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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Oats is traditionally planted as the first crop in early April as a grain crop or an early season forage. One of the beauties of oats is its versatility in planting date. Oats can also be planted in the summer as an early fall forage for harvest or grazing.
What month do you plant oats?
Moderately fertile soil gives the best stands. Late-summer/early-fall planting. For a winterkilled cover, spring oats usually are seeded in late summer or early fall in Zone 7 or colder. Broadcasting or overseeding will give the best results for the least cost, unless seeding into heavy residue.
How late can you seed oats?
Oats have been the species most frequently used, as a low cost, low risk approach. They can be seeded in late-July or early-August following wheat and spring cereal harvest for an early-October harvest. Oats can make good feed when harvested at the correct stage of maturity and made into “oatlage” or baleage.
Can you plant oats in winter?
When to Plant Winter Grains Ten to 12 weeks before your first fall frost, start sowing seeds of oats or winter barley. In areas with mild winters, they can be planted up to six weeks before the first fall frost date.
How long does oats take to grow?
Oats take approximately six months to grow from seed to harvest. Oats are a cereal grain and the grass is grown for use in pastures as animal feed. It is also grown in fields for human and animal consumption of the grain. Growing it at the right time of the year is essential for a healthy oat crop.
Can oats be planted in the spring?
Oats can be used for grazing and can be planted in both the spring and fall. Oats can provide a very palatable, high quantity, of a moderate quality forage. Spring oats can be planted in the fall for late fall and winter grazing. Oats will continue growing long after they would need to be cut for hay.
Does oats come back every year?
“Oats grows rapidly. Once it gets 5-6 in. tall, it quickly can shoot up to a foot tall in almost no time. As nice as this sounds, if initial oat growth gets that tall it may not stool out, tiller, and regrow after grazing very well.
Can you plant oats in June?
Oats can also be planted in the summer as an early fall forage for harvest or grazing. Summer oats has a wide planting window but performs much better with an application of nitrogen and may benefit from a fungicide application to improve quality.
Can feed oats be planted?
Both Smith and Kilcer recommend seeding 90 to 100 pounds of seed per acre. Ohio’s Smith also offers the option of planting feed grade oats as seed. He points out that feed oats are usually triple cleaned to eliminate weed seeds and provide horse-quality feed.
Can you plant oats in April?
In the western Corn Belt, the usual planting window for spring oats is between March 15 and April 1 with an optimum planting time during the third week of March. If dry weather and above freezing temperatures occur in late February and early March, the planting date can be shifted closer to March 15.
Can you plant oats in February?
If you have enough pasture in the fall the good thing about spring oats is they can also be seeded in February to early March and used as a ground cover or companion crop. Other small grain options for grazing are available, but oats can provide a high quality forage in a short period of time.
Can I plant oats in December?
Oats can be planted from September through December depending on the planting location. Oats generally need temperatures above 50 F for emergence and early growth. If planted too early, armyworms can be problematic in oats.
Are oats easy to grow?
It is very possible to grow your own oats even if you only have a small garden plot. The introduction of hull-less oats has made it even easier to grow your own oats since they need less processing once harvested.
How far apart should oats be planted?
The optimum seeding depth for oats is one to two inches — deep enough to reach soil moisture — and should not exceed three inches. Oats are usually seeded with a row spacing of 7.5 to 12 inches but research has shown that in no-till systems wider row spacing up to 14 inches does not affect plant numbers or tillering.
Are oats seasonal?
Oats are an annual plant, and can be planted either in autumn (for late summer harvest) or in the spring (for early autumn harvest).
How do you plant oats in the spring?
Utilizing Spring-planted Oats for Forage Seed — Plant 80-100 lb/ac of good quality seed that has a germination of no less than 85%. Seedbed — Sow oat seed at approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inches deep. Grazing — Oat plants should have a minimum of six inches of growth prior to grazing.
Do oats need fertilizer?
The seeding rate of wheat or oats should be from 90 to 120 lb/A. Fall Fertilization for Grazing and Grain: Incorporate any needed phosphorus and potassium into the seedbed before planting. Fall nitrogen should be applied at the rate of 80-100 lb/A where fall and winter grazing are needed.
Will oats grow back after cutting?
Manage initial oat growth before it gets too tall. “Oats grows rapidly. Once it gets 5-6 in. tall, it quickly can shoot up to a foot tall in almost no time. As nice as this sounds, if initial oat growth gets that tall it may not stool out, tiller, and regrow after grazing very well.
