How to Plant Oats

Oats (Avena sativa) have a long and storied history in agriculture, and they can be useful for the average gardener. A fast-maturing, cool-season annual grass that grows 24 to 60 inches tall, oats prevent erosion and keep nutrients in the soil while other plants are out of season. They can tolerate just about any variety of soil, including wet and heavy kinds, and they grow best in soil with a pH level between 4.5 and 6. Sow oats in spring after the danger of frost passes, or six to 10 weeks before the first average frost date in fall, for the best results.

Rototiller (optional)

Rake

Garden hose with mist nozzle setting

Prepare a garden's soil by loosening its top layer with a rototiller or rake. Till the garden's weed or other plants under the soil surface. Flatten the soil surface by using a rake.

Broadcast oat seeds on the soil surface, throwing one handful at a time in front of you. Aim for using about two seeds per every 1 square inch. Don't worry too much about the exact number of seeds per inch, but try to spread the seeds as evenly as possible.

Rake a thin layer of soil gently over the seeds, covering them. Oat seeds germinate without the soil layer, but the layer offers protection against animals that may eat the seeds.

Water the soil, using water from a garden hose that has a nozzle adjusted to the mist setting. Water helps the seeds settle into the ground. Check the soil's moisture level every day, and keep it moist until the seeds begin to sprout.

Before oat plants go to seed, incorporate them into soil for their maximum nutrient effect and to prevent them from becoming weedy in your garden. Depending on the variety, oats flower and then go to seed between the months of April through June.

Oats grow best in areas where summers are cool.