Planting Oats and Not Disking

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Soggy Bottom

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Right now the ground is very hard in central Texas where I am. I have not been able to prepare my 6 acre oat field and I'm going to be stretched for time for the next 6 weeks. My question is can I a spread the oats with a PTO spreader, than shred the field to cover the seed. Will the seeds grow like this? I do it all time with clover seed, but not sure about oats. Thanks for the input.
 
If it does rain, the seed will float around and you will end up with thick patches in the low areas and nothing on the high spots. I would disc it even if your disc will not cut very in very well. Or you can spread the seed and run the disc over it. Then you will at least have some cuts to trap the seed and moisture.
 
Soggy Bottom":2o9zoxwz said:
Right now the ground is very hard in central Texas where I am. I have not been able to prepare my 6 acre oat field and I'm going to be stretched for time for the next 6 weeks. My question is can I a spread the oats with a PTO spreader, than shred the field to cover the seed. Will the seeds grow like this?

Not likely. I've tried it here with my hard soil and very very little of it germinates. Needs more than just soil contact. I had the same poor results with milo and pearl millet done that way.
(ants and birds loved it tho)
 
Your wasting your time if your ground gets as hard as ours. I've tried to no-till oats in hard ground with very little success. I've run my pasture renavator and no-tilled oats afterwards with decent luck. The bigger the seed the better the ground needs to be worked up. IMO
 
Soggy bottom, where exactly are you located. I am between Dallas and HOUSTON off 45. First year I tried broadcasting very poor results. Birds, ants, hogs sure enjoyed it.
 
My soil was pretty hard but Monday brod cast oats over some pastures before the rain hit. Got 1.7" of slow drizzle rain and the top soils softened. After that seeded everywhere I had open ground, around all senderos, roads, fenclines, around all mesquites, anywhere the sun had pushed away the grass and anywhere I had sprayed Erasure this spring. In the last 2 days another 3" of rain and it's still going. The first round of oats are rooting and growing green and the second is germinating and taking root. I over seed and probably don't get the best germination rate but it gives the cows something green over the winter to graze. Done it a few years ago with decent results. THE BAD THING THIS YEAR IS EVERY COW PATTY IS FULL OF MESQUITE BEANS AND SPROUTING NOW. The cows feasted on those while there was no pasture this summer. My grass is coming back, already a few inches up. God bless the rain. Neighbor is going to get a fall cutting of hay.
 
3 weeks ago my Houston Black Clay was unsuitable for anything but splitting open and producing very large, deep cracks. After the light rains we have had for the past week, the surface is softening up whereby it COULD accept light seeds like Oats.

If I were to do as you suggest with my soil as it is today, not when hard, I'd broadcast thick, bag per acre since feed oats are readily available, cheap, and grow out just fine, rake with a spiked toothed harrow, and then run your rotary cutter. That ought to work. The harrow will put some dirt on some of them, the clippings will keep it there and help to retain any moisture, plus reducing sun effects of heat and moisture reduction, and the large volume of seed stock should give you a good stand even if you have low yield on the seeds sprouting.
 
Texasmark":keo9diar said:
3 weeks ago my Houston Black Clay was unsuitable for anything but splitting open and producing very large, deep cracks. After the light rains we have had for the past week, the surface is softening up whereby it COULD accept light seeds like Oats.

If I were to do as you suggest with my soil as it is today, not when hard, I'd broadcast thick, bag per acre since feed oats are readily available, cheap, and grow out just fine, rake with a spiked toothed harrow, and then run your rotary cutter. That ought to work. The harrow will put some dirt on some of them, the clippings will keep it there and help to retain any moisture, plus reducing sun effects of heat and moisture reduction, and the large volume of seed stock should give you a good stand even if you have low yield on the seeds sprouting.
I drill 4+ bu of oats to the acre, and if it stays dry and hot I'll be re planning. The main problem is moisture, established bahia grass pasture has roots down to 50 inches, and is sucking most of the ground moisture up before the oats. Planting before the grass goes dormant is risky, even with a no - till drill.
 
