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Green Manure Buckwheat Seeds
Green Manure Seeds from Sow Seeds
Buckwheat is a fast-growing short-term summer green manure that germinates in about 3-5 days. It produces a dense canopy of foliage that smothers & out-competes weeds and once dug into the top layer of soil (15-18cm) rapidly decomposes helping to improve the soils structure & organic matter content so it can retain more moisture.
NOTE - we have now changed the variety that we purchase and Buckwheat is now suitable for growing and turning in to flour etc. for human consumption.
Buckwheat does not fix nitrogen, but it will prevent it from leaching. Buckwheat is great at scavenging for phosphate in the soil, especially suitable for soils that suffer from phosphate lock-up.
If left to flower buckwheat produces pretty little pink flowers that are loved by bees & beneficial insects, but as with the majority of green manures, it is better to dig in whilst young & green rather than old & woodier as they decompose more rapidly (maybe leave just a few to flower). It is especially important to dig in before going it goes to seed as it germinates very easily & may produce lots of unwanted volunteers. It can be topped if done early. However, Buckwheat is an annual that is susceptible to frost so early spring or later autumn frosts will kill it. Keep an eye out for late frosts in May.
Buckwheat is thought to produce toxic substances that inhibit the growth of other seeds particularly effective against the germination of annual broad-leaved weeds. This is known as 'Allelopathy'. This can be a problem if small vegetable seeds are sown directly after buckwheat has been dug in, like carrots or parsnips so leave a month before sowing seeds. It doesn't cause any problems for small seedling transplants. Buckwheat can be sown anywhere in crop rotations.
Need Some Help On Green Manure?
Then we have 2 invaluable resources on our website that will provide the answers to all of your Green Manure questions:
1. A Beginners Guide that covers everything you ever wanted to know about Green Manure in 5 quick and simple steps - read it [HERE]
2. How To Choose Which Green Manure To Sow...a summary of all the Green Manures showing which soil types, plant families, and benefits that each Green Manure can bring to your veg patch or allotment - read it [HERE]
Buckwheat Green Manure Seed Information
| When to Sow: | May, June, July, August. | |||||||||||||||||
| Growing period: | 2-3 months. Grows to a height of c.50cm |
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| Ideal Soil Type: | Most. | |||||||||||||||||
| Nitrogen fixer: | No. | |||||||||||||||||
| How to Sow: | Prepare the soil by roughly digging it over and removing any weeds. Lightly tread the soil, and then sow the seeds by broadcast sowing (i.e. scattering evenly) for good coverage. Rows can be sown but are not as good for weed suppression. Rake the soil and water well. In dry periods you may need to water until the green manure is established. | |||||||||||||||||
| Care: | The green manure should be cut down before flowering when the stems are nice and soft as they decompose quicker, retain more beneficial nutrients and are easier to incorporate into the soil. They can be dug into the soil by turning over into the top 15cms or left on the top as a mulch, the worms will drag down the organic matter and help to aerate the soil. | |||||||||||||||||
| Sow Rate: | 12.5 grams per square metre. | |||||||||||||||||
| Pack Weight / Area: |
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All orders are dispatched the next working day and are delivered either via Royal Mail 2nd Class Delivery (3-5 working day service) or 48 Hour Parcel Courier (depending on size and weight). These delivery times shown are to be used as a guide and are not guaranteed.
Delivery Charges:
Orders up to £19.99 pay a flat rate of £1.95
Orders over £20 receive FREE delivery.
Please note, we are unable to deliver seeds to countries outside the UK. Due to new BREXIT regulations, we can no longer supply to the Republic of Ireland, sorry.
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