I was at my local garden center today and bought some forage oats to try in
my one acre yard. Much of it is a fairly steep hillside with poor soil. My
hope is that the oats will help to choke down some weeds while providing
some food for deer and other animals.

Has anyone tried this? I'd like to hear opinions before I broadcast the
seed.

Thanks.

In article ,
"Gallagher" wrote:

I was at my local garden center today and bought some forage oats to try in
my one acre yard. Much of it is a fairly steep hillside with poor soil. My
hope is that the oats will help to choke down some weeds while providing
some food for deer and other animals.

Has anyone tried this? I'd like to hear opinions before I broadcast the
seed.

Thanks.



You didn't say where you are. Call your local NRCS boys & girls. In the
phonebook under: Federal Govt.; USDA; NRCS or Natural Resources
Conservation Service. Ask them. They know stuff like that. They're free.
Our taxes pay for them, so use 'em.

Jan

I don't know if forage oats are different than regular oats, but most
grain producing plants.. including cheat grass and foxtail etc, grow
until they set seed and mature it, then they die.. leaving yourself
with one big fire hazard, so if you're not planning to harvest that
grain, I wouldn't plant it as it will all dry up and be one big blaze
waiting to happen. Deer are browsers, not grazers anyway, they'd
rather eat your arborvitae. ;-)

Janice

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 16:04:17 -0500, "Gallagher"
wrote:

I was at my local garden center today and bought some forage oats to try in
my one acre yard. Much of it is a fairly steep hillside with poor soil. My
hope is that the oats will help to choke down some weeds while providing
some food for deer and other animals.

Has anyone tried this? I'd like to hear opinions before I broadcast the
seed.

Thanks.