There's a lot of soggy ground round the country that won't allow travel until late spring at the earliest. Just seeing how quickly the buckwheat gets away when planted in cover crops after harvest (only to be killed by the first whiff of frost) I was wondering whether it would make a decent break crop here in the UK. Smothers weeds, not much N required and the bees love it. Anyone tried it?
There is certainly a demand for it from the Gluten intolerant.
I guess they must grow it in Brittany as all the crepes are made from it.
in game mix yes.
there is not one herbicide recommended.
yields are also low i have read. but if you can find the right market....
all it is is a domesticated annual bindweed really!
it wont use much water though the roots are pretty pathetic
We like the roots of Buckwheat. We describe them to be "corkscrew roots" going through almost anything.Originally Posted by shakerator
Besides as seed n a cover crop mix there is hardly any market over here. even in Ukraine, where it is a main food, the prices fluctuate much more than in wheat. Depending on how the harvest was & the demand.
York-Th.
I am using some in my green manure mix.
There is at least a SOLA for dessicating with roundup. You can find a range of herbicides that are used around the world on buckwheat but you would be a naughty to use them in the UK.
Was hoping that you wouldn't need a herbicide as it is a good smothering crop. Certainly seems to be a lot grown worldwide in our sort of latitude, thought it might be a spring option where the OSR has failed...as long as harvest isn't too late or tricky. It sounds like it's a bit like borage in that it doesn't ripen all at once, you take a view and swathe it or desiccate pre-combining
Having grown it in mixes, my main concern would be lodging. Lodged, weedy crop with uncertain end market? Not for me.
Hello Marian
We drilled a bit in after wheat this year to see if it would set seed before the first frost got it. In a few areas it did set seed, but hadn't filled the grain, I have collected a few seeds and will stick em in a saucer just to see if they germinate. Not a winning plan this year! To be fair not much has gone to plan since the start of harvest!
You are not the only one to consider planting it in failed areas of OSR. Sadly it looks like we probably have a 100% fail on the rape, it has just got worse and worse, so the earlier thought of planting up with Buckwheat is dead in the water, literally!
Hello there 155
I was thinking of growing it as a crop, which would mean drilling in, for instance failed OSR ground, after last frost I guess. In theory grows to five foot tall so lodging shouldn't be too much trouble? Yields low, prices...variable
Apologies Martian I have just spotted my typo in my previous post!
I have only ever seen it make 2ft tall, but our soils may not be as fertile as yours! Bartholomews may be interested if you do decide to give it a try.
If anybody does start growing it, I have a lady here who would be interested in buying some.
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