True Grit Farms":3rhwefxy said:
Texasmark":3rhwefxy said:
3 weeks ago my Houston Black Clay was unsuitable for anything but splitting open and producing very large, deep cracks. After the light rains we have had for the past week, the surface is softening up whereby it COULD accept light seeds like Oats.

If I were to do as you suggest with my soil as it is today, not when hard, I'd broadcast thick, bag per acre since feed oats are readily available, cheap, and grow out just fine, rake with a spiked toothed harrow, and then run your rotary cutter. That ought to work. The harrow will put some dirt on some of them, the clippings will keep it there and help to retain any moisture, plus reducing sun effects of heat and moisture reduction, and the large volume of seed stock should give you a good stand even if you have low yield on the seeds sprouting.
I drill 4+ bu of oats to the acre, and if it stays dry and hot I'll be re planning. The main problem is moisture, established bahia grass pasture has roots down to 50 inches, and is sucking most of the ground moisture up before the oats. Planting before the grass goes dormant is risky, even with a no - till drill.

Sounds like a lot of seeds. Don't know what a bushel weighs, maybe about one bags worth. I am preparing to plant winter coverage as I type and the grass has been dormant for at least a month. It's recovering slightly with this moisture but I answered the question thinking about what I would do, right now if under the same conditions with what knowledge was presented.

I have some light areas of Bahia and it's dormant as are my Coastal pastures and everything else...before this recent show of moisture. However, with the weather upheavals, and this time of year that's what is needed to get the winter crops going, September is the planting month here, chances are good enough that we will get adequate moisture for seeds to sprout and develop...so planting it is.

Having been born and raised on the Texas Gulf Coast, I didn't like hurricanes, but where I am now, they are necessary for winter crops and I (selfishly) look forward to some coming my way.
 
Texasmark":6f8ffp1d said:
True Grit Farms":6f8ffp1d said:
Texasmark":6f8ffp1d said:
3 weeks ago my Houston Black Clay was unsuitable for anything but splitting open and producing very large, deep cracks. After the light rains we have had for the past week, the surface is softening up whereby it COULD accept light seeds like Oats.

If I were to do as you suggest with my soil as it is today, not when hard, I'd broadcast thick, bag per acre since feed oats are readily available, cheap, and grow out just fine, rake with a spiked toothed harrow, and then run your rotary cutter. That ought to work. The harrow will put some dirt on some of them, the clippings will keep it there and help to retain any moisture, plus reducing sun effects of heat and moisture reduction, and the large volume of seed stock should give you a good stand even if you have low yield on the seeds sprouting.
I drill 4+ bu of oats to the acre, and if it stays dry and hot I'll be re planning. The main problem is moisture, established bahia grass pasture has roots down to 50 inches, and is sucking most of the ground moisture up before the oats. Planting before the grass goes dormant is risky, even with a no - till drill.

Sounds like a lot of seeds. Don't know what a bushel weighs, maybe about one bags worth. I am preparing to plant winter coverage as I type and the grass has been dormant for at least a month. It's recovering slightly with this moisture but I answered the question thinking about what I would do, right now if under the same conditions with what knowledge was presented.

I have some light areas of Bahia and it's dormant as are my Coastal pastures and everything else...before this recent show of moisture. However, with the weather upheavals, and this time of year that's what is needed to get the winter crops going, September is the planting month here, chances are good enough that we will get adequate moisture for seeds to sprout and develop...so planting it is.

