Buckwheat grows best in a cool, moist climate under a wide range of soil conditions. It is sensitive to spring and fall frost, high temperatures, drying winds and drought.
Stress factors can reduce yield, especially if they occur during the blooming period. Wind, heavy rainfall and excessive soil nitrogen can cause buckwheat to lodge, which makes it difficult to harvest and may result in yield loss.
Buckwheat should be planted when the danger of spring frost has passed. It requires 10 to 12 weeks after planting to reach maturity.
Buckwheat has an indeterminate growth habit, with the top of the plant flowering while seed at the base of the plant already may be mature.
When planted on low-fertility soils, buckwheat may outperform most small grains. On high-fertility soils with good water-holding capacity, small grains are usually more productive.
Buckwheat has a taproot with numerous lateral roots that may extend to a depth of 3 to 4 feet. The root system is small, usually consisting of only 3% of the total plant weight, compared with 6 to 14% in cereal grains.
To produce good yields, adequate soil moisture must be available from early July through August, the time the crop is flowering and producing seed. Dry conditions, hot winds and other stress during bloom can reduce buckwheat yields drastically by causing high levels of flower and seed abortion.
Buckwheat flowers are self-sterile and require cross-pollination. Bees, other insects and wind are required to distribute pollen.