Buckwheat as siderat

The soil should not be perceived only as the environment that is the source of the crop. Soil is also a unique biological system, and the soils themselves can be completely diverse in their composition and characteristics. But there are several aspects that are common to all soils. One such aspect is that every soil needs additional fertilization and replenishment in order to remain fertile and demonstrate excellent quality characteristics.
Soils can be different in composition, but experienced gardeners say that it is better to use green plants, some of their types, to replenish the soil. Such replenishment will be completely natural and safe for the soil, and for future crops, and for the harvest that will then form on the site. In this article, we will consider what properties and features buckwheat has as a siderat. We will also pay attention to its agrotechnical description, because observing all the conditions and requirements, you can achieve excellent results in planting and subsequent care of green manure and squeeze out of them the maximum of useful and nutrients.

Buckwheat as green manure: pros and cons

Buckwheat siderat: photo

Before we consider the features of buckwheat as a green manure, we turn to what the general benefits of green manure are, and how to use them correctly in crop rotation in order to get the maximum benefit. Today, more than three hundred plant species are included in the green manure group. All of them are representatives of different cultural families - legumes and buckwheat, cabbage and cereal siderates. Cruciferous flowers are least often used in horticulture, among which there is a well-known oil radish, although it can be useful for some cultures, as it also has many positive properties and characteristics.

Any plant that is green manure has its own value and its own characteristics. Some show their qualities in the following:

- they can very actively enrich the soil, saturate it with the necessary components and microelements. First of all, it is a nitrogenous substance and organic components. Nitrogen is able to enhance the growth of green mass of future crops, make it more powerful and significant. Organic substances can improve the overall fertility of the soil, which also plays a very important role, because the state of the soil in most cases depends on how the cultivated plantings themselves will feel. Therefore, special attention should be paid to such multifunctionality of green manure.

- green manure can make the top layer of the soil looser, while moisture and air evenly penetrate the soil, which plays an important role in saturating it with the necessary amount of oxygen and sunlight, moisture. In this regard, the leaders are cereals, since their root system has a more favorable shape, due to which loosening occurs more thoroughly and evenly, and the soil becomes lighter and more fertile, more saturated

- the root system of green manure can penetrate very deeply into the soil, saturates the fertile layer with the necessary components and minerals

- due to the fact that green manure can grow very densely and abundantly, this minimizes the risk that weeds will grow on the site. In addition, green manures can perfectly moisturize the soil, retaining moisture and slowing down the processes of its evaporation.

- thanks to the planted green manure, the soil is not exposed to erosion or dangerous weathering

- in the summer, thanks to the siderates, the soil does not dry out at all, does not crack, since the siderates retain moisture.In the autumn, the soil is protected from the leaching of nutrients. When green manures are sown during particularly cold periods, the soil retains all the necessary heat at their expense, which is also a huge plus from planting green manures on the plots.

Finally, there is one more point. It consists in the fact that siderates as a culture are completely unpretentious. They grow very quickly, and at the same time do not require too high costs for the purchase of seeds for planting. In general, if gardeners choose to plant siderates, then they will no longer need any other mineral or organic additives to apply them to the site. Depending on the composition of the soil, different green manures may be suitable. For example, if the soil on the site is closer to clay, or has a sandy composition, then lupine will ideally grow in it. In this case, it can become a full-fledged replacement for manure or compost, although if there is too much clay in the composition, this can lead to the plant losing its green manure properties altogether, and there will be no benefit from it. Again, sometimes the soil should be prepared in advance in order to plant green manures in it, and then the main crops. But, as a rule, all preparation can be limited only by moisture and some moisture.

Often, siderates are used for planting on soils that are just preparing for cultivation. This is due to the fact that green manure not only protects the soil from negative influences, but is also able to effectively restore it. For example, if before that active construction work was carried out on the site, and the land was too compacted with machinery, then green manure can help the soil to become lighter and more loose, as well as saturate it with the necessary useful and mineral components.

Of course, before purchasing the seeds of a plant that will become a green manure, the gardener is trying to understand what advantages he has, and if there are any disadvantages and pitfalls that you need to know about in order to avoid mistakes. If we talk specifically about buckwheat as a siderat, which this article is devoted to, then among the advantages the following main features should be highlighted:

- buckwheat, like green manure, has an incredibly strong root system. It looks like a powerful rod, from which many small roots and processes of a much smaller size depart. In total, they can penetrate to a depth of forty centimeters, and there is practically no room for weeds to grow, not to mention, in principle, to sprout and take nutrient and useful components from the soil or plants.

- the part of the plant that is underground can release some valuable and useful acids during growth and development. These are citric and formic acids or other acids that are incredibly beneficial for many crops. It is due to these acids that in the future, the cultures that will be planted on this site will be able to easily perceive phosphorus and its compounds, which will affect growth and development only in the most positive way.

