How many pounds of oats do I need to plant


If you’re like me, you typically use a calculator to figure out how many pounds of oats you need for your food plot. Planting the right amount of seed will not only ensure a successful planting, but will also help you save money from overspending on seed.

You need about 80 – 140 lbs. of oats per acre. However, the amount of oats that you need to plant per acre will vary based on several conditions. For example, are you broadcasting your seed on the ground or planting them with a drill? If you use a drill to plant the seed then you won’t need as much seed as if you were broadcasting it. Also, it’s important to know if the seedbed is free of weeds or other plants. If your oats are going to be competing with other plants then you will need less seed than if you were planting in a seedbed that’s free of plants.

There are other considerations to keep in mind when deciding how much seed you need. On the bag of seed you are buying, there will be a seed label with important information on it. Make sure you take a look at the percentage of seed that is in that bag and the germination rates of that seed. Other factors such as weather, ground conditions, and time of year when planting will also influence how much seed you should plant.

Planting food plots is an imperfect science. Once you plant your oats and they start to grow, you can reflect on how good you did and make adjustments to make it better.

With that being said, in the table below I compiled a list that will tell you how much seed you need to plant based on the size of your food plot.

I also attached a link at the bottom of the page to show you which oats I buy for my food plots.

This is how many pounds of oat seed you need per acre

Plot sizeOats (lbs./acre)
AcresDrilledBroadcast
1/4 acre2035
1/2 acre4070
1 acre80140
2 acres160280
3 acres240420
4 acres320560
5 acres400700
6 acres480840
7 acres560980
8 acres6401,120
9 acres7201,260
10 acres8001,400
11 acres8801,540
12 acres9601,680
13 acres1,0401,820
14 acres1,1201,960
15 acres1,2002,100
16 acres1,2802,240
17 acres1,3602,380
18 acres1,4402,520
19 acres1,5202,660
20 acres1,6002,800

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