Have You Wondered How to Grow Buckwheat In The UK. Or Wondered Why Grow It? This Article Answer Both Those Questions And More.
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How to Grow Buckwheat: A Quick-Growing Versatile Crop for UK Gardens
Buckwheat, Fagopyrumesculentum, despite its name, isn’t a grain but a pseudocereal. This fast-growing annual is an interesting addition to the UK garden, offering a multitude of benefits.
Buckwheat: More Than Meets the Eye
Buckwheat is a versatile plant with several uses. It’s a great source of protein, fibre, and minerals. Its flour is gluten-free, making it a popular choice for those with dietary restrictions. In France, especially in Normandy, it is used to make galettes. In the garden, it can be also used as a cover crop, green manure, or a grain crop.
Sowing Buckwheat: Timing is Everything
Buckwheat thrives in warm conditions and is sensitive to frost. Ideally, sow it after the last frost, typically from late May onwards depending on your location. It can be sown directly into the soil, broadcasting the seeds evenly over the prepared bed. Cover lightly with soil.
In our food forest I have sown it by broadcasting over the top of woodchip and have lightly raked it in. The result is a very fast growing crop, The ones in the photo shows how it flowers in five weeks from sowing on a plant that is already 12 inches high (30cm). That is significant growth.
Soil and Growing Conditions
Buckwheat is remarkably adaptable and will grow in most soil conditions. It prefers well-drained soil and a sunny spot. While it’s not a heavy feeder, adding compost to the soil before sowing can benefit growth. It does very well on No Dig beds where it is best broadcast and lightly raked in.
Buckwheat as a Cover Crop
One of the most popular uses for buckwheat in the UK is as a cover crop. It grows rapidly, suppressing weeds and improving soil structure. Its deep roots help to break up compacted soil, and its lush growth adds organic matter when incorporated into the soil.
Buckwheat as a Companion Plant
Local to my home in Devon the farmers drill it with oil seed rape. The buckwheat acts as a nurse crop, lowering damage from flea beetle so much the oilseed rape doesn’t need spraying with an insecticide. It also swamps out slower growing weeds.
This works well with overwintered rape as the buckwheat is killed by frost and leaves an incredibly weed and flea beetle free crop grown at a lower cost than using pesticides.
How to Grow Buckwheat to Suppress Couch Grass
People have, for some years, claimed that buckwheat will suppress and eventually kill couch grass. I’ve always doubted it would do so but never tried it. So this piece of Couch Control Using Buckwheat Citizen Science from Garden Organic is an interesting read. Essentially they say it doesn’t work! The details are available via the link.
Harvesting Buckwheat
If you’re growing buckwheat for its grain, harvest when the plants are fully mature and the seeds are brown. Cut the plants and dry them in a warm, airy place. Once dry, thresh the seeds to remove them from the husks.
Sadly this is rather time consuming at a small scale. So seed production for flour is not common.
Pests and Diseases
Buckwheat is generally resistant to pests and diseases. However, keep an eye out for aphids and birds, which can occasionally be a problem.
Buckwheat in Your Rotation
If you are traditional and rotate then Buckwheat is an excellent crop to include in your crop rotation. Its rapid growth and ability to suppress weeds make it a valuable tool for maintaining soil health. It can be sown after early-harvesting crops such as potatoes, carrots, etc.
Buckwheat is an interesting addition to any UK garden. Its versatility, rapid growth, and numerous benefits make it a worthwhile crop to consider.