- thanks to buckwheat as green manure, the chances of normalizing the soil microflora increase, this is especially necessary after very dense sowing of grain crops was carried out on the site. Simply put, the layer will gradually be cleansed of microorganisms that have found themselves in a nutrient medium for themselves, began to actively multiply, develop, because of which a wide variety of diseases began to spread

- buckwheat perfectly adapts to soils of various composition, including it can perfectly take root in heavy salt marshes, while not at all opposing plantings

- buckwheat green manure has a shortened growing season. This means that some varieties need only about 70 days to fully ripen, no more.There are also varieties of buckwheat that take about three months to ripen, and these varieties are not very popular with gardeners. Although, as practice shows, if the gardener has time to restore a separate soil area, then such long-growing green manures are also perfect for restoring the soil and maintaining its fertility.

Buckwheat siderat: photo

There are also a few other features that can be noted. For example, buckwheat green manure takes root well in garden plantings, as well as in vineyards. From here, the gardener can get even more benefits than he even imagines. So, moisture will be retained in the under-barrel circles, which, thanks to the siderates, will evaporate much more slowly. Secondly, green manure is very attractive to pollinating insects, which is especially useful for those crops that remain self-fertile. Buckwheat siderata, which are planted in the aisles or between cultivated plants, have an excellent effect on the health of the soil, which can be slightly weakened if some perennial crops grow in it.

After the residues are mowed, they can rot perfectly right on the site. Due to this, the soil is enriched with nitrogen components, as well as saturated with potassium, which have an excellent effect on the growth and development of cultivated plants. Of course, all this can sound very tempting and attractive to gardeners who have decided to plant siderates. But do not forget that there are both advantages and disadvantages that cannot be ignored just like that.

If we talk about the minuses, since we listed the pluses a little higher, then the weaknesses of buckwheat are the following:

- buckwheat, like green manure, is very susceptible to dry periods, so if you plant it in a season when there is practically no rainfall, then it is highly likely that it will not be able to fully manifest its useful qualities and properties

- the culture also does not tolerate cold and frost very well, so buckwheat is rarely planted as a green manure, which would be suitable for planting in winter

- if there is a high concentration and frequency of sowing, then the root system of buckwheat can be very strongly intertwined, and in the future this can cause a sufficient number of problems for the gardener, since he simply will not be able to understand the root system, which will be very confusing and practically unmanageable, very heavy ... In addition, the glomeruli from the roots will decompose for a very long time, which means that useful substances from there will not be extracted at all immediately.

- despite the fact that buckwheat, like green manure, is quite versatile, it still may not suit all cultivated plants, especially as their predecessor. If the gardener does not know about such subtleties and nuances, then there is a very high risk that he will be left without the harvest that he has been waiting for so long. The soil can be too oversaturated, heavy due to the abundance of mineral components, and in such a composition, not all plants will be able to take root normally, let alone grow and produce crops.

Thus, buckwheat as a siderat has both its disadvantages and its advantages. In general, it is quite easy to minimize the disadvantages if the gardener is aware of the intricacies of agricultural technology and follows all the established rules. In this case, you can really enrich the soil thanks to siderates, make it fertile and light, and also create the most comfortable environment for the cultivation of even such plants in the future, which may not initially be very suitable for planting in a specific area. Thus, buckwheat, like siderat, is really popular and effective, with its own characteristics and subtleties.In the next part of this article, we will dwell in more detail on the technology of growing buckwheat and tell you what needs to be done in order for the plant to feel comfortable and give all its accumulated substances to the crops and soil.

Buckwheat as green manure: when to sow and how?

Buckwheat siderat: photo

The first thing a gardener needs to pay attention to is what is the air and water balance in the area where buckwheat is planned to be planted as green manure. It would be nice if the site was a wide and even field, and its character was initially carefully studied by the gardener in order to avoid certain mistakes.

It is much more difficult to deal with the soil that has never been put into circulation or processed before, and no crops have grown on it. The gardener is aware that on such a site there can be different parts of the soil, the soil can have a varied composition, and the temperature of each layer can also vary significantly. At the same time, it is quite difficult to calculate the depth of groundwater in an unexplored area, although this condition is one of the most important when choosing a site for planting some crops. Also, do not forget about one more factor - the microflora, because it also happens that in very deep layers there are rotting roots that have been preserved there from trees that were cut down a long time ago, and this can become an excellent environment for the development and reproduction of harmful bacteria and microorganisms. Therefore, all these subtleties need to be known, to pay very close attention to them, because due to taking into account these circumstances, it is possible to prevent the commission of some oversights and fatal mistakes in the future.

When the gardener is fully convinced that the site is ready for planting buckwheat as a siderat, then he should also take into account which plants will be the main ones on the site, and how much these plants are able to get along in the vicinity of buckwheat. In fact, if we consider buckwheat by itself, then it can become an ideal green manure predecessor for almost any garden crop species. In particular, these are potatoes and tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries. Carrots and beets will also not be against the neighborhood with buckwheat, since these root crops need to create special conditions that will be as comfortable as possible in the future, and it will be possible to remove an incredibly abundant and, most importantly, tasty, healthy and safe harvest. Also, buckwheat, like green manure, can prepare the ground for the further planting of some herbs. For example, these are dill and sorrel, celery, parsley. Spicy caraway and fennel get along well on the site where buckwheat grew before, and perfectly perceive all the mineral and nutritional components that were left by it after removing the buckwheat itself from the site.

