Oats or rye spring time

[buckhunter10]

I recall guys planting oats or rye grain with their clovers. Can you do this in spring to help reduce weed competition?

Clover, alfalfa, chicory, oats mix - mow once Glover’s flower out mid summer to kill oats- any issues with this? Thoughts?

 

[Creek chub]

You are smarter than me to ask this question. I planted oats this spring mainly for temporary soil protection and did a poor job covering the seeds. What the turkeys didn’t eat came up great though.

I plan to either mow or nuke it in the late summer for a cool season crop.

 

[dogghr]

I think you had a reason Buck, but can you wait till late July-early Sept?? Then you can plant both with your alfalfa and what a great plot youd have. Otherwise, grains are gonna die off pretty quick this late planting and oats may get browsed too quick to do much good depending on your deer density.

 

[buckhunter10]

I think you had a reason Buck, but can you wait till late July-early Sept?? Then you can plant both with your alfalfa and what a great plot youd have. Otherwise, grains are gonna die off pretty quick this late planting and oats may get browsed too quick to do much good depending on your deer density.

So this is a great point. I am also thinking about just planting the Chicory, Clover, Alfalfa first weekend in June. Then I will top dress turnips in July and then grains in August. Next Spring, come back and mow and it ought to be a great plot - thoughts?

 

[DocHolladay]

Spring oats do great, but are dead by the time the summer heat kicks in. They do leave a good layer of mulch is planted thick enough,

 

[buckhunter10]

Spring oats do great, but are dead by the time the summer heat kicks in. They do leave a good layer of mulch is planted thick enough,

That appeals to me. Do they work as a cover crop to reduce weeds when planted with clovers?

 

[DocHolladay]

We did straight oats in a couple of smaller plots to fill the void from spring to fall planting. We sprayed, disced a couple of weeks later, seeded and rolled it with the atv. Came up nice and thick. We saw grazing on it and by the time we checked on it late July, it was dead and all the seeds had been eaten(by turkeys we hope), and minimal weeds. We then seeded our fall mix and rolled over it with the atv again and had a great fall stand.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I always plant spring oats to start spring clover seedings, this is a great planting that does multiple things such as weed suppression, erosion control, and turkey habitat. The resulting straw is perfect for fall throw n mow or drilled plots, not too thick and not too thin. Straw is a wonderful tool for soil building. And any empty field in the spring gets oats until I figure out the next plan for it. I plant so many oats I just get feed oats at the feed mill to save money. Weed seed in them has never been a problem for me.

 

[buckhunter10]

I always plant spring oats to start spring clover seedings, this is a great planting that does multiple things such as weed suppression, erosion control, and turkey habitat. The resulting straw is perfect for fall throw n mow or drilled plots, not too thick and not too thin. Straw is a wonderful tool for soil building. And any empty field in the spring gets oats until I figure out the next plan for it. I plant so many oats I just get feed oats at the feed mill to save money. Weed seed in them has never been a problem for me.

I am thinking of using a few in my plantings as a cover crop. Ill be mowing the plots after they grow/fill in so I am just thinking itll be a good thing to add.

Why Oats over Rye? Does it matter?

 

[Creek chub]

I am thinking of using a few in my plantings as a cover crop. Ill be mowing the plots after they grow/fill in so I am just thinking itll be a good thing to add.

Why Oats over Rye? Does it matter?

I doubt it matters whether you spring plant oats or rye. Both will die during the summer which isn’t a bad thing Mennoniteman mentioned. I planted oats this spring but would have planted rye if my local supplier had it in stock

 

[buckhunter10]

I doubt it matters whether you spring plant oats or rye. Both will die during the summer which isn’t a bad thing Mennoniteman mentioned. I planted oats this spring but would have planted rye if my local supplier had it in stock

Thank you-10-4!

 

[Mennoniteman]

I am thinking of using a few in my plantings as a cover crop. Ill be mowing the plots after they grow/fill in so I am just thinking itll be a good thing to add.

Why Oats over Rye? Does it matter?

Oat seed is cheaper and easier to get in my area. Deer generally prefer oats over rye for grazing, although this can vary depending on other factors. Turkeys' prefer the oat grain over rye. On the flipside, rye produces more straw due to being taller, rye can be fall planted which gives it a head start on growing in the spring, which in turn can provide potential early fawning cover. So there's definitely a few big differences between these two, oats has an edge for feeding value, and price, rye has an edge for cover and soil building. And wheat falls about right in the middle between these two. A farmer would never consider mixing these three because of the impossibility of harvesting the mixed crop, but for wildlife I have mixed these together already.

 

[buckhunter10]

Oat seed is cheaper and easier to get in my area. Deer generally prefer oats over rye for grazing, although this can vary depending on other factors. Turkeys' prefer the oat grain over rye. On the flipside, rye produces more straw due to being taller, rye can be fall planted which gives it a head start on growing in the spring, which in turn can provide potential early fawning cover. So there's definitely a few big differences between these two, oats has an edge for feeding value, and price, rye has an edge for cover and soil building. And wheat falls about right in the middle between these two. A farmer would never consider mixing these three because of the impossibility of harvesting the mixed crop, but for wildlife I have mixed these together already.

yes I always mix oats/rye for my fall plots - deer love it!