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Buckwheat Cover Crop Seed
LATIN NAME
Fagopyrum esculentum

SEASON
Annual

ENVIRONMENT
Full sun

USDA ZONES
3 - 10
SOWING TEMP
50F - 70F
WHEN TO PLANT
Late spring to mid summer
PLANTING DEPTH
1/2 - 1 inch
SOWING METHOD
Drill

SEEDING RATE
40 - 50 lbs per acre
IDEAL FOR
Erosion control, nurse crop, companion crop, cover crop, food plot, pollinator
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
Wear tolerant, fast growing, improves soil, nutritious grain
ESTABLISHMENT RATE
Fast

MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS
Moderate
CROP HEIGHT
36 - 48 inches
COLD TOLERANCE
Excellent
HEAT TOLERANCE
Good
SHADE TOLERANCE
Poor
DAYS TO MATURITY
70 - 90 days
AVERAGE GERMINATION
3 - 5 days
LATIN NAME
Brassica rapa

SEASON
Annual

ENVIRONMENT
Full sun to partial shade

USDA ZONES
2 - 9
SOWING TEMP
45F+
WHEN TO PLANT
5 - 7 weeks before first frost in fall
PLANTING DEPTH
1/2 inch
SOWING METHOD
Broadcast or drill

SEEDING RATE
10 - 15 lbs per acre
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
Easy establishment, winter hardiness
ESTABLISHMENT RATE
Faste

MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS
Moderate
CROP HEIGHT
24 inches
COLD TOLERANCE
Excellent
HEAT TOLERANCE
Fair
SHADE TOLERANCE
Fair
DAYS TO MATURITY
55 days
IDEAL FOR
Wildlife food plots, cover crop, forage
AVERAGE GERMINATION
7 - 14 days
LATIN NAME
Brassica oleracea

SEASON
Annual

ENVIRONMENT
Full sun

USDA ZONES
3 - 10
SOWING TEMP
45F+
WHEN TO PLANT
5 - 7 weeks before frost in fall
PLANTING DEPTH
1/4 inch
SOWING METHOD
Broadcast or drill

SEEDING RATE
6 - 10 lbs per acre
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
Excellent regrowth, winter hardiness, erosion control
ESTABLISHMENT RATE
Fast

MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS
Moderate
CROP HEIGHT
36 inches
COLD TOLERANCE
Excellent
HEAT TOLERANCE
Fair
SHADE TOLERANCE
Good
DAYS TO MATURITY
55 - 75 days
IDEAL FOR
Erosion control, wildlife food plots, grazing, cover crop
AVERAGE GERMINATION
3 - 14 days
LATIN NAME
Crotalaria juncea L.

SEASON
Annual

ENVIRONMENT
Full sun

USDA ZONES
8 - 11
SOWING TEMP
65F+
WHEN TO PLANT
Spring to early summer
PLANTING DEPTH
1/4 - 1 inch
SOWING METHOD
Broadcast or drill

SEEDING RATE
25 - 50 lbs per acre
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
High biomass, nitrogen fixator
ESTABLISHMENT RATE
Fast

MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS
Moderate
CROP HEIGHT
36 - 108 inches
COLD TOLERANCE
Poor
HEAT TOLERANCE
Excellent
SHADE TOLERANCE
Poor
DAYS TO MATURITY
60 - 90 days
IDEAL FOR
Cover crop, soil improvement, green manure, forage, fiber production
AVERAGE GERMINATION
3 - 7 days
LATIN NAME
Glycine max

SEASON
Annual

ENVIRONMENT
Full sun

USDA ZONES
2 - 10
SOWING TEMP
55F - 77F
WHEN TO PLANT
Spring to early summer
PLANTING DEPTH
3/4 - 1 1/2 inches
SOWING METHOD
Broadcast or drill

SEEDING RATE
90 - 120 lbs per acre
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
Nitrogen fixator, easy establishment, high yields, oil
ESTABLISHMENT RATE
Fast

MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS
High
CROP HEIGHT
20 - 50 inches
COLD TOLERANCE
Poor
HEAT TOLERANCE
Good
SHADE TOLERANCE
Poor
DAYS TO MATURITY
80 - 120 days
IDEAL FOR
Livestock, cover crop, animal feed,
AVERAGE GERMINATION
5 - 10 days
LATIN NAME
Vigna unguiculata

SEASON
Annual

ENVIRONMENT
Full sun to partial shade

USDA ZONES
5 - 10
SOWING TEMP
70F - 95F
WHEN TO PLANT
After danger of frost
PLANTING DEPTH
1/2 - 1 inch
SOWING METHOD
Drill

SEEDING RATE
30 - 90 lbs per acre
IDEAL FOR
Erosion control, nitrogen fixation, food plots
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
Fast growing, high protein
ESTABLISHMENT RATE
Fast

MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS
Moderate - high
CROP HEIGHT
24 - 36 inches
COLD TOLERANCE
Poor
HEAT TOLERANCE
Excellent
SHADE TOLERANCE
Moderate
DAYS TO MATURITY
80 - 90 days
AVERAGE GERMINATION
7 - 10 days
LATIN NAME
Vicia faba

SEASON
Annual

ENVIRONMENT
Full sun

USDA ZONES
2 - 10
SOWING TEMP
41F+
WHEN TO PLANT
After danger of frost
PLANTING DEPTH
1 - 2 inches
SOWING METHOD
Drill

SEEDING RATE
1 - 2 lbs per 1,000 square feet
IDEAL FOR
Cover crops, soil enrichment, forage quality
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
Nitrogen fixator, high yields, high protein, high biomass
ESTABLISHMENT RATE
Fast

MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS
Moderate - high
CROP HEIGHT
48 inches
COLD TOLERANCE
Fair - good
HEAT TOLERANCE
Moderate
SHADE TOLERANCE
Fair - good
DAYS TO MATURITY
80 - 100 days
AVERAGE GERMINATION
7 - 14 days
About...
Buckwheat is a great cover crop which is often used for green manure. Buckwheat has a short growing season maturing in 10 - 12 weeks. It is often killed off by the first heavy frost.




MORE COVER CROP OPTIONS









Reasons to grow buckwheat:
- Fits into rotations at a time when fields might otherwise be idle.
- Can be grown as a catch crop where another crop failed.
- Inexpensive to grow because it requires no pesticides and little fertilizer.
- Can be grown with equipment available on most farms.
- Requires little attention during the growing season.
- Mellows the soil and suppresses some weeds.
- Easily raised Organically, at a premium price.
For more information from Cornell University: Buckwheat