In order not to shovel piles of compost on their site every year, many gardeners begin to use artificial fertilizers. However, there are more affordable ways to enrich the soil with nutrients and improve its structure. Among these, first of all, it is necessary to note the sideration of the soil through such a cereal crop as oats. How effective is this, we will consider further.
Siderata - these are the so-called "green fertilizers." Certain plants are specially grown to be buried shallow in the ground to improve soil structure and quality.
Oats as a culture
Oat is a representative of cereals, which belongs to the early crops and grows everywhere in a temperate climate in the form of a loose bush that has leafy stems up to 120 cm high. In nature, more common annual species, but there are perennial ones, although they have not received wide distribution.
Oats are grown both as grain and as green fertilizer. He is not afraid of low plus temperatures, which allows him to be sown in early spring, when the soil reaches physiological ripeness. However, unlike rye, oats do not tolerate frost.
The plant is quite hygrophilous, especially during the period of seed germination, which differs from barley. So, in dry weather, seedlings are sparse, and further the plant does not give a dense vegetative mass.
Oats also belong to heat-loving crops, but are unpretentious to the type of soil - grows on loams, chernozem, peatlands, clay and sandy soils. Of course, when growing plants on more fertile soils, the tillering and stalking coefficients are higher.
The optimal conditions for oats are cool, humid weather, so it is not practical to use it as green manure for summer or winter. The ideal time for him is spring and early autumn.
Why is oat used as a siderate?
Oats have long been used for green manure, due to its following properties:
- It has particularly nutritious stems that contain more valuable protein than alfalfa and clover.
- In the vegetative mass contains more potassium and phosphorus than nitrogen. In terms of nutrient content, cereal biomass is commensurate with manure, but there are less nitrogen compounds in this organics. It should be noted that the number of elements depends on the age of the plant: the older it is, the more potassium in it, but nitrogen prevails in young greenery. In this regard, oats as a fertilizer are cut off when it grows to 20 cm in height.
Due to its potassium content, oats are especially useful for nightshade and berry crops, cucumbers and cabbage, since this substance makes their taste more saturated and sweet.
- It has a fibrous root system, which strengthens light soils and loosens heavy ones. In addition, the patched green mass of the plant makes the soil more air- and moisture-absorbing.
- It forms dense plantations - its stems are located close to each other, so weeds do not appear between them. Oats simply drown them, showing better competitiveness. If unwanted vegetation nevertheless appears, then it does not have time to form seeds before mowing biomass.
- It gives a high yield - from one hundredths of a plot you can collect a mass equal to 100 kg of high-quality manure.
Thanks to all of the above properties, using oats, you can restore neglected areas and start them in a crop rotation, although this will take time - about 2-3 years. Gradually, the upper fertile layer will recover, losing the nitrates that have been accumulated over the years of using mineral fertilizers. The earth will gradually receive nutrients from siderat, which will allow it to become more friable and water-intensive.
Oats can be confidently sown as an optimal soil baking powder, as well as to prevent damage to garden crops by root rot.
Disadvantages of Oats as Siderat
The disadvantages of oats are several points:
- It has a small amount of green mass. In the spring, the soil may be excessively depleted, therefore, one oat for its sideration may not be enough, although it will support the site on which the seeding is carried out.
- Low in nitrogen. For this reason, oats need to be sown in areas where alfalfa or clover is already growing. In the future, the gardener must simultaneously plow two cultures at once.
- Needs low plus temperatures and frequent watering. Oats love shade, coolness and plentiful watering, therefore it is more suitable for cultivation in regions with a cool climate and wet spring. In hot weather, the plant will wither and dry.
Despite some disadvantages, oat as a siderate has a large number of positive characteristics, which is why it is used by many gardeners.
Which is better: oats or rye?
Any green plant has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you should choose green fertilizers for various plantings and the type of soil. So, to determine which cereal green manure is better - oats or rye, you should compare their characteristics, as well as determine the goals of planting.
