How to Grow Buckwheat As a Cover Crop

Remove old plant material and debris from the garden area. Turn the soil over with a shovel or roto-tiller. Smooth the ground with a garden rake, breaking up any dirt clumps and removing any remaining roots and rocks.

Measure out 1 tbsp. of buckwheat seed for every 20 square feet of garden space. Scatter the buckwheat seed evenly over the growing area by hand.

Rake the seed into the ground by inserting garden rake tines 1 to 2 inches into the topsoil, drawing the rake back 3 to 4 inches, then pushing the rake tines back to the starting point. Repeat the process, which becomes comfortably rhythmic after a few repetitions, until the seed is worked into the soil across the entire garden area.

Water the newly seeded area promptly with a sprinkler or garden nozzle set to a light spray. Soak until the ground is wet to a depth of 2 inches. Keep the top inch of soil moist during the 10 to 12 days after planting as new shoots appear and leaves emerge. Thereafter, water only when the top inch of soil dries out.

Cut the plants back to the ground once they reach 1 to 3 feet tall and have bloomed, but before the flowers dry and set seed. Use a weed whacker or a heavy-duty mower set to its highest blade setting and leave the cut stems and leaves on the ground. Turn the ground over with a shovel or tiller to incorporate the plant material into the soil.