Summer No-till Plot - Buckwheat & Sunn Hemp

[yoderjac]

Yoder how tall did the buckwheat get before it started seeding

About waist heigh.

 

[victory]

Yoder that's awesome how tall will the sunn hemp get. Your OM must be high

 

[yoderjac]

I have a Kioti DK45 with cab. Last year when I mowed the sunn hemp for my fall plant, it was above the cab of the tractor.

 

[yoderjac]

The sunn hemp is just starting to outgrow the buckwheat:

 

[Drycreek]

That’s a good looking plot Jack. If I had known we were going to get this much rain in July I would have terminated my spring plot about two weeks ago and planted a buckwheat plot.

 

[ansayre]

The buckwheat is going to seed, and the sunn hemp is catching up and will soon take over:

That's a beautiful stand of buckwheat! The deer hammered my buckwheat. There isn't much left already. Any suggestions for a cover that the deer won't over browse with a goal of trying to improve soil OM. I have sorghum on part that does well, but seems to grow best where it gets partial shade.

 

[ansayre]

I am asking for next years planning and it will have to be broadcast.

 

[yoderjac]

That's a beautiful stand of buckwheat! The deer hammered my buckwheat. There isn't much left already. Any suggestions for a cover that the deer won't over browse with a goal of trying to improve soil OM. I have sorghum on part that does well, but seems to grow best where it gets partial shade.

Generally, deer use, but don't abuse buckwheat. Unless you are planting a tiny plot in poor habitat, you likely have bigger problems. It could be too high of deer density. Deer will sometimes abuse ice cream crops like soybeans, sunflowers, or cowpeas, but if they are abusing buckwheat in a multi-acre plot, it says something about your habitat. Deer generally won't hit sorghum until the seed heads ripen.

Crop choice depends on your situation and objectives.