How cultures differ from each other can be found in the table below:
Siderat | Appointment | The soil | Consumption rate |
Oats | Grown in areas where it is planned to get a good crop of crops that need a large amount of potassium. Such crops include tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. Oats can be sown after harvesting early vegetable crops to mow until the first severe frost. | Prefers acidic or peaty soils. Not afraid of the risk of damage to plants by root rot. | 1.3-1.8 kg of oats can be sown per hundred square meters. Mowing is done before mass flowering. |
Rye | It is planted under a number of garden crops. These include zucchini, pumpkin, cucumbers, tomatoes, late cabbage. It is one of the most frost-resistant siderates, therefore it is mainly used for winter sowing. | It grows well in all types of soil. Not afraid also of virgin lands and beds, which are prone to waterlogging. | On a hundred square meters, you can sow 2 kg of rye. You need to mow the plant 2-3 weeks before planting the main crop. |
In arid climates, it is better to sow oats, as rye has a drying effect. If you want to prevent the growth of weeds, to destroy the causative agents of fungal infections and nematodes, you should use rye. Its root system perfectly loosens even the heaviest soils, although it causes the surface of the soil to dry out.
In winter, it is better to plant rye, because it is not just cold-resistant, but also not afraid of severe frosts. Oats are more suitable for autumn or spring planting.
Some gardeners prefer to plant oats and rye together, as oat shoots saturate the soil with potassium and phosphorus, and rye shoots with nitrogen. In addition, both cultures can be used for sideration of depleted areas that have high acidity or salinity. However, when co-growing crops, it is worth considering the risk that the main plant will not get the right amount of moisture and begin to develop worse. To avoid this, the seedling mixture must be watered abundantly, as rye and oat shoots consume more water.
Before which crops to plant?
Oats have almost no relatives in the garden, cream of other cereals, and it is an excellent predecessor for most crops grown. These include:
- raspberry;
- currant;
- wild strawberries;
- Strawberry;
- sweet pepper of any grades;
- Tomatoes
- cucumbers.
Of course, it is worth considering that oats are a cereal crop, therefore it cannot be sown in front of other cereals, for example, buckwheat or wheat. In addition, it is not recommended to sow oats in the area where it is planned to grow potatoes in the future. The fact is that its root system attracts nutcrackers or wireworms, whose population is increasing and poses a great threat to potatoes. So, for this culture it is worth choosing a different siderat.
After the potato, on the contrary, it is recommended to sow oats for seed change, since its roots contain specific substances that destroy the remains of potato scab in the ground, and also prevent the occurrence of root rot, nematodes and fungal diseases.
Oats should be planted together with legumes, for example, vetch or fodder peas, since such a mixture is an improved manure and enriches the soil with all the necessary elements.
Sowing time
Oats are cold-resistant and even cold-loving crops, so it is advisable to plant it in the cool season:
- In early spring. When the snow falls on the site, you can plant winter seeds. So, the optimal time for carrying out these works is the beginning of April or the end of March. Oats love to grow in moist soil, therefore, for planting it does not need to wait for the soil to dry (it should only warm up). Planting itself is recommended to be carried out approximately 2-3 weeks before planting the main crop, since siderat is mowed during the formation of buds before seed sets, when it has a maximum of trace elements.
- Early fall. Oat is a cold-resistant, but not frost-resistant crop, so it must be planted before the onset of frost. The plant matures quite quickly - after about 30-40 days. The oats planted in autumn should be mowed and left right on the beds, slightly sprinkled with earth. This will make the soil loose and moisture-resistant. Oats can also be left uncut. In this case, it decays in the winter and is converted into fertilizer. One plowing will be enough to grind and mix with the soil.
Autumn sowing is preferred if the main crop is planted too early, which is why oats do not have time to form a dense mass.
So, oats as green manure can be sown in early spring, when the earth dries out slightly, or in the fall after harvesting. Greens will be ready for use as fertilizer a maximum of 40-45 days after sowing.
The process of decay of plant residues will require about 2 weeks, after which seedlings can be transplanted to the site. In total, preparatory measures take 2 months. Given these time frames, everyone can calculate when to plant oats in their area in order to saturate the soil in a timely manner.
How to sow oats like siderat?
If the plot is small, then it is customary to sow the seed in rows (beds), and if large, in bulk, followed by seeding with a rake to a depth of 3-4 cm. When sowing the first method, the consumption rate is 15 g per 1 sq. m plot. If the continuous sowing method is used, the amount of seed increases by 1.5-2 times. This indicator also increases if sowing is carried out in the autumn. If a bean-cereal mixture is being prepared, then the proportion of oats should be reduced to 40%.
At the same time, experienced gardeners recommend taking into account the following nuances:
- for sowing, it is worth choosing winter oats, especially in the case when it is planned to cut the green mass in the spring;
- seed before planting should be soaked for 20-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or boric acid to prevent infection of seedlings with fungi;
- seeds can be sown manually or using a special device;
- with manual sowing, seeds should be scattered over a pre-moistened area and sprinkled with soil.
