, so I predict that there's better days ahead for this plot. I'd follow up with a seeding of some type of a soil builder mix and continuously keep something growing there. In fact, at this point I might not even spray the weeds, as their root systems are beneficial to the soil as well, just do some light tillage to keep the weeds from going to seed and seed the next crop.

 

[Creek chub]

1/3 acre isn't going to break the bank in lime costs and time. I've had these same conditions, planted buckwheat on a new field and it doesn't do well. But the buckwheat releases nutrients in the soil and the next crop always did better, so I predict that there's better days ahead for this plot. I'd follow up with a seeding of some type of a soil builder mix and continuously keep something growing there. In fact, at this point I might not even spray the weeds, as their root systems are beneficial to the soil as well, just do some light tillage to keep the weeds from going to seed and seed the next crop.

Thanks for the suggestions.
I have another small plot about the same size I didn’t plant anything yet. I have about 20# of buckwheat and 15# of pearl millet left over. I may go all buckwheat in one, millet in the other or a combo of the two in both plots. With about 60 days left until fall planting, maybe it will work out just in time for some throw and mow

 

[X-farmerdan]

The plot is about 1/3 acre and I suspected over browsing kept it from doing well.
Any idea why the remaining buckwheat is yellow and appear stunted too? They have flowered but are only about 10” tall

They have flowered. They have produced seed. The plant's life is over. Think about it. A corn plant grows. It flowers. An ear forms. The corn plant yellow, turns brown, and is dead in short order. Notwithstanding all the other advice and suggestion above, there is an order to such things.

 

[THE LLC]

Buckwheat likes nitrogen.

 

[coolbrze0]

Ah, that makes sense.
This plot isn’t going to be a hunting plot. It’s almost right in front of the cabin. My goal was to get the soil in decent shape to fall plant clover and winter rye. I guess I’ll be picking up some lime this week. May try solu-cal in a portion to see how that does

Man I'm doing the same thing - WR & clover in our cabin front yard. My other clover plots are doing pretty well but are getting some weeds, gotta get them sprayed soon as I'm later than I should be. Had a few deer, 3 flocks (could be the same ones) of turkeys, & a couple bears in them this past weekend. I still like the Solu-Cal

 

[Drycreek]

They have flowered. They have produced seed. The plant's life is over. Think about it. A corn plant grows. It flowers. An ear forms. The corn plant yellow, turns brown, and is dead in short order. Notwithstanding all the other advice and suggestion above, there is an order to such things.

So, can you just disc it in a little and expect another crop this summer from the seed since it’s at least 60 days, (maybe 75 here), ‘til fall planting ? As of now, we’re still getting a few showers.

 

[MarkDarvin]

So, can you just disc it in a little and expect another crop this summer from the seed since it’s at least 60 days, (maybe 75 here), ‘til fall planting ? As of now, we’re still getting a few showers.

We've already started fall planting up here.

 

[Drycreek]

We've already started fall planting up here.

Hell, it just snowed last week didn’t it ?

 

[MarkDarvin]

Hell, it just snowed last week didn’t it ?

Shit we had frost warnings a week or so back. And first frost is as little as ten weeks away if ma nature gets after it. Couple that with a few weeks of no rain to germinate, and we're at go time already. I'd be planting brassicas this weekend if I was headed up. Cereals will go in August 3rd.

 

[Creek chub]

Man I'm doing the same thing - WR & clover in our cabin front yard. My other clover plots are doing pretty well but are getting some weeds, gotta get them sprayed soon as I'm later than I should be. Had a few deer, 3 flocks (could be the same ones) of turkeys, & a couple bears in them this past weekend. I still like the Solu-Cal

Did the solu cal work for you?
I’m hoping to get a good stand of clover going so I don’t have to keep bush hogging weeds each summer.

 

[coolbrze0]

Did the solu cal work for you?
I’m hoping to get a good stand of clover going so I don’t have to keep bush hogging weeds each summer.

Yes & SC works quickly. Not cheap but 3 of my plots are pretty small so it's pretty easy to apply w/ a broadcast spreader & even easier w/ a spreader on a quad I am going to pretty much all clover plots here - the terrain is too steep & soil is too rocky / crappy, plus my plots are small so I need something that is semi-resilient. Will be planting some WR again soon also...

 

[Creek chub]

Yes & SC works quickly. Not cheap but 3 of my plots are pretty small so it's pretty easy to apply w/ a broadcast spreader & even easier w/ a spreader on a quad I am going to pretty much all clover plots here - the terrain is too steep & soil is too rocky / crappy, plus my plots are small so I need something that is semi-resilient. Will be planting some WR again soon also...

I’m gonna give solu cal a shot this weekend. My hope too is to go with a clover. My plan was to get two crops of buckwheat this summer and go with a blend of medium red clover and winter rye in September. Now I may go straight winter rye and try buckwheat again next spring. I really like winter rye. It produces forage in the lean times and is super forgiving of growing conditions. In fact, I planted some in early June on an old logging road that was sandy and rocky to minimize erosion temporarily. I didn’t add any lime or fertilizer but it still came up and looks pretty good