Buckwheat

[jlane35]

When should I plant buckwheat as a food plot? I know when using it as a weed suppressor and soil builder you plant in the Spring. But for Fall attraction for turkeys should I plant later or still plant in the Spring?

 

[cutman]

You can plant any time after last frost, and it's about 60-90 days til maturity if I remember correctly. Turkeys love the seeds, so you'll want it fully mature if you plan on using it as a turkey attractant.

 

[jlane35]

You can plant any time after last frost, and it's about 60-90 days til maturity if I remember correctly. Turkeys love the seeds, so you'll want it fully mature if you plan on using it as a turkey attractant.

Thank you and yes I mixed some in 2 years ago and we had turkeys hanging around all fall. Which is something that never happens at our place. My father and I were lucky enough to both harvest birds that year and when we cut them open the majority of the content was buckwheat seed.

 

[Chad Hauenstein]

Jason, i planted buckwheat last year but disced it in before it went to seed. Deer used it heavy the last two weeks. i believe you can plant it in the spring, let it go to seed, and mow or disc it in and the seed will give you a second crop.

If you want seed for the fall you just have you work backwards from estimated first frost.

 

[jlane35]

Awesome Chad, thank you. I forgot you planted it last year. I think you just disced it in before I walked around your place.

So you think if I plant during the Spring and let it go to seed and disc it back in I get a second crop?

 

[Chad Hauenstein]

I want to say that we planted the last week of May after the threat of last frost had past. As cutman said you need 60 to 90 days for the seed to mature. You would certainly get a second crop but im not sure we have a long enough growing season for you to get seed to mature on a second crop.

Have you tried clover and chickory in the fall? We always seem to have turkeys in our plots.

 

[Diamond hunter]

Great for honeybees too.

 

[Jeff H]

I believe you can plant it in the spring, let it go to seed, and mow or disc it in and the seed will give you a second crop.

This is what I did last year. Planted in May and used it as throw and mow mulch in September for my fall mix. My second crop did not come in nearly as thick as the first, so keep that in mind if you want it for a fall attractant. My guess is a lot of my seed was resting in the bellies of the turkey. I only have about an acre to plant. The turkey did keep coming to it though into the Fall until first frost. My deer hit it hard too. I love buckwheat!