State × crop calendar

Buckwheat planting in Florida.

  • Limited / marginal
  • Zone 9b
  • 305-day season
  • Last frost February 15
  • Cover Crop
  • Frost Sensitive

Buckwheat planting in Florida is shaped by the state's 9b dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around February 15, and a 305-day growing season. Buckwheat can be grown in Florida with attention to season length and variety selection — primarily a specialty or experimental crop here.

Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against University of Florida IFAS Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.

Planting calendar — 2026

Frost-anchored windows.

Buckwheat · Florida · planting calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeclast frostfirst frostSPRING PLANTING
Ideal windowEarliest / latest tailsFrost zone

Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.

Planting windows

Earliest → ideal → latest.

Spring planting

Buckwheat

Earliest

March 21

Ideal start

April 11

Ideal end

May 9

Latest

May 30

Soil-temp trigger

Wait for 50°F minimum soil temp. Plant summer for 70-90 day cover crop or food plot rotation.

Harvest window

Typical start

June 20

Typical end

July 10

Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.

Growing notes

Buckwheat is challenging in Florida's climate — focus on short-season varieties, raised beds, season extension (row cover, low tunnel), or microclimates with longer growing windows.

Buckwheat can be grown in Florida with attention to season length and variety selection — primarily a specialty or experimental crop here.

Agronomy reference

Buckwheat fundamentals.

Soil-temp minimum

50°F

Soil-temp optimum

60–80°F

Days to maturity

70–90

Water (in/wk)

0.5–1"

Soil pH

5.5–7

Nitrogen demand

low

Short-season warm-weather cover crop — frost-sensitive, but matures fast enough to fit summer planting windows after winter wheat harvest.

Common pests to watch

  • Aphids
  • Japanese beetle (on flowers)

Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with University of Florida IFAS Extension.

Common diseases

  • Powdery mildew
  • Leaf spot

Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.

Variety selection

Buckwheat varieties for Florida live with your extension.

Variety selection

Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.

University of Florida IFAS Extension

Search the extension site for “buckwheat variety trial” or “recommended buckwheat varieties” to find the current report.

Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.

Buckwheat timing. Live alerts.

Bield: Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.

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