# Resting a hay field (Buckwheat)



## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I have a free lease hay field that needs tremendous soil work. Looking at minimal tillage to avoid turning rocks up. I'm looking at basically a cover crop that amends the soil. I'm looking at two options. I'm sold on planting turnips to use the roots to loosen the soil and let the turnips decompose. This route comes at a cost to me yet I believe it is worth a year off. The second avenue is a chance at revenue, letting a third party plant buckwheat. Not sure of their planting protocol as of yet. I want to know what kind of soil benefit buckwheat will produce. What are the pros and cons of buckwheat?

Landowner approved.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

What is fert schedule? Your turnips/radish will return what they take ad what they can get from the air. Buckwheat will take it away if harvested.


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## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

No soil needs to "rest." Old redwood forests in N. California grow 400 foot trees, the biggest in the world, and haven't "rested" for hundreds of thousands of years. Resting soil is a myth. What can help (sometimes) is alternating crops. If it is just a hayfield, fertilize it and cut it. Get a soil test.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

By rest, I mean not haying. It is not so much the ph, had 1 ton acre of lime last fall and 200 lbs/acre of 20-10-10 this spring. It is a serious compaction issue and the grass stand is thin.

I'm going to put turnips in if buckwheat is not as beneficial. Buckwheat will not be harvested, it's for honeybee research. Turnips will cost me. Buckwheat, somebody else is tilling and doing soil amendments and I get paid.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

BWfarms said:


> By rest, I mean not haying. It is not so much the ph, had 1 ton acre of lime last fall and 200 lbs/acre of 20-10-10 this spring. It is a serious compaction issue and the grass stand is thin.
> I'm going to put turnips in if buckwheat is not as beneficial. Buckwheat will not be harvested, it's for honeybee research. Turnips will cost me. Buckwheat, somebody else is tilling and doing soil amendments and I get paid.


Buckwheat is sounding better and better........


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

somedevildawg said:


> Buckwheat is sounding better and better........


I know right!! I am sold on the turnips no doubt, can't sway my opinion unless somebody paid me lol. I just want to learn more about buckwheat. Things like will it choke weeds out? Overpower Broomstraw? How deep does the root system go? Is it hard to eliminate buckwheat or do I have to result to chemical warfare? More facts and some opinions of that nature.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

My brother grows buckwheat and in another part of field hairy vetch for his bees. I don't see bw choking out anything.


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## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

Big rooted crops compact the soil horizontally. Wheel traffic and hoofs compact the soil vertically. The best solution to soil compaction is a high earthworm population. The best way to get a high earthworm population is by having a neutral pH and a well drained soil.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

I like the Tillage Radish. The foot goes deeper.

Plant it tomorrow, then try to kill it out next spring.

If you are greedy you will loose it all. My Grandfather,


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