View Full Version : honey bee working buckwheat
berkshire bee
08-05-2007, 10:33 PM
Here's a shot of one of my bees working the small patch of buckwheat I planted.
http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x222/berkshirebee/Honey%20bee%20Photos/
mike haney
08-06-2007, 09:02 AM
can you give some details to non farmers as to the process to prepare the ground and to plant buckwheat? thanks
peggjam
08-06-2007, 12:54 PM
Plow it, disc it, pick 15 gazianion tons of rock(oh wait that's only here:D) drag it, plant it:).
dcross
08-06-2007, 12:55 PM
pick 15 gazianion tons of rock(oh wait that's only here:D)
I didn't know you moved next door to me:D
berkshire bee
08-06-2007, 09:20 PM
Mike, I planted buckwheat for 2 reasons. One for the bees and the other because I heard it will improve the soil if you till it in later on. All I did was till up a couple of sections of yard that was sod to expand my garden, spread some seed and rake it over. Then sit back and wait for it to flower. It really is that simple, the seed is cheap, and you'll attract all kinds of winged critters.
I didn't know you moved next door to me:DThere's an incredible amount of rocks in the soil around here. We call them New England potatoes :)
redhawknc1
08-07-2007, 07:14 AM
I get at least 2 crops a year here. I have a large garden. Each year I plant 1/2 in garden and 1/2 in buckwheat. And switch sides the next year. And each fall I plant the whole thing in Winter Rye. Primarily for soil ammendment purposes. But my bees seem to love it. This method insures that I have the fewest weeds possible in the garden, the buckwheat and rye smother all the weeds out. Very easy to plant. Prepare soil, scatter seed and cover lighly. Water very well and in about 6 days the buckwheat is already up. The bees use the buckwheat only during the morning hours. Makes for a pretty garden plot. Very pretty when in full bloom. Try it, it grows very easily.
dcross
08-07-2007, 12:58 PM
There's an incredible amount of rocks in the soil around here. We call them New England potatoes :)
Oh, believe me, I know what you mean! My dad has an allergy to rocks in his fields, most of the neighbor kids would only work for him once, that left the rest up to me and my siblings! To this day I can't walk without studying the ground right in front of me!