A White Buckwheat bouquet in a blue tea kettle on a white background.
White Buckwheat delights a pollinator in the gardens at Baker Creek.
White Buckwheat blooms on a stone background.
A White Buckwheat bouquet in a blue tea kettle on a white background.
White Buckwheat delights a pollinator in the gardens at Baker Creek.
White Buckwheat blooms on a stone background.

Buckwheat Seeds,
White

4.612 ReviewsSKU: #GS104Min. seed count: 500
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Description

Tender plant used as a warm-season cover crop. Plant anytime in warm weather; incorporate into soil when flowering begins (4-6 weeks). It can be planted and tilled under several times in a summer. It is well known for adding organic matter to the soil — and produces delicious and nutritious seeds! Pretty white flowers.

Growing Tips: Buckwheat blooms very quickly, often 6-8 weeks after sowing. For soil improvement, plants should be mowed as soon as blooms appear. For grain, wait for full maturity.

Plant Details

Botanical Name
Fagopyrum esculentum
Life Cycle
Annual
Sun Requirement
6–12 hr.
Days to Germinate
7–12
Days to Maturity
45
Planting Depth
¼ in.
Plant Spacing
6 in.
Ideal Temperature
41°F
Frost Hardy
No

When to Grow

White Buckwheat is a tender, warm-season cover crop that can be planted any time in warm weather, from spring through summer, when temperatures run between 45 and 105 F. Broadcast into well worked soil at roughly one seed every 2 inches and rake in to 1/4 inch deep, with germination in 7-12 days. Flowering begins about 4-6 weeks after sowing and the crop reaches maturity in 45 days. It can be planted and tilled under several times over a single summer, and the plants are not frost hardy.

How to Sow and Plant

  • Seeds germinate in 7-12 days.
  • Broadcast seeds into well worked/cultivated soil (aim to broadcast at a rate of 1 seed every 2 inches).
  • Lightly cover or rake in seeds to 1/2 inch deep.
  • Sow whenever warm (spring to summer when temps are between 45-105 F)
  • Ideal germination temp is 80 F.

How to Grow

  • Prefers full sun.
  • It will perform in poor soils but does best in medium-textured, well-drained soil.
  • Thin plants to 4 inches apart.
  • If not growing it for grain, incorporate into soil when flowering begins!

PESTS/SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

  • Deer and turkeys enjoy foraging buckwheat and are usually the biggest problem.
  • Aphids are a common pest, but usually do little damage in summer-sown buckwheat. Buckwheat that emerges in early spring is at some risk of aphid infestation.
  • Performs poorly in heavy, wet soils or soils with high levels of limestone.

How to Save Seeds

  • Harvest plants when 75% of the seed head is brown and dry, but before first hard frost.
  • Cut stalks as close the ground as possible, leaving the root in the soil.
  • Pull seedheads from the stalk and leave to dry further in a well-ventilated location.
  • Once seedheads are completely dry, remove seeds from pods by squeezing or rolling them with your hands.
  • Winnow or otherwise separate the chaff from the seed.

FAQ

When should I turn White Buckwheat under?

If you are growing it to improve the soil, incorporate the planting as soon as flowering begins, about 4-6 weeks after sowing. It is well known for adding organic matter, and the same ground can be sown and tilled under several times in one summer.

What kind of soil does White Buckwheat need?

It will perform in poor soils but does best in medium-textured, well-drained ground. It performs poorly in heavy, wet soils or soils with high levels of limestone.

Can I let it mature and harvest the grain instead?

Yes. Buckwheat produces delicious and nutritious edible seeds used as a grain. For grain, skip the early mowing and wait for full maturity, cutting when 75% of the seed head is brown and dry but before the first hard frost, then dry the seedheads further before threshing and winnowing.

Customer reviews

4.6 / 5 12 Reviews

What gardeners are saying

  • Up in days: Scatter and it sprouts fast; direct sowing works well.

  • Pollinator landing zone: Flowers buzz with bees and small beneficial insects.

  • Quick cover crop: Fast green manure that improves soil and fills gaps.

  • Dainty white blooms: Baby's-breath-like flowers from plants just inches tall.

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