{"id":2327,"date":"2020-03-24T23:04:13","date_gmt":"2020-03-24T23:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=2327"},"modified":"2020-03-27T06:21:40","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T06:21:40","slug":"buckwheat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2020\/03\/24\/buckwheat\/","title":{"rendered":"Buckwheat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fagopyrum esculentum<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: The name is derived from the visual\nsimilarity of the seeds to the larger seeds of the Beech (Boek) tree. This\nannual was once commonly grown as a home scale grain crop, especially in\nEastern Europe. It is categorized as a pseudo-cereal as it is grown as a grain\ncrop, yet isn\u2019t a member of the grass family. It was widely grown in the United\nStates in the 18th<\/sup> and 19th<\/sup> centuries, but it almost\ndisappeared along with the self-sufficient small farmers who grew it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days buckwheat is most familiar to gardeners as a fast\nmaturing summer green manure crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop value<\/strong>: Buckwheat is unusual in that it is a very short season grain\ncrop, able to produce in poor soil and under adverse conditions. Perhaps\nequally important for the home grower it is fairly easy to process into edible\nfood. It was once an important crop for self-sufficient farmers and may be\nimportant again one day. Its biggest drawback is the amount of processing it\nneeds to make it edible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>:\nFew plants are as easy to grow as buckwheat. The relatively large seed\ngerminates quickly and the plants grow vigorously and mature rapidly. If you\ncan\u2019t grow buckwheat successfully, I suggest you stick to alfalfa sprouts\n(actually don\u2019t give up, just try again, it only takes a couple of months).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Buckwheat prefers cool, moist conditions (70\u02daF is ideal), but it\ncan\u2019t tolerate any frost. It is grown commercially in the northern states and\nCanada. However it is a fairly adaptable plant and quite tolerant of less than\nideal conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very high temperatures may cause the flowers to die without producing seed. However it will produce more flowers to replace them and nearly always manages to produce enough seed to be worthwhile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: The high protein grain has a better amino acid composition than\nmost cereals and is especially high in lysine. It is also rich in complex\ncarbohydrates and contains about 1550 calories per pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Buckwheat is also a rich source of rutin, a potent anti-cancer agent that also lowers \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH<\/strong>: 4.0 to 6.0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckwheat will grow in almost any soil (even very acid ones), so\nlong as it is reasonably well-drained and fairly loose. Traditionally it was\ngrown on soils that were too poor for more valuable crops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Buckwheat<\/strong>  <\/strong>
Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 45 (60 – 80) 105\u02daF
Germ time: 3 – 10 days
Seed viability: 2 – 3 years  <\/strong>

Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Hardy
Growing temp: 45 (65 – 75) 90\u02daF
Days to harvest: 70 – 84 days  

