Content
- 1 Can oats be used as green manure?
- 2 On what soils is it used?
- 3 What to plant after oats next year
- 4 When to plant oats as green manure
- 5 Sowing rate of oats per hundred square meters as green manure
- 6 How to sow oats for green manure
- 7 How long does oats grow as green manure?
- 8 Care instructions
- 9 When to mow and dig
- 10 Conclusion
- 11 Reviews on the use of oats as green manure
Oats as green manure are one of the best crops for weed suppression. It is usually planted in the spring, although autumn planting is also allowed, followed by mowing in mid-September. About when and how to sow grains correctly, and what the real advantages of oats are, is described in detail in the presented article.
Can oats be used as green manure?
Oats are used as soil fertilizer and also as an effective weed killer. The root system of the plant is powerful, it is suitable for both dense and loose soils. Layers grow well in depth, making their way even through dense clay soils.
Another obvious reason to plant oats is to prevent weeds from growing. If the planting is dense enough, the roots literally choke out other plants. They take up both space and water and nutrients.Due to this, oats are often used as green manure in abandoned areas where there were a lot of weeds last season.
On the other hand, it is important to consider that the plant does not produce much green mass. Oats should not be considered a source of large amounts of nutrients. Therefore, after planting the main crop, several feedings should be carried out. It will not be superfluous to apply fertilizers 1-2 months before planting. This could be, for example, compost or humus (5-7 kg per 1 m2).
Pros and cons of oats as green manure
Quite a few summer residents call oats an almost ideal green manure. Indeed, it has a standard root system that is suitable for almost all types of soil. On the other hand, this plant has both obvious advantages and certain disadvantages, which should not be forgotten either.
Advantages | Flaws |
The roots loosen the soil well | A small amount of green mass |
Dense planting causes oats to crowd out weeds | Low nitrogen content* |
The root system structures loose sandy soil | Quite demanding of conditions - grows in shady, cool places |
Oats serve as a source of microelements and enrich the soil with vitamins. | Needs regular watering |
Tolerant to lower temperatures, germinates already at +8 degrees | Practically does not tolerate drought |
*for this reason, experienced summer residents and farmers recommend using oats together with another green manure - alfalfa
Oats provide excellent soil structure
On what soils is it used?
It is quite correct to sow oats as green manure on clay soils, as well as peat bogs. The root system loosens them well and prevents compaction. But we can say that this is a universal crop that is also quite suitable for sandy and sandy loam soils.
Clay soil
Clay soil is quite dense and viscous due to the high clay content (50% or more). Such soil is heavy, not loose. The soil is depleted of nutrients and does not drain water well.
Even a little watering or short-term rain leads to stagnation of moisture. If this continues constantly, the root system of any plant may begin to rot, which will lead to its death.
Determining that the soil is clayey and the need to plant oats as green manure in it is quite simple:
- When digging, the soil is noticeably dense and heavy.
- It remains wet for a long time (this is easy to verify if you penetrate even to a shallow depth of 10 cm).
- When dry, the surface layer literally turns to stone and cracks.
- Even in hot weather, the soil can remain cool, since it does not heat well in the sun due to its high density and ability to accumulate moisture.
For clay soil, it is especially good to use oats as green manure in the spring in a greenhouse or in open ground. The root system of the plant is very powerful and breaks through even dense soil. This loosens it well, eliminates large lumps and ensures free access of air.
Peat bogs
Peat soils, as the name suggests, contain significant amounts of peat.It also accumulates water well, so it remains moist and cool for a long time. Such soils can be compared to a sponge that perfectly absorbs moisture.
It is also worth using oats as a green manure on them, as it helps against weeds in the spring. In addition, the roots loosen and structure the soil, due to which more oxygen reaches the plant roots.
Oats are suitable for different soil types
What to plant after oats next year
The next season after oats, it is recommended to plant the following plants on the site:
- onion;
- garlic;
- tomatoes;
- garden strawberries;
- cucumbers;
- zucchini;
- peppers;
- pumpkin;
- cabbage of any kind;
- apple tree and any other fruit trees;
- raspberries and any other berry bushes.
It is advisable to plant oats themselves as green manure after potatoes, eggplants, and various fruit bushes. Although it will be beneficial even if it is planted in an area that has not been used for a long time and is overgrown with weeds.
