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Oats?

I have been plotting for years and used to buy other peoples blends, still do sometimes but sometimes I like to play. I had alfalfa, chicory and clover mix for years in this one spot. The deer really hit the chicory but I have had ever increasing issues with weeds every year. The plot is several years old and yeah I did the frost seeding. This year I am going to start over. I am going more heavy with the chicory and I am adding a pea and bean blend as well. For some quick cover and a fill in I was thinking about adding some Oats. Any suggestions on what kind to buy? Is there a preference or will any do? I am in southwest WI. I can get a 10# bag of Buck forage Oats for $30, seems like a good price.

Thanks! Bill

I Rarely plant anything but Oats anymore. Buck Forage Oats are fine. I plant Whitetail Institute Forage Oats plus, but they can be tricky to find with reasonable shipping. I plant first week of Sept here in SE Ohio and they eat it until Mid February most years.

Agree on the buck Forage Oats being good oat seed but despite what they say about being better then regular seed oats (which is 1/2 the cost,) seed oat IMO does just as good.

I bought horse feed oats at the farm store. 12 dollars for 40 pounds came up fine and deer ate them

I've never seen a difference in oats and wheat, preference wise, planted side by side. Wheat will grow on the moon.

Jerry oats will work just fine for you for way cheaper than Whitetail Institute’s Buck forage oats. Approximately $12-$18 for a 50lbs bag. Most any oats, triticale, or wheat will work for a nurse crop. Certified seed would be better than mill run seed if you’re concerned about weed seed. Cereal rye isn’t recommended as much to use as a nurse crop due to the fact that rye can get too tall and may shade out the developing chicory, alfalfa or clover more so than the other cereal grains.

Deer love oats but they love wheat as well. In my opinion wheat is a better option as it goes way deeper into the cold weather. And as mentioned before it will grow with zero effort.... throw it on top of bare soil and add a little rain and you have a green field

If you plant in the spring or say July as a filler, do you ever mow Oats to maintain a height or do you need to let them grow out to a head? I know nothing about growing Oats or Wheat. Oh, I ordered some Jerry Oats.

Thanks, Bill

I have planted Jerry oats side by side to Buck Forage oats. Both sides treated exactly the same. They preferred Jerry oats and they are way cheaper.

I have planted oats and wheat side by side. Treated exactly the same. They preferred wheat. Red winter wheat will grow way into winter providing feed!

If used as a nurse crop in the spring with clover, alfalfa, etc., I don’t think I would mow them off, just let them head out and ripen, then I’d mow them off. I wouldn’t plant them in July if you’re thinking that the ripe oats would be a fall hunting plot attractant. There are much better things to plant. Also, as Mike-TN and jingalls have pointed out, oats are not very winter hardy vs wheat/rye/triticale. A hard frost or two will usually kill oats. Triticale is pretty tough to beat, IMO. It is a cross between rye and wheat, and is very winter hardy. Planting around September 1-10 in SW Wisconsin should be about right.

In spring, the weather is quite different, what is the optimum weather temperature

I did the horse feed oats . The plot was around 600 yards long through a river bottom . Made a nice blade about 3/4" wide and pull up around 26". Deer went to it before wheat got frosted . Good stuff .

An advantage that Cereal Rye has over Oats is that it will suppress spring weeds. You can mow it just above the clover and chicory a few times before it self terminates. It will hold in moisture and prevent weeds... well that’s a win win. I use winter rye for a fall cover crop every year. It is absolutely fantastic.

If you keep the winter rye clipped about 2” above the clover it will stay alive into June. When it finally dies off you will have a gorgeous clover plot.

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