Don't try to get seeds out of the buckwheat

Yeah, definitely grow it for the soil enhancer, but my seed collection attempt didn't quite work out.  First, I had only 30% germination rate for the final batch of 10 seeds I had collected.  Second, during stormy weather many seeds fell off the plant and were eaten (the eater opens the seeds for the insides) so there were a bunch of seeds I never got to harvest.  Third, the plants go all spindly and lose a lot of biomass during the seed stage, so less soil enhancer given there was no extremely minimal seed collection.

Was worth a try, though!

Buckwheat biomass applied to north part of central bed

Just plucked out of the pots, root balls and all, and laid on the surface.  Not chopped or dug in or anything.

Buckwheat biomass into the NE part of central bed

Just plucked it (out of two of the former potato pots) and layed it down.  Didn't cut it at all or scratch it in etc.

It's a good amount of biomass for this one little zone, which is part of where next year I plan to grow broccoli followed by later season zucchini.

Buckwheat biomass scratched into the two air conditioner beds

So, those two beds (north and south of the a/c) are done for biomass.  This comes from one of the pots, which I harvested today, chopped up with scissors, and scratched in to these beds.

I have no idea if this is enough to make a difference, or two much, or whatnot, but it is what it is!

Original pot of buckwheat (sowed July 11th) has seeds

The seeds are dark brown but don't seem quite ready yet,but soon.

That's about 50 days from sowing.  Plus a few more days since the seeds aren't quite ready yet.

Sowed buckwheat in west bed and north bed

From the seeds started in paper towels a couple of days ago.

Just scattered them randomly, didn't "plant" them as such.

Covered lightly with soil, then with row cover directly on the ground to try to keep out whoever ate all those seeds I had sowed a month or so ago.

Sowed buckwheat round #2 in multiple vacated spots

- in the formerly basil bed (north bed along south edge)

- in the formerly carrot bed (central bed, southwest corner)

- in the formerly beet bed (south of hydro meter)

- north of the air conditoner where a zucchini was formerly

Buckwheat as cover crop

Ordered buckwheat seeds today from Baker Creek.  Could take up to 8 weeks to arrive, but regardless hoping to try it for example on the garlic and broccoli beds when they're done.

Choosing buckwheat because it seems to have these good qualities:

- fast growing (flowers in 4-6 weeks, then once it starts flowering you have 7 to 10 days to turn it into the soil (or else it can get a little unruly))

- easy to pull out

- once pulled, can be left intact as cover mulch

- breaks down quickly

Need to wait at least 3 weeks after digging in before planting new plants, otherwise the new plants won't grow well.

https://www.walkerland.ca/buckwheat-green-manure-home-gardens/

https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g4163