winter oats as cover crop...

[majorcatfish]

some of you know that the main garden was expanded last year.. heres something odd.
planted winter oats on 3/4 of it in mid September, the other 1/4 was waiting for the peppers to finish which was 2 weeks behind...
the side that i planted early is doing great the last side looks dead...

both sides were tilled the same, received the same amount of calcium...

any ideas????

 

[Smart Red]

I believe winter oats need a period of growth before the onset of cold weather. Perhaps the other side didn't get enough time. Did the seed in the second part even germinate? Might it germinate and start growing this spring?

 

[digitS']

Well, I was wondering who could grow oats as a winter cover crop.

They are hardy for early spring sowing but ... "Winter planting. As a fall or winter cover crop in Zone 8 or warmer, seed oats at low to medium rates. You can kill winter-planted oats with spring plowing, or with herbicides in reduced-tillage systems....Easy to kill. Oats will winterkill in most of zone 7 or colder." LINK

Considering the temperatures you have had, maybe getting some through is about the best you can hope for, Major'.

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

No answers, just questions.

Looks like 2/3 came up. 1/3 didn't. Am I close? At bottom it most came up? We're the peppers in the areas that didn't come up?

 

[majorcatfish]

it really never took off on the pepper/ tomato side at all.....

like you said @seedcorn lots of questions of why...
all i know will not procrastinate this fall on buying red crimson clover seed till the last minute...

 

[seedcorn]

It looks like 1/2 is the same, next 1/4 has a clear division, next 1/4 is worst to come up.

Leaving wheat stubble will affect germination next spring. Don't know any interaction between peppers and oats. Will check.

It seems tomato/pepper plants do put off toxins that inhibit grasses from germinating. Was your crop of tomatoes and peppers really good?