Radish and Oat Seed Mix

A simple two-way mix that does a big job below ground. Tillage radish drives a thick taproot down through compacted layers, and the oats knit the surface together with fibrous roots and quick green cover. Both are Australian grown.

What's in the mix

• Tillage radish (Brassicaceae family). A deep taproot that acts as a living ripper, opening channels for water, air and future roots. When it breaks down it leaves those channels behind and releases the nutrients it scavenged from deeper down.
• oats (Poaceae family). A fibrous-rooted grass that protects the soil surface, feeds soil biology and adds bulk.

Good for

• Compacted soil, hard clay and pugged areas
• High-traffic areas such as laneways, gateways and around troughs
• Bare ground in cattle paddocks
• Resting and preparing veggