Oats planting date

[Nova]

I was up at the farm over the weekend and got this plot disced up. I am putting oats in here and want to get them in as soon as possible. Would it be too early next weekend to plant oats in west central MN? I'm hoping having it turned up and nice warm weather this week will get ground temp up enough.

 

[Northbound]

Is this for deer forage or green manure?
Soon as frost chances are over for green manure. If it's to feed deer, your about 4 months to early from my experience

 

[yoderjac]

Is this for deer forage or green manure?
Soon as frost chances are over for green manure. If it's to feed deer, your about 4 months to early from my experience

Deer don't eat young cereal in your area?

 

[Islandguy]

We've always planted spring cereals as soon as the soil was dry enough to work.

 

[Northbound]

Deer don't eat young cereal in your area?

Once the oats are taller than 5ish inches they completely avoid them here. Great action as a fall plot if planted late summer

 

[Nova]

Is this for deer forage or green manure?
Soon as frost chances are over for green manure. If it's to feed deer, your about 4 months to early from my experience

Green manure, there will be brassica going into this plot in the middle of July

 

[yoderjac]

Once the oats are taller than 5ish inches they completely avoid them here. Great action as a fall plot if planted late summer

That is true here as well. However, to me feeding deer is different than attracting them. Providing quality food is one leg of the QDM stool that needs to cover all 12 months. Covering spring is just as important as covering fall from a food perspective. From an attraction perspective to help with harvest goals, it is really only during the season that it matters. What confused me was your "If it's to feed deer..." comment. I thought maybe there was some reason up in your area why cereal was a poor choice for spring food.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[scott44]

Green manure, there will be brassica going into this plot in the middle of July

I would get them in as soon as I could, maybe add some buckwheat and crimson clover. It looks like really good soil you have there for this plot.

 

[yoderjac]

I would get them in as soon as I could, maybe add some buckwheat and crimson clover. It looks like really good soil you have there for this plot.

Keep in mind that buckwheat is very sensitive to frost so be sure you are past the threat. Buckwheat will germinate at soil temperatures as low as 45 degrees but the optimal soil temp is 80 degrees. I'm far enough south that I'm on the ratty edge of being able to double crop buckwheat. I did so in the early years as part of a soil improvement project.. I found that the first crop (which I had to plant with a soil temp of about 60 degrees to get in two crops) was small and lethargic compared to the second crop. I no longer double crop it. I've found a better way for soil improvement. I'm far enough south that crimson clover acts as a reseeding annual. I found that if I include it with my winter rye in the fall for a soil improvement project, it comes back early in the spring. This covers the period when the first crop of buckwheat would be growing. I can then wait until soil temps are between 70 and 75 degrees before planting buckwheat.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Nova]

Yeah, at the farm in west central MN it will be June before I would even think of buckwheat. I have tried it in the past planted in late May/early June and had the same results as Jack, very slow going. Plus buckwheat prices are way to high now days for a plow down crop. Oats are under $10 a bushel vs buckwheat at $50. I may add in some plow down clover thought to boost N in this plot for the brassica.

 

[SWIFFY]

Theyre talkin mid 70s by the weekend here in Central MN! I guess well just bypass spring this year and go straight into summer!

 

[Northbound]

That is true here as well. However, to me feeding deer is different than attracting them. Providing quality food is one leg of the QDM stool that needs to cover all 12 months. Covering spring is just as important as covering fall from a food perspective. From an attraction perspective to help with harvest goals, it is really only during the season that it matters. What confused me was your "If it's to feed deer..." comment. I thought maybe there was some reason up in your area why cereal was a poor choice for spring food.

Thanks,

Jack

Yes I didn't word that well at all. I'm with you on feeding rather than hunting, fact is I never hunt what I plant around the home farm, just there to benefit the deer. However spring planted oats ,for my area anyways, never do much besides create organic matter. By the time spring oats are ready there's so much browse that they don't do much of anything with oat plots. Late fall though they're a huge draw.
I always feel this is the worst time for deer, other than winter wheat there isn't much available to them right now. This is the time of year I seek out permission for suburban hunting as hungry deer are doing havoc on home owners tulips and shrubs while waiting on spring green up.

 

[jsasker007]

Nova,
I'm still trying to get over the fact you could get out and work the ground right now. I'm in east central Minnesota and was out yesterday with the excavator and still have a fair amount of frost in the ground----I think a would get my tractor stuck if I tried working the ground now. Maybe the frost is keeping you from getting stuck?

 

[Nova]

Nova,
I'm still trying to get over the fact you could get out and work the ground right now. I'm in east central Minnesota and was out yesterday with the excavator and still have a fair amount of frost in the ground----I think a would get my tractor stuck if I tried working the ground now. Maybe the frost is keeping you from getting stuck?

The frost is out completely. We are on higher sandy ground and the frost comes out pretty quickly. We had very little snow this year at the farm, that went quick and the ground was able to heat up. We don't even have snow in the deep woods any more.

I planted the oats last weekend. Corn will probably go in this weekend and beans the following. I have all but one plot worked up.

As I look at this picture I wish I had more time to cultipack it one more time. There seems to be a lot of seed sitting on top. Hopefully the rain last night and this morning pushed most of that seed in.

 

[jsasker007]

Wow---what a difference a few miles makes. I have frozen clay and need lots of warm dry weather before I can get equipment in the plots. I do have winter rye from last fall already green and growing with deer in there daily but as soon as better tasting stuff starts to grow they will forget about the rye until late fall.

 

[Peplin Creek]

Nova, as long as you don’t get a down pour, you’ll be fine.

I will say, i live in central Wisconsin and travelled down to the southern end of the state tonight. Dang near every alfalfa field had 10-30 deer in it. I truly do think alfalfa is king this time of year. It seems to wake up faster than clover and provides a longer feeding cycle than rye.

My spring planted oats never amounted to much browse but in the fall, it’s one of my go to crops.

 

[Nova]

Nova, as long as you don’t get a down pour, you’ll be fine.

I will say, i live in central Wisconsin and travelled down to the southern end of the state tonight. Dang near every alfalfa field had 10-30 deer in it. I truly do think alfalfa is king this time of year. It seems to wake up faster than clover and provides a longer feeding cycle than rye.

My spring planted oats never amounted to much browse but in the fall, it’s one of my go to crops.

I am more worried about the turkey eating it than anything.

Agreed on the alfalfa, the deer have been hammering our 55 acres and the clover is just starting to pop now.