Having been born and raised on the Texas Gulf Coast, I didn't like hurricanes, but where I am now, they are necessary for winter crops and I (selfishly) look forward to some coming my way.
like grit I I usually drill 125-150 punds per acre. 50 pounds is not going to give much of a stand just slinging and scratching. the past couple weeks being the exception. when it rains 11 daysstraight anything will work . lol
 
callmefence":14z5w8md said:
Texasmark":14z5w8md said:
True Grit Farms":14z5w8md said:
I drill 4+ bu of oats to the acre, and if it stays dry and hot I'll be re planning. The main problem is moisture, established bahia grass pasture has roots down to 50 inches, and is sucking most of the ground moisture up before the oats. Planting before the grass goes dormant is risky, even with a no - till drill.

Sounds like a lot of seeds. Don't know what a bushel weighs, maybe about one bags worth. I am preparing to plant winter coverage as I type and the grass has been dormant for at least a month. It's recovering slightly with this moisture but I answered the question thinking about what I would do, right now if under the same conditions with what knowledge was presented.

I have some light areas of Bahia and it's dormant as are my Coastal pastures and everything else...before this recent show of moisture. However, with the weather upheavals, and this time of year that's what is needed to get the winter crops going, September is the planting month here, chances are good enough that we will get adequate moisture for seeds to sprout and develop...so planting it is.

Having been born and raised on the Texas Gulf Coast, I didn't like hurricanes, but where I am now, they are necessary for winter crops and I (selfishly) look forward to some coming my way.
like grit I I usually drill 125-150 punds per acre. 50 pounds is not going to give much of a stand just slinging and scratching. the past couple weeks being the exception. when it rains 11 daysstraight anything will work . lol

Interesting. I guess that explains why my JD drill has such a long scale. I usually work 6-12 on the gate. Looking at the length of the teeth, I'm working the first fourth of the gauge......I don't even know what number corresponds to full open. On something like SS I can't imagine what I'd be up against if I moved up to even half way.
 
Texasmark":2r7cg6bk said:
callmefence":2r7cg6bk said:
Texasmark":2r7cg6bk said:
Sounds like a lot of seeds. Don't know what a bushel weighs, maybe about one bags worth. I am preparing to plant winter coverage as I type and the grass has been dormant for at least a month. It's recovering slightly with this moisture but I answered the question thinking about what I would do, right now if under the same conditions with what knowledge was presented.

I have some light areas of Bahia and it's dormant as are my Coastal pastures and everything else...before this recent show of moisture. However, with the weather upheavals, and this time of year that's what is needed to get the winter crops going, September is the planting month here, chances are good enough that we will get adequate moisture for seeds to sprout and develop...so planting it is.

Having been born and raised on the Texas Gulf Coast, I didn't like hurricanes, but where I am now, they are necessary for winter crops and I (selfishly) look forward to some coming my way.
like grit I I usually drill 125-150 punds per acre. 50 pounds is not going to give much of a stand just slinging and scratching. the past couple weeks being the exception. when it rains 11 daysstraight anything will work . lol

Interesting. I guess that explains why my JD drill has such a long scale. I usually work 6-12 on the gate. Looking at the length of the teeth, I'm working the first fourth of the gauge......I don't even know what number corresponds to full open. On something like SS I can't imagine what I'd be up against if I moved up to even half way.
I run my JD DRILL on 30 which is in the center of the scale. I took a Dremel tool and made notches every 10 teeth.
 
True Grit Farms":1iuozjti said:
Texasmark":1iuozjti said:
callmefence":1iuozjti said:
like grit I I usually drill 125-150 punds per acre. 50 pounds is not going to give much of a stand just slinging and scratching. the past couple weeks being the exception. when it rains 11 daysstraight anything will work . lol

Interesting. I guess that explains why my JD drill has such a long scale. I usually work 6-12 on the gate. Looking at the length of the teeth, I'm working the first fourth of the gauge......I don't even know what number corresponds to full open. On something like SS I can't imagine what I'd be up against if I moved up to even half way.
I run my JD DRILL on 30 which is in the center of the scale. I took a Dremel tool and made notches every 10 teeth.

Mine has a number at 8, 16, and so on with marks like on a ruler between. Each scribe mark is notched so I can select from any number.
 

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