Oats, Planted in the Spring

[Steven Tolly]

Ok so the farm I hunt rolled over some CRP this year and part of the new contract required 40 acres of food plots in one section. It went in as oats and of course the deer loved it when it was young and green, but as it grew they left it alone. Now it is brown and dead, but the seeds all dropped to the ground with the big rain we had. Plenty of moisture now and my question is will it reseed before our first frost that will probably be at least another 6-8 weeks away. Farm is in the middle of Iowa. So will it reseed and if it does will it stay green for a bit this winter or ?

Any help would be great. If it goes green again this year it will definitely change some feeding happening in the early part of bow season.

 

[mikmaze]

hard frost, bye bye oats. rye won't die.

 

[jsasker007]

It should re-seed and grow until temps drop. I would try to mow down the stuff that is dead if it doesn't conflict with anything else that might be in that plot and still growing.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I havent had great luck with free seed from oats, I am not sure why. Winter rye I can get a great stand of regrowth, but oats I have rarely seen come back.If anything, grab a drag and knock everything down, and loosen up the soil some. I think oats need a little more soil contact then other cereal.

As for staying green for awhile, typically the first 20 degree night and its toast for the year. When I use to farm, and if we had beans planted, we would combine the beans, then plant oats, so it doesnt reseed in the spring, or come back up in the spring so we can plant early corn. If we had corn, we would plant winter rye, or wheat in the fall, then it would catch some in the fall, and take off in the spring, then we would plow it under and plant beans the next year. It is always nice to have some free OM in the spring prior to planting beans.

 

[Nova]

I have had oats as a cover crop before brassica and when I roll and mow the oats they would drop a ton of seed, but it would never germinate. great cover crop for keeping weeds down in summer, but not a good reseeder.

 

[Steven Tolly]

Thanks Guys. I will let you know if does reseed. I was just hoping to take advantage of the farmers food plot for his CRP. I might as the DNR if we could throw something else in with it next spring Sorghum or something to help the birds a bit more.