Buckwheat Volunteers
Today's a fine, spring-like day, but a bad back is keeping me away from the plot. I'd best take some time off and not provoke it - I need a strong and supple back this year. Been planning the cover crop regime. The idea is to follow the crop rotation already half begun: vetch where the peas and beans would be (no.5 bed); mustard for brassicas (no.4 bed), more vetch or maybe alfalfa in the putative chicken bed (no.2 bed this year); yet another legume to follow the brassicas in what would be this year's roots and onions, where I'm only growing 6 rows of garlic, (no.3 bed); something neutral, such as phacelia or buckwheat, where the tatties would be, (no.1 bed). The usual advice on buckwheat is to cut it down when the stems are still soft , and on no account to let it go to seed because it will produce "unwanted volunteers" next year. But here's the plan. It's going in no.1 bed. That's second on the schedule for riddling, and with a bit of luck...