How to Plant Oats in your Garden: [Guide, Care and Step by Step]

Oatmeal is one ofthe most famous cereals worldwide, along with wheat, and its use has spread over the years as it is an easy food to harvest and easy to integrate into the daily diet of both humans and livestock.

Did you know…Did you know that oats hold the title of cereal with the highest percentage of protein?

If you are interested in learning how to sow oats, this is probably your article.

We show you all the important points to take into account, such as: the preparation of the land and the place of planting. When to sow and what steps to follow.

Take a look and you won’t regret it

You may also be interested in: Types and Varieties of Oats.

Important Points when Sowing Oats:

When? Any time of the year is good, although it is normally sown in winter to be harvested in summer.
Where? It needs at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.
Harvest time? About 5 months after it has germinated.
How do we prepare the land? Rich in organic matter, tilled, without weeds. With a high percentage of nitrogen (look at legumes ) and that the soil drains enough.
How do we water? We recommend drip irrigation. At first abundant watering (every two or three days, about 30-40 minutes). When it has germinated you can space the irrigation frequency.
How do we sow it? Here step by step.
How is it harvested? Cut it with a knife for easier. Then choose the mature seeds from the ones that are still green.
Favorable associations? Potato, corn, chamomile, garlic and papaya.
Plagues and diseases? Dressed Coal, Orange Rust and Powdery Mildew.

What favorable associations does oats have?

Oats are usually produced on a large scale, but you can also grow them at home. It is normally sown after potatoes or corn have been harvested.

Since oat pests are mostly fungi, you can plant chamomile, garlic, or papaya next to the oats to reduce risk.

Where do we want to plant oats?

You can plant oats in a pot or in your garden.

Oats are a fairly hardy crop, which means that they cangrow both in winter and summer.

Likewise, try to plant it in a place where it canbe exposed to the sun for at least six hours.

Try that between each oat plant there is a distance of between 25 to 30 centimeters to prevent any of them from suffering from nutrients.

When to sow oats?

You maySow oats at any time of the year.Normally, oats are sown in winter to be harvested in summer.

Although you can sow it in winter, oats do not withstand prolonged frosts. In case the temperature drops too low in the area where you live, we DO NOT recommend that you grow oats in a garden.

How do we prepare the land?

First you have to make sureThe soil is rich in nutrients.

Oats can resist compact or loose soils. However, you can add compost or organic matter to ensure you make it ideal for oatmeal.

Oats require a significant percentage of nitrogen, which is why fertilizers are usually used for this. Make sure these are organic if the oats are going to be for your consumption and produced on a small scale.

Remember that it is always important to check that the soil has good drainage.

How to know that the land drains enough?You can do this by taking a small portion and placing it in a strainer. Then water this as if it were a pot and check that it drips without difficulty, but also that the water runs freely.

If the soil is very clayey or too sandy, you can choose to add a substrate to the bottom of the pot or mix it with the soil from your garden.

How do we water the oat crop?

Water the oats abundantly until it has germinated. Later, reduce the frequency, but always keep the soil moist so that the plant does not stop its growth.

If the oats are already wet, don’t give them too much water to prevent waterlogging and root rot.

Sowing oats step by step

C heck that the soil is correct, loosen the soil and remove weeds if you find any.
Make a small hole in the ground about two centimeters deep and sprinkle a few seeds on the ground. Although it doesn’t have to be exact, aim for about two seeds per two square centimeters.
Cover the seeds with soil manually or using a small rake. Remember not to crush the earth and take care that the soil is uniform. That is, that the seeds are buried more or less at the same depth
Then water them as indicated and wait for them to germinate. Take care that the soil is not too wet to avoid attracting fungi.
Although the oats can withstand cold climates, it is not very resistant to hot ones, so you can put a mesh that covers it in these times.
You can also control the temperature by growing in a greenhouse or planting the oats next to herbs that require a lot of moisture so that they absorb excess water.

When and how is it harvested?

You can harvest the oatsabout five months after it has germinatedor in summer time. Cut it with a knife for easier. Then choose the mature seeds from the ones that are still green.

Store them in an airtight container and do not expose it to sun or moisture to avoid attracting pests in the pantry.

Oats are particularly sensitive to heat during seed formation and flowering so try to harvest them when the weather is moderate.

What pests and diseases does it have?

Charcoal Dress

Dressed smut is a common pest on oats.

It does not manifest itself abroad, since the appearance of the plant seems normal.

However, the inside of the grain is completely filled with blackish powder. To control this pest you can disinfect the area and dispose of infected grains.

Orange Rust

On the other hand, orange rust is a specific pest of oats.

It usually causes significant damage to the crop and is characterized by having an intense orange color.

To combat it you have to use insecticide and fungicide. Remove the contaminated crop and don’t plant anything after a month.

powdery mildew

Lastly, another frequent pest is Oidium.

The oats attacked by this pest show gray spots on the leaves, sheaths and stems, and also on the spikelets, in which later small black dots can be seen.

To combat them, change the fertilizer for one with a lower percentage of nitrogen and also discard the infected area.

Benefits of this plant

Oatmeal is a food rich in fiber and very healthy due to its high content of omega 6.
It is used to prepare a variety of dishes from smoothies, breakfasts and soups to desserts and drinks.
The fact that it has fiber and carbohydrates make you feel satisfied, making it a good ingredient to maintain a healthy weight.
Due to its fiber content, oatmeal accompanied by plenty of water is very effective in treating constipation problems.

Are some types of oatmeal better than others?

Oatmeal is considered the healthiest option because it is the least processed and the most nutrient dense.

What kind of oatmeal is best for weight loss?

Steel cut or rolled oats are a good choice for weight loss. They are nutritious, satiating and minimally processed.

What kind of oats can rabbits eat?

Raw rolled oats are ideal for rabbits.