Buckwheat
cover-crop
Fastest summer cover — flowers in 4 weeks, suppresses weeds, mines phosphorus.
At a glance
- USDA Zones
- 3–11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hrs)
- Water
- Low — drought-tolerant once established
- Soil
- Loam, sandy, clay
- pH
- Acidic, neutral
- Spacing
- 3 in. between plants
- Per square foot
- 16 plants per square
- Days to maturity
- About 40 days
Planting & harvest windows
Northern Hemisphere timing. Adjust ±4–6 weeks based on your last/first frost dates.
| Activity | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant |
Plant Harvest
Recommended varieties
- Commonseed
Standard summer smother crop — turn under at flowering.
Add Buckwheat to your raised bed — the planner handles spacing and companion warnings automatically.
Open the planner →