Hello Jeremy & All,>

> I've got about 4 acres that will be into buckwheat as a
> cover crop, but it will mixed honey most likely since I've got a legume
> field I'm trying to start (last year didn't help so reseeding in February)
> with alsike, dutch, and ladino clover, a bit of alfalfa and birds foot
> trefoil thrown in the mix as well.

Buckwheat can be planted for bees four times in a seasonMissouri. At least
three I would guess in Michigan.
Grows like grass and the Amish use as a green manure crop but fragile like
wheat . Can be hand sown but from my experience other grass and weeds keep
from getting a stand *except* in damp bottom land. The seed is round and
easy to start on bare ground. starter fertilizer helps like with grass seed.

For commercial buckwheat honey  beekeepers till and plant. Turn under till
and plant . turn under till and plant. In other words the plant grows up
blooms and then seeds in a short period of time. I think the cycle is 6-8
weeks.

The above I have been told by northeast beekeepers producing and selling as
pure as possible Buckwheat. The good thing is it takes a lot of clover to
lighten up Buckwheat honey and lose the flavor.

Using the method above if I remember correctly the beekeeper used around 50
acres and 100 hives and produced *I think he said * over a 100 pound
average. You at least get the idea.

maybe Peter has thoughts on Buckwheat honey production. I have tossed out
Buckwheat seed in my wildflower location but never came up the second year .

Fescue grass chokes out fast on pasture land.

bob

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