buckwheat in middle georgia

[10framer]

i'm about to plant about an acre of buckwheat.  georgia guys am i late getting it in the ground?  90 day growing period and plant in late spring according to everything i've read.  anyone that's planted around the fall line let me know if i'm throwing money away please.

[don2]

Plant away. It will start blooming in 6 to 8 weeks and will bloom till jack frost gets it.  :) d2

[buzzbee]

I have to plant in June after last frost.No problems in Pa.

[10framer]

it's done.   thanks guys.

[asprince]

Can it stand the central GA summer heat and dry periods?


Steve

[dprater]

If you let it go to seed it will come back and you will never get rid of it. I planted some in my garden last fall and yes the bees loved it but about the time the bees are loving it, it is close to going to seed. Now I'm hoeing and pulling it from my beans and corn. I will never plant it again.

[10framer]

i've never planted it steve, so i'm wondering the same thing.  i'll irrigate if i need to. i'm hoping sumac will mix in with it naturally, it's usually one of the first things to grow under power lines in our area.
dprater, i planted it under my power line.  it's too close to the road to hunt and i'm ok with it coming back there.  i was going to plant another three acre field to improve the soil, though.  i'll rethink that now, thanks.  maybe i'll plant a mix of clover in that field this winter.  half of it's in sunflowers now and i'm going to plant the other half in grain sorghum next month.

[don2]

It is not an invasive plant. yes, it does bloom continuously, but it is an annual and can be eradicated with not much  problem. when the new plant emerges just whack it out before it blooms. Or you can pick the seed head when it turns brown and you have harvested next years seed, then it don't fall on the ground and reseed itself. nuf-said. ;) :) d2

[10framer]

It is not an invasive plant. yes, it does bloom continuously, but it is an annual and can be eradicated with not much  problem. when the new plant emerges just whack it out before it blooms. Or you can pick the seed head when it turns brown and you have harvested next years seed, then it don't fall on the ground and reseed itself. nuf-said. ;) :) d2

i love any excuse to use my harrow so i kind of figured if it came back somewhere i didn't want it i'd just turn it under.  my plan was to rotate it and sunflowers every other summer.  i'm trying to only use natural fertilizer (manure/compost) and legumes.  buckwheat should give me a decent flow between sumac and goldenrod if i plant it now.

[don2]

It is a good crop to use in rotation or for a cover crop for fallow areas. also adds humus when turned under. As for weeding a garden, I had much rather weed it out than Johnson or Bermuda grass, as for corn or any other crop I would just leave it in the row for a companion plant. no harm done. not too thick of course.  :) d2

 Yes, it will stand the summer heat and drought.

[capt44]

I plant buck wheat here in central Arkansas.
It is now around a foot or so tall and blooming like crazy.
The bees work it more in the mornings up until 12 noon or so.
In one of my bee yards I have one buck wheat plot that is 40 ft or so wide and 250 ft long.
It is now solid white with blooms.
Here at the house I have some planted 30 ft wide by 80 ft long and the bees work it mostly in the mornings.
Fact is they seem to work it more than the white clover.

[asprince]

Will buckwheat or clover grow under thinned pines? My neighbor has 60 acres of pines that she has cleaned underneath to bail the straw. She would plant some of the more open areas if I ask her. What would be good for my bees?

Steve   

[10framer]

steve,
planted pine canopies tend to make a lot of shade after they reach a certain point.  you could plant the fire breaks.