Organic Oats Cover Crop 1#

White Oats, Avena sativa
Oats provide a quick, weed-suppressing biomass, take up excess soil nutrients and can improve the productivity of legumes when planted in mixtures. Oats are excellent at weed suppression and very good at minimizing erosion due to its fibrous root system. Oats are allelopathic which means it acts as a natural herbicide which can slow germination of weeds. Allow ground to rest for three weeks after killing oats to minimize effect on intended crops. An upright, annual grass, oats thrive under cool, moist conditions on well-drained soil. Plants can reach heights in excess of 4 feet. With good growing conditions and sound management (including timely planting), expect 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of dry matter per acre from late-summer/early fall-seeded oats. Oats take up excess N and small amounts of P and K when planted early enough. Late-summer plantings can absorb as much as 77 lb.N/A in an eight- to ten-week period.