Buckwheat following Oats?

If the buckwheat I just planted loosens my sandy soil up anymore than it is I could sell it as play sand. I'm hoping my buckwheat will help shade some of the unwanted stuff out but mostly hope it helps build my OM.

Hah! I feel your pain. Exact same problem at my place in Otsego County. Funny how many northern Michigan food-plotters are on this forum. Proof that misery loves company!

I have had excellent results planting buckwheat in my "sand dunes" around Memorial Day -- tilling it under after it goes to seed mid summer creates a free second buckwheat crop. Then I over seed to radish/turnip in August (with fertilizer per soil test), and seed on top of that with rye in September.

I am lucky that I have a friend with a grain drill to get excellent seed distribution and germination. The rye is just broadcast ahead of a predicted rainy period.

This cycle suppresses weeds, builds OM, and provides forage for 8 months of the year.


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JFH,
I wish I had a grain drill so I don't have the luxury to drill- throw and mow it is for me. I only plant a few acres a year and just one of those is on my personal property. The others are on my hunting lease. It is something how a lot of us around different parts of the country have similar issues with soil and can handle the issue in a similar way given the different regions we live in. Of course there is no way we could do the exact thing being in different zones. Here in SC we have a multitude of different soils, hot dry summers, and shorter cooling periods during the winter. That makes growing different than up north yet we still have the same goal in mind, at least some of us. I started out wanting more deer on my property. That's why I started on the old forum trying to learn how to put in a good plot. As I started reading and working, I found myself wanting to make a better habitat, not just wanting to have more deer. I also found myself enjoying the outdoors now. My wife is loving it also. She is not the hunter type at all. She actually would send all my money to organizations I despise if I let her. However she loves animals as I do. She called me the other day because she was so excited to see a doe and two fawns munching away at the buckwheat growing in the backyard plot. I love this stuff.
 
The soil structure where I'm at is actually pretty good for Northern Michigan. I haven't gotten a soil test yet, but it's good dirt. Can anyone tell me how to post photos on here from an iPhone?
 
JFH,
I wish I had a grain drill so I don't have the luxury to drill- throw and mow it is for me. I only plant a few acres a year and just one of those is on my personal property. The others are on my hunting lease. It is something how a lot of us around different parts of the country have similar issues with soil and can handle the issue in a similar way given the different regions we live in. Of course there is no way we could do the exact thing being in different zones. Here in SC we have a multitude of different soils, hot dry summers, and shorter cooling periods during the winter. That makes growing different than up north yet we still have the same goal in mind, at least some of us. I started out wanting more deer on my property. That's why I started on the old forum trying to learn how to put in a good plot. As I started reading and working, I found myself wanting to make a better habitat, not just wanting to have more deer. I also found myself enjoying the outdoors now. My wife is loving it also. She is not the hunter type at all. She actually would send all my money to organizations I despise if I let her. However she loves animals as I do. She called me the other day because she was so excited to see a doe and two fawns munching away at the buckwheat growing in the backyard plot. I love this stuff.

Hunting is terrific, but food plotting really is a fascinating and rewarding hobby in its own right isn't it? :)


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Hunting is terrific, but food plotting really is a fascinating and rewarding hobby in its own right isn't it? :)
Yes sir. I really enjoy seeing them eat something I planted. I also really enjoy the smile on my wife's face and the excitement in her voice when she calls every time she sees a deer in the back yard. It seems to happen more and more often now. She even has one doe who will stay out there while she walks out and sits on the porch.
 
I have a question. I have grown buckwheat before. I have read that buckwheat can regrow after mowing. I have never mowed it and never noticed regrowth after the deer found it. This year I planted buckwheat, sorghum and sunn hemp in a field. All has germinated with the buckwheat taking the lead. Over the last 2 days the buckwheat has been hit. Nightime temps now in the 40's. Has anyone experienced buckwheat regrowth? Obviously, I would like the regrowth until the sunn hemp and forghum get going. Have not had and will not have much heat, supposedly for weeks.
 
I have a question. I have grown buckwheat before. I have read that buckwheat can regrow after mowing. I have never mowed it and never noticed regrowth after the deer found it. This year I planted buckwheat, sorghum and sunn hemp in a field. All has germinated with the buckwheat taking the lead. Over the last 2 days the buckwheat has been hit. Nightime temps now in the 40's. Has anyone experienced buckwheat regrowth? Obviously, I would like the regrowth until the sunn hemp and forghum get going. Have not had and will not have much heat, supposedly for weeks.
My experience has been If it's a small plot and the deer hit it hard it doesn't reseed well. I also wonder how much seed the mower damages. Sometime I'm going to try rolling ripe buckwheat with my 12' cultipacker after the seed dried down and is loose to see if it reseeds better. Hot and dry summer weather is not a great time to start new seed.
 
