Anyone in the Great Lakes area planning on oats?

Dave H (MI) · Mar 27, 2015

Just wondering. I have never done it before and was gonna plant a small field to see how it goes. Memory serves me I was told to try to get them in in March. Still having temps in the teens at night and the ground is wet and even frozen here and there. Frost was down the full 42" this winter...I know because I hired a guy to put in post holes for a barn and he kept me updated on how much frost he had to drill thru (every day, for every hole, and there were a lot of holes). So if I plants them in April...will I be OK?

fixerupper · Mar 27, 2015

Here in northwest Iowa April works OK. March oats doesn't happen often here either.

paul · Mar 27, 2015

March is nice, only happened twice in my life.

First half of April is good enogh here in my dampish part of the cold north.

Paul

rrlund · Mar 28, 2015

Don't worry about it. The last two years I've planted in May. I've only planted oats in March twice in my life. That was two or three years ago and two years before that. Anybody that's telling you March doesn't live in Michigan.

farmerwithmutt · Mar 28, 2015

Always seemed to me we got good weather around easter .that was always my target date for planting and calving

Dave H (MI) · Mar 28, 2015

Great news! One less thing to worry about. I am not going to make any blanket statements about our weather because there seems to be a gremlin that follows me around making a liar out of me, but GENERALLY, the weather is good enough in April to do a little ground work. Thanks!

RBoots · Mar 28, 2015

I want to plant some oats to try, I was wondering the same things you were, Dave. Dad told me to mud them in with one of his crawlers, said that was the way he got his best ever oats when he used to grow them 30+ years ago. Dad said his cousin grew good oats last year and was even able to sell them at MAC for a good price. Is there still a market for them?

Ross

Dave H (MI) · Mar 29, 2015

Well, if they are dry I can take them to the elevator. You know the place, all the employees have tee shirts that say "bend over" on the front. I have had some interest in the grain and the straw also so I am giving them a shot. If it doesn't work out I can always say it was a cover crop, plow it in and plant wheat in the fall.

RBoots · Mar 29, 2015

LOL, I know those guys!! Never a break on anything. The owner of those elevators didn't get rich by being fair or honest.

Ross

JCCWI · Apr 4, 2015

Here...Nort. Cent. Wi. I can do well with oats if planted in April. Have had 90+ bu. with 38-40 test wt. Last two years , the other side of the story. Late Springs....May planting...40-50 bu. and low test wts. Oats loves cool weather !!

Always decent market "here". Amish and Mexican horse people for grain and straw goes to small hobby farmers,goat farmers,gardeners,etc.

John

hayray · Apr 5, 2015

I used to grow oats years ago and I was able to get them in the ground in late April and they did fine however oats in our area don't grow like they used to spring temperatures I was told are too warm for good pollination the good oats are grown in southern shore of Lake Erie and up in Canada.

Dave H (MI) · Apr 5, 2015

I'm not gambling large but I am seeing a cooler winter and, at least so far, it has been a cooler Spring. So I was thinking a small field might be an interesting experiment. Last year we had a cold winter with high precip and the same weather pattern seemed to follow us into the summer. This years cold winter might mean a cool spring/summer OR it might mean temps will rebound to average things out. So I might get good oats or I may be just planting a cover crop. Either way my options are limited. Need to put something down in this small field and I am not set up for beans. Thanks for the info, hope you have a good season!

hayray · Apr 5, 2015

Even if you don't get a great crop which of there is not any reason you shouldn't oats make beautiful straw.

Dave H (MI) · Apr 5, 2015

I was hoping to bale up some of it. Don't know what demand is for straw but I guess we will find out.

RGMartin · Apr 5, 2015

I'm on the south side of Lake Erie. I unloaded 100 bu of certified seed yesterday. Plan is to do 35 acres if I can get them in by a reasonable date. This area will grow 100+ bushel 38+ pound oats.

centash · Apr 5, 2015

Plant when field conditions permit. The weather after the crop is planted has far more impact on the crop than when you plant it.
Ben

Anyone in the Great Lakes area planning on oats?

Dave H (MI)

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fixerupper

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paul

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rrlund

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farmerwithmutt

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Dave H (MI)

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RBoots

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Dave H (MI)

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RBoots

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JCCWI

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hayray

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Dave H (MI)

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hayray

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Dave H (MI)

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RGMartin

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centash

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