Experienced gardeners recommend mixing oat seeds with vetch because this trick can reduce the nitrogen concentration by 50%.
How to care for crops?
After sowing oats, you need to ensure proper care according to the following rules:
- Water abundantly if the weather is dry. The fact is that oats are a moisture-loving culture, therefore, if the amount of water is insufficient, then without additional irrigation it will not be able to actively grow and intensively produce green mass.
- Once every 3 days, check the condition of the crop. It is necessary to identify whether the sprouts have hatched, what kind they are, whether the leaves develop normally or dry due to warm weather. If the stems lag behind in growth, then you need to make some mineral fertilizers in the form of ammonium nitrate or superphosphate. It should be noted that similar problems have to be faced if the previous culture excessively depleted the soil, even for green manure.
- Apply a special agricultural technique - when the oats reach 10-15 cm, you need to trim it by 30%. Such manipulations stimulate plant growth, which in the future will provide more green mass for fertilizing the soil. It should be noted that gardeners have experimentally found that grasses cut to a third of the height overtake in growth even those plants that were sown a week earlier.
In general, oats are unpretentious in cultivation and need only sufficient moisture. Only in isolated cases have additional fertilizers to be added to the soil.
When and how to mow oats as siderat?
About 30-40 days should pass from the moment of sowing to mowing, but it is better to navigate by the grown green mass and the panicle of flowers. When pollen appears on it, you immediately need to cut the stems. In addition, the slice must be carried out at the initial stage of heading, when the oats grow to 20 cm, since it is in this state that it contains a maximum of useful substances. In the future, the stems will become coarse and poorly decompose in the ground, and will also steadily lose potassium.
The following video shows how to cut oats for green manure, and also explains why this particular crop should be sown as green manure:
During autumn sowing, the mowing time often falls on the last days before the onset of cold weather, and during spring sowing, before the onset of hot May days.
Oat as a siderat should be cut with a plane cutter, cutting roots at a depth of 5-7 cm, and then planted into the soil to a depth of 5-15 cm, depending on its structure: it is better to go deeper into clay soil, and smaller into light sandy soil. In any case, it is not necessary to excessively deepen the oats into the ground, otherwise without air access it will decompose and acidify the soil, bringing plants no benefit, but only harm. So, it is enough to dig the green mass to a depth in the bayonet of a shovel, and then press the upper layer of soil.
If mowing is carried out in the spring, then the oats must be buried in the soil no later than 2 weeks before planting the main crop, otherwise it will not have time to overthrow in time. If the work is carried out in November, then it is not necessary to drive it into the ground. It is better to do this shortly before the April crops. Thanks to the beveled stems, the earth will not freeze too deep, so it will be ready for planting in the spring.
After mixing with the soil, the green mass quickly decomposes with a sufficient amount of moisture, resulting in a green fertilizer. If necessary, you can speed up the process of biomass fermentation by watering the greens embedded in the soil with one of the preparations of effective microorganisms (EM) or by adding ammonium nitrate.
You can not dig up the stems, leaving them on the ground as mulch. In this case, they will protect the soil from drying out and weeds.
If there is a lot of green mass, then its surplus does not need to be buried in the ground, since in this case it will turn sour.So, the remainder should be thrown into a compost pit, where the green manure quickly breaks up into other components. In addition, the green mass can be laid in a barrel of water or used as food for birds, livestock.
Can oats be used in summer?
Oats can not tolerate hot time, so it is not recommended to grow it in the summer heat. However, some gardeners prefer to use it in the summer, as it loosens loams and clay perfectly, removes putrefactive bacteria and excess moisture from the soil.
In the summer, spring oats are used as mulch, which fits into the aisles. To speed up the process of decomposition of green mass, it should be poured with a solution of biological fertilizer, and then covered with a layer of straw. Such manipulations will also help to save moisture near the roots and will contribute to the fact that soil insects will gradually process plant debris and turn them into humus.
Oat is a cereal crop that can be used for sideration of the soil, because thanks to its branched root system, it well removes weeds and loosens heavy clay soils, preventing them from cracking and drying out. In addition, the green mass of oats acts as an excellent fertilizer, as it saturates the soil with nitrogen, potassium and other useful elements.