The Estonian oat variety ‘Kalle’ is a fast-growing annual cereal crop highly valued in organic gardening. It is a tall-strawed, highly adaptable variety ideally suited as green manure and a cover crop. Growing oats in garden beds or greenhouses helps prevent nutrient leaching during the fall period, while the dense root system vigorously loosens the soil.
Unlike many other green manures, oat biomass decomposes slowly. Plant cover left on the ground over winter forms a protective natural mulch blanket by spring, retaining soil moisture and suppressing weed emergence. The 1 kg package is ideal for enriching an average-sized home greenhouse or improving soil structure in smaller garden plots.
Usage and Cultivation Instructions:
-
Sowing time: For a fall cover crop, sow until early October. Perfectly suitable for both open ground and greenhouses.
-
Application rate: To obtain dense green biomass, the recommended application rate is 400–500 g of seeds per 1 m².
-
Sowing depth and method: Sow seeds onto moist soil and rake them lightly into the ground or cover with a thin layer of soil.
-
Spring use: In the greenhouse, it is recommended to dig the oat mulch into the soil at least two weeks before planting tomato plants, allowing organic matter to decompose and enhance yields. In open ground, there is no need to dig the mulch in—holes can be made directly into the layer on the ground to sow peas or plant pre-grown zucchini and cucumbers. It is also very easy to plant potatoes under the mulch layer using a shovel.
Tips and recommendations:
-
Water the seeded area immediately after raking to ensure even and rapid emergence, even in a fall greenhouse where precipitation is absent.
-
Leave part of the decomposed spring oat mulch on the bed around young transplants—this keeps the soil moist longer during summer months and saves you from frequent weeding.