Buckwheat to Brassica's

[whitetailnut]

Ok, I have three 1/4 acre size plots scattered around my ground that I plan to kill and seed with some sort of brassicas this july. Recently I have been intrigued by planting a leader crop such as buckwheat or ryegrass. My question is how does this stuff "improve soil conditions" as I have heard. I have been liming these plots a 100lbs at time here an there when I get time. So the soil is pretty good. I had planned on leaving them empty till fall. How will a leader crop help me? And is buckwheat or rye a perennial? Will it come back next spring? Do I just mow it super short in july and seed brassicas or disc it the way it lies?

 

[nannyslayer]

Rye will "improve soil conditions" by getting the organic matter content up, and choking out weeds. Rye comes as a perennial or an annual.

 

[dbltree]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: whitetailnut</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ok, I have three 1/4 acre size plots scattered around my ground that I plan to kill and seed with some sort of brassicas this july. Recently I have been intrigued by planting a leader crop such as buckwheat or ryegrass. My question is how does this stuff "improve soil conditions" as I have heard. I have been liming these plots a 100lbs at time here an there when I get time. So the soil is pretty good. I had planned on leaving them empty till fall. How will a leader crop help me? And is buckwheat or rye a perennial? Will it come back next spring? Do I just mow it super short in july and seed brassicas or disc it the way it lies? </div></div>

Buckwheat helps draw from the subsoil and when plowed under helps build humous and organic matter to improve your soil. It's not a "miracle" cure for soil nutrient problems but it is a very positive step in building up your soil naturally.

Buckwheat also helps supress weeds and grows quickly to provide some interim forage until you plant your brassicas.

Always "use" your soil to some advantage even when it is not in a foodplot, building it up with green manure crops such as buckwheat, field rye (annual), hairy vetch and red clover will all be helpful in improving your soil.

Check the Cereal Grains and Cover Crops thread for more information including links to soil building and buckwheat.

Buckwheat is a very warm weather crop so plant very late spring or early summer. Late May to early June around here.

For most benefit it should be plowed or tilled under while still green and before it goes to seed.

Never leave soil "empty"...make it work for you at all times! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[whitetailnut]

Thanks guys for the input. I plan to seed it this weekend and let it go this summer, till it and put in the brassicas late july. Will buckwheat come back next spring?? What do I do with these plots each spring when my goal is a great annual planted each fall. Does it need fertilizer, and what kind?? I plant to fill these plots in august with forage rape, some turnips, some oats and a little bit of winter wheat??

 

[dbltree]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Will buckwheat come back next spring?? What do I do with these plots each spring when my goal is a great annual planted each fall. Does it need fertilizer, and what kind?? </div></div>

If you allow the buckwheat to go to seed it will come back this year but it normally doesn't often come back year after year.

You may want to explore other option like adding some green manure type red clovers to your fall seedings. Allow that to grow the following spring and summer and then till it under for your fall plot.

Red Clover will add a tremendous amount of nitrogen to the soil when tilled under that can be used to some extent by your fall crop.

Berseem clover is an annual clover that can do the same thing but it cannot be frost seeded and may require an entire growing season to provide the nitrogen fixing you would need.

Plowing/tilling any of these "green manure" type crops under on an annual basis will lesson your need for fertilizer but a soil test is your best bet to dtermine what your soil needs.

For brassicas triple 19 is a good combination with each 100#'s providing 19#'s of NPK and brassicas typically need 40-80#'s of nitrogen per acre.

Clovers can provide up to 200#'s of nitrogen if they are plowed under when mature to give you some idea why they are so beneficial. Peas and hairy vetch can do the same thing.

 

[whitetailnut]

Thanks for the info, I was hesitant to use any clover because I these plots sit adjacent to a 3 acre, white/ladino plot. So I thought I would fill the smaller ones with something different for the summer months, but I had no idea red clover was that beneficial in that way, I know it's not that valuable for deer. Thanks for the great info dbl, you really know your stuff.