I have a question. I have grown buckwheat before. I have read that buckwheat can regrow after mowing. I have never mowed it and never noticed regrowth after the deer found it. This year I planted buckwheat, sorghum and sunn hemp in a field. All has germinated with the buckwheat taking the lead. Over the last 2 days the buckwheat has been hit. Nightime temps now in the 40's. Has anyone experienced buckwheat regrowth? Obviously, I would like the regrowth until the sunn hemp and forghum get going. Have not had and will not have much heat, supposedly for weeks.

No, it does not regrow if eaten/damaged. Once the top has been nipped it's done.

What you have most likely read is that buckwheat is a prolific re-seeder. In other words, if you let the plant mature, go to seed, then mow it you can get a free second crop.
 
Cutman, you are correct. I have never noticed regrowth after being eaten.
Quick regrowth
Buckwheat will regrow after mowing if cut before it reaches 25 percent bloom. It also can be lightly tilled after the midpoint of its long flowering period to reseed a second crop. Some growers bring new land into production by raising three successive buckwheat crops this way.
Most was about 4" tall and the leaves got nipped. I would broadcast again but do not want to mess with the sorghum and sunn hemp. Any thoughts on just broadcasting or just let it go?
 
In case anyone was interested to know how this all went, especially Northern Michigan plotters, I’ll update this with the results last year. I’d consider my attempt at triple cropping a success.

April 2, oats were planted.IMG_2419.JPG
May 31, update IMG_2794.JPG
June 16, Tilled with just one pass and planted buckwheat the next day IMG_2958.JPG IMG_3003.JPG
July 21, Buckwheat update. Lots of oats were also able to grow back. Stretches of abnormally cold weather limited the buckwheat. Ground was then thoroughly tilled in preparation of turnips. IMG_3740.JPG
July 25, turnips planted. They are Tall Tine Tubers from the Whitetail Institute.IMG_3785.JPG
August 19, Turnips updateIMG_4009.JPG
August 26, The turnips at their peak View attachment 12714
September 14, An unusually early August frost brought heavy deer pressure, and a 3 week drought followed. IMG_4207.JPG
October 14, still seeing deer use. The grass in the plot is the oats that came back to life. View attachment 12715
November 22, final picture of the plot. Deer didn’t start digging the bulbs until December. View attachment 12716
December 20, deer digging what’s left of the bulbsIMG_4838.JPG

Would I triple crop again? Probably not, because the cost of buckwheat was unnecessary. Turnips could’ve been planted on the 1st of July following oats.
 
Thanks for posting an update to this thread. I am really impressed by how well all three of your crops did, even though unseasonably cold weather limited the buckwheat. You weren't kidding about having pretty good soil, despite being in northern MI! WOW! After years of careful management, my best soil is starting to look like that, but I still can't grow 1/2 acre of brassicas...deer just wipe it out.

You say the cost of the buckwheat was unnecessary, but until you know how well the turnips would have done w/o the green manure from the oats and BW, you may not have a complete picture of why you were so successful last year. If your soil is very good, which it appears to be, the BW may not be as beneficial, but for guys who are a few tenths of a percent of OM away from blow sand, WR and BW are crucial to getting decent results.

What is your plan this year?
 
What is your plan this year?

What I did last year makes this year look silly. For whatever reason, whether I was procrastinating, being cheap or couldn’t find the time, I was later than I should’ve been to planting.
On May 12th I bought a bag of crimson clover and mixed it with leftover red clover and planted it. IMG_5795.JPG
This is what it looked like on July 1st. If I took a picture looking down on the plot, you could see that the clover was growing decently but it certainly wasn’t worth the time and money to plant it. If we actually got some decent rain I’m sure it would’ve turned out much better. You’ve probably had about the same amount of rain as me. IMG_6091.JPG
July 2nd after the ground finally got some moisture, I mowed the weeds down and made 3 passes with the tiller. Planted tall tine tubers again right after. IMG_6105.JPG
Today, 10 days later, the plot finally got some rain.
 
Nice looking plots last year! Not much for rain here south of you for a long while, maybe this weekend. I planted my brassicas with a good chance of rain the following day but it never happened.
 
Thanks for the update. Looks like you did very well last year. Been hot and dry in Otsego County where my plots are. Glad I didn’t plant spring brassicas.

I did put in another 2 acres of RR alfalfa, which got a decent start before the heat wave. Hope to get back and check on that next weekend, and also plant brassicas of some kind.
 
P.S. Jason - How are you? I haven’t been on the forum this year, been very busy!

If you should know of anyone looking for a large, high-end trout fishing / deer hunting property, my place is on the market. 440 acres with 1/2 mile of Sturgeon River flowing through it. :)
 
If you should know of anyone looking for a large, high-end trout fishing / deer hunting property, my place is on the market. 440 acres with 1/2 mile of Sturgeon River flowing through it. :)

440 acres + a river?!?! You’ve been living my dream! If you’re still trying to sell it in 10 years, I’m your guy
 
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