Planting<\/strong>
Direct sow: 2 wks after last frost  <\/strong>

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Yield per sq ft:  \u00bd oz   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Buckwheat is a cool season crop and grows best when the weather\nisn\u2019t too hot. However it doesn\u2019t like cold\nweather and can\u2019t stand frost. Plant it any time after the soil has\nwarmed up in spring (2 weeks after the last frost date). More commonly it is\nplanted in mid to late summer, so it can mature its seed in cooler weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckwheat has the shortest growing season of any \u201cgrain\u201d crop, and\nmay mature in as little as 2 months. In ideal conditions it may flower within 5\nweeks of planting. This means it can be planted over quite a long period in\nsummer and will still have time to mature before cold weather arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your growing season is long enough, it is possible to get two\ncrops in one summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct sowing<\/strong>: The easiest way to plant buckwheat is to broadcast the seeds\nonto the bed and then rake them into the soil. If your supply of seed is\nlimited, you will waste less seed if you sow in rows (make the furrows \u00bd\u02dd – 1\u02dd\ndeep).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: You want the plants to be spaced from 4 – 6\u02dd apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering<\/strong>: The seeds need moist soil for good germination, so keep them\nwell watered. Buckwheat is quite drought tolerant, but gives higher yields if\nwatered regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: Few insect pests bother buckwheat, though birds and slugs will\neat the newly planted seeds and emerging seedlings. Birds may also go for the\nripening grain. Deer can also be a problem for unprotected plantings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Buckwheat will be ready to harvest 60 – 90\ndays after planting (the exact time depending upon the variety and climate).\nThe seed doesn\u2019t all ripen at once, so you harvest when \u00be of it has turned dark\nbrown. The plants can still be green when the seed is ready to be harvested. If\nyou wait too long some of the seed will be lost (and will probably self sow).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: Cut the seed heads with a sickle and dry\nthem on a large tarp. Then thresh out the seeds and dry to 12% moisture for\nstorage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Processing<\/strong>: The thick\nseed coat (pericarp) comes off fairly easily when grinding the seed to make\nflour. Sift the biggest parts out of the flour before using it (you don\u2019t need\nto get it all though).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Just save some of the seed you collect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green manure<\/strong>: This tender annual is most familiar to\ngardeners as a green manure crop. It is one of the best short-term soil\nimproving crops for the summer garden. It produces a dense fibrous root system,\nthrives on poor soils, adds organic matter and improves soil structure. It is\nalso very fast growing and can be grown in a few weeks, in between other crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 When incorporated as a green\nmanure it is very effective at feeding and stimulating soil life. It also\naccumulates phosphorus and makes it more available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weed suppression<\/strong>: Buckwheat can grow up to four feet in\nheight in only a few weeks and grows so densely it can be an effective smother\ncrop. It actually has an allelopathic effect on many weeds and can suppress\nweed growth for up to 2 months. This works best when the plants are simply cut\ndown within a week of flowering and incorporated into the soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good way to establish a new garden is to plant and incorporate, two\nconsecutive crops of buckwheat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckwheat Lettuce<\/strong>:\nSome people use buckwheat as an indoor micro-green salad crop. The seeds are\nsoaked for 3 hours and then spread out on a tray of soil, vermiculite, felt or\nwet paper. They are then put in a warm place and misted daily. When the seeds\nbegin to germinate the tray is moved into full light. The greens will be ready\nin 1 to 3 weeks, depending upon the temperature. The plants are harvested with\nscissors when they are 3 – 6\u02dd tall, leaving about an inch of stem behind. See Microgreens for more on this) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caution<\/strong>: There is a potential problem with the frequent use of buckwheat\ngreens. The green plant contains a toxin called fagopyrin, which can cause the\nskin of some individuals to become hypersensitive to sunlight. For this reason\nI don\u2019t recommend that you use any green parts (you may ask why I bothered to\ninclude it then?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckwheat honey<\/strong>:\nThis is considered to have a very fine flavor. Buckwheat is sometimes planted\nspecifically to provide forage for bees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckwheat flowers are also very attractive\nto hoverflies (important predatory insects that prey on aphids)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t\na very important commercial crop, so there aren\u2019t very many improved varieties\navailable (only about 6 are important commercially). They are also difficult to\nfind, which is why I often end up using the seed available locally for use as a\ngreen manure crop, or from the wholefood store. It is quite likely to be one of\nthe following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giant American<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Koban<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mancan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manisoba<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanky<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Springfield<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckwheat\nhas been an important peasant food in many parts of the world. In Japan it is\nused to make soba noodles, in Eastern Europe it was used to make a porridge\ncalled kasha and in North America it was used for buckwheat pancakes. You can\nadd 20% buckwheat flour to many recipes to improve them. More recently it has\nbeen used to make gluten free beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckwheat pancakes<\/strong>

These are the best known use of buckwheat in this country.
1 cup buckwheat flour (or \u00bd buckwheat flour and \u00bd whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar (or equivalent sweetener)
\u00bd tsp salt
1 mashed banana
1 cup soy milk\/almond milk
Oil for frying

Mix together dry ingredients, then add liquids and beat well. Then fry on a lightly oiled griddle in the usual way.   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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