Buckwheat is no less effective than green manure, and on the eve of planting crops such as fruit shrubs and trees, which give a plentiful fruit and berry harvest. If the gardener decided to plant buckwheat before sowing the main crops, as well as mixing it with cereals, then it is recommended to do this only on well-groomed and loose soils, otherwise you can harm the soil composition, make it very heavy and not suitable for further any crops grew there that needed a large amount of trace elements and minerals. Of course, it is worth conducting very careful calculations in order to know more accurately how and when it is recommended to plant green manure, in what quantity to sow it, so that this is quite enough for garden and horticultural crops. For sowing green manure, it is recommended to choose the period when the frost has completely stopped, and at the same time the soil has already warmed up enough. Usually, this time comes around the middle of May, the soil warms up to a depth of ten centimeters or more, and return frosts are no longer predicted.

If the temperature has stabilized, it is 10 degrees and above, then you can start planting green manure. The site is processed using a plane cutter or cultivator, which should raise the top layer by 10-15 centimeters, no more, but no less. The seeds are not planted very deeply - by about 5 centimeters if it is a heavy soil. If the soil is sufficiently well-groomed and light, then the seeds can be deepened up to six centimeters. In order to remove weeds from the site, it will be enough to plant 10 to 15 grams of green manure seeds per square meter. Thus, about one and a half kilograms of green manure will be spent on one hundred square meters of land. Sowing should be rolled with a roller to cover it with soil. In this case, if strong gusts of wind are observed, the seeds will not scatter with it. But at the same time, if this is a fairly well-groomed area, then it will be enough to walk on it with the back of the rake, and in this case the seeds will also be covered and will be ready for further growth.

Buckwheat siderat: photo

In general, the procedure for planting green manures and growing them is a fairly simple process. In particular, everything is simplified before the onset of rainfall. It is at this time that you can scatter green manure seeds, then you can completely ignore the clarity nearby, that is, sow green manure chaotically. Many can sow green manure throughout the summer, if weather conditions allow it. But nevertheless, some have the question of when, after all, buckwheat should be planted - as a full-fledged green manure, it may be better to plant it not in the summer, but rather in the fall (for example, after harvesting the potato crop). At the same time, an interval of one and a half months should be observed between crops - this is how much a plant needs in order to go through a full cycle and become a full-fledged fertilizer. True, sometimes autumn plantings are less effective than buckwheat plantings, which were carried out in May. Moreover, in the spring period there is more moisture, it better penetrates into the soil and circulates in it, therefore, of course, the result from the germination of green manure will be much better and more obvious.

Since buckwheat has a very short growing season, in general this plant does not impose any special requirements either in planting or in care measures. The most important thing is that the plant is properly hydrated. If you plant green manure in a region with a temperate humid climate, then you do not need to water the plantings at all. If the green manure is planted in areas where there is an arid climate with prolonged heat, then there it is necessary at least once a week to water and spray the green manure abundantly so that it is filled with vitality and strength, develops, and absorbs all the useful qualities and characteristics. But at the same time, in no case should the watering be brought to the point that the soil is liquid, because in this case the root system will begin to erode very actively, and there will be absolutely no benefit from this on the part of the planting itself, you can only upset the balance in the soil.

Seedlings are recommended to be regularly inspected from all sides, they begin to appear about a week after the seeds have been placed in the soil. But in a month, full-fledged flowers will form, but this is if the green manure grows in the most comfortable conditions for itself. After three days, the color starts up already along the lateral processes, which indicates that the planting is developing correctly and will be an excellent fertilizer and mineral supplement in the future. In general, flowering continues throughout the entire month, as it is indeed quite protracted. Just at this time, it is possible to harvest green manure in order to cultivate a full-fledged fertilizer from it for future crops.

Yes, you understood everything correctly: green manure is harvested right during its flowering period.On soils that are sufficiently well-groomed, moist and generally fertile, this work is best done in the first few days, with the appearance of the very first inflorescences. The harvesting of green manure looks like this. Greens are actively mowed, and completely. The roots can be cut to a depth of about seven centimeters, after which it is recommended to mix the mass directly with the ground, and so that part of the cover is on the surface. It will play the role of mulch - to retain heat and moisture and protect the soil and future crops from pests and bacteria. The rest of the plant will be composted and play a role.

After the gardener has mowed the green manure, it is recommended to take a break for about 15-20 days. Only after a break can crops and plants be planted on the treated area. Just this period of time will be quite enough for the maximum amount of useful and nutritious minerals contained in the workpiece, which we are talking about, to be absorbed and assimilated into the soil. Thus, buckwheat, like green manure, has become one of the most indispensable, which, although not suitable for every crop, can become an excellent fertilizer and additional irreplaceable feeding for those who are suitable. It is easy to sow, it requires almost no attention and care, which, of course, plays a very important role in whether the gardener will choose buckwheat, or he will prefer to choose some other green manure.

Buckwheat siderat: video on how to sow