Casuarina Gardens

Oats

The Oat experiment

Over the winter months I have made a few discoveries about the concept of growing vegetables under a crop of oats. The leaf crops, such as Cabbage, Lettuce and Spinach, seemed to grow well with the protection of the growing oats. But Carrots and Onions did not grow so well, they did not cope well with the shading. But for the leaf crops the oats provided both protection from the weather and increased nitrogen levels. As the oats grew they shaded out any potential weed problems and also protected the soil from surface evaporation. I was surprised to find that during dry weather the areas which contained the oats stayed moist. The oats also provided some protection from snails as other vegetables which were grown in conjunction with weeds were continually eaten.

As the oats matured I cut and removed them, leaving the vegetable plant to grow freely, being free of the competition of the oats. Also with the increased light levels the plants have thrived.

As the experiment site was about ½ an acre in size I cut the oats for using a sickle and tying the the sheave in the time honoured method of using twisted oat stems. The sickle although time consuming cut the oats very quickly and cleanly. The sickle to work properly needs to be extremely sharp. I sharpened the blade using the traditional method of penning, which is gently hammering the metal edge against an anvil and spreading the edge to both harden it and create a very fine edge. This was then honed slightly to refine the edge. This method has been used for thousands of years to prepare harvesting tools, During the harvesting process the edge is kept sharp by one swipe of the stone every 10 minutes or so. Cutting with the sickle is rewarding, it helps to connect with the past, with a gently rhythm, sheaves are easily created. As gardens will well know, when using traditional methods one can truly feel the plants and the soil and appreciate the ways of nature in a profound way.

One interesting discovery which I have only recently become aware of is that weed problems are generally an indication of a soil fertility imbalance. So by subtly adjusting the soil fertility through small applications of organic fertiliser and the use of small levels of mulch problem weeds are easier to control. I have been using a small amount of organic fertiliser pellets, which are mainly made from compost. This along with partially decayed shredded hay is broken down by the soil organisms and is naturally incorporated into the soil. I have found that when the organic material is not too thick, it decomposes quickly and there is a greater nutrient are balance.