Fagopyrum esculentum Grows quickly to 24 inches in ordinary garden soil and has minimal nutritional needs. Should be tilled in when flowering begins (5–6 weeks after germination). The brittle plants are easy to chop up with a hoe, making it an easy cover crop to work with. Because of its dense growth, buckwheat can smother out the most tenacious weeds, even thistle! An excellent attractant for beneficial insects as well as a good thrip trap crop. Also works as an accumulator of insoluble phosphorus that is released back into the soil when tilled in. Sow spring to summer. Recommended seeding rate: 1 pound per 500 square feet; 50 pounds per acre.

Available only in the contiguous US.