When to plant oats as green manure
Oats as green manure are planted in the spring under potatoes or other plants. The culture is quite cold-resistant, can withstand short-term night frosts and germinates already at +8 degrees. Therefore, planting can be planned as early as April, and in some regions even in March. Specific dates depend on the climatic characteristics of the area:
- middle zone, including the Moscow region - mid-April;
- southern regions - end of March;
- North-West, including Leningrad region - end of April;
- Ural, Siberia, Far East - beginning, mid-May.
Autumn planting of oats as green manure is also practiced. Work begins either at the end of summer or in the first half of September - immediately after the harvest is harvested.Thanks to autumn planting, the uncovered part of the soil (in the absence of sufficient snow cover in winter) will not freeze. In addition, the soil will be cleared of many pests.
Is it possible to plant in summer?
This method is justified if the soil is severely depleted and it is planned to restore it within one season. It is recommended to organize continuous planting in several cycles:
- sowing;
- obtaining green mass;
- grinding;
- new sowing (immediately).
If you plan to grow plants, sowing green manure should be scheduled for spring. Theoretically, this can be done in the summer, but it is important to take into account that oats do not tolerate drought well. In this case, you will need to water it regularly, otherwise a significant part of the crops will die.
Sowing rate of oats per hundred square meters as green manure
Oats as green manure are sown with seeds. Before planting, you need to decide on the consumption rate, which is determined in kilograms per unit area. Specific standards depend on the sowing method:
- in furrows – 1 kg per hundred square meters;
- continuous (chaotic) distribution - 2 kg per hundred square meters.
Grains can be planted in rows or evenly distributed over the entire area
Based on this, you can calculate the number of oat green manure seeds for any area. For example, when sowing into the soil of a greenhouse 10 m2 It is enough to take 200 g of grains. If you plan to sow a crop per hectare, you need to use 100 times more seeds, i.e. 200 kg.
How to sow oats for green manure
Oats as green manure are sown in two ways:
- Solid.
- In the grooves.
In the first case, the area is cleared of dirt, plant debris, tops of previous plants, and rhizomes. Next, you need to dig it up or loosen it, and then distribute the seeds evenly, focusing on the following consumption: 1 pinch per square meter.
The second method is practiced if not only oats are planted, but also other green manures (legumes). It is necessary to make several shallow (1-2 cm) furrows at intervals of 10-12 cm. Then distribute the seeds and sprinkle with soil. It is better to water them first so as not to wash them out with a stream of water.
How long does oats grow as green manure?
One of the benefits of oat green manure is that it grows quickly. If the weather is relatively warm, seedlings appear within a week. From this moment it is necessary to count 1.5 months, i.e. approximately six weeks. It is after this that they begin to mow the tops.
Thanks to such a short cycle, oats can be sown 3-4 times per season, for example:
- in the middle of April;
- At the beginning of June;
- in the middle of July;
- in early September.
New seeds are sown immediately after mowing the previous crop. As already mentioned, this technique is used to enrich severely depleted soils with nutrients.
Care instructions
Caring for oats is not too difficult. However, it is worth understanding that this green manure is moisture-loving. Therefore, if spring turns out to be too hot and dry, water should be given at least twice a week. The best option is to organize irrigation, like a lawn.
Oats do not need special feeding. But it doesn't always grow fast enough. If the soil is infertile and dense, developmental delays may occur. In such cases, after the shoots grow 10-15 cm, it is recommended to cut them to a third of their length. This stimulates the growth of lateral branches and increases the green mass.
In hot weather, oats should be watered twice a week.
When to mow and dig
The grass must be mowed approximately 1.5 months after the first shoots appear.If the weather is warm and the soil is sufficiently fertile and loose, green manure grows very quickly. It often happens that mowing starts after a month. In any case, you can wait until the flowers open. As soon as pollen begins to appear on the panicles, mowing and digging should begin.
You can determine the approximate timing in advance:
- when planting in early spring, work begins in the first ten days of May;
- In the case of autumn planting, mowing begins in mid-October.
Conclusion
Oats as a green manure can be considered a universal crop that is suitable for almost all types of soil. Summer residents use it especially often on clay and sandy soils. The plant is primarily necessary for loosening and structuring the soil, but it can also be considered as a fertilizer.
Reviews on the use of oats as green manure
