Crop Rotation Group
Miscellaneous
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Soil
Any average, well drained soil.
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Position
Full sun.
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Frost tolerant
Oats are a cool-weather crop that can tolerate light frosts but is usually killed by temperatures below-15C (5F).
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Feeding
None generally needed, especially when oats are grown with nitrogen-fixing green manures such as winter peas, winter beans or hairy vetch.
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Companions
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Spacing
Single Plants: 10cm (3") each way (minimum)
Rows: 10cm (3") with 10cm (3") row gap (minimum)
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Sow and Plant
Sow in late summer to grow as a green manure that forms its own mulch when it is winterkilled, or when using oats as a companion crop for slower-growing legumes. Oats also can be grown as a spring green manure to increase soil organic matter. Broadcast seed into cultivated soil so that the seeds are about 7 cm (3in) apart and 1 cm (1/2in) deep. No thinning is required. Increase spacing to 20cm (8in) apart when growing oats with other green manures.
Our Garden Planning Tool can produce a personalised calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
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Notes
Oats are an ideal late summer green manure if your winters are cold enough to kill it; the dead residue forms its own winter mulch, which is usually well rotted by spring.
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Harvesting
Young oats can be turned under anytime. In mild winter climates, oats should be mowed and tilled before seedheads appear in late spring.
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Troubleshooting
Rotting oat foliage has herbicidal properties, in that it inhibits germination of weed seeds. Always wait 3 weeks before sowing seeds into soil where oats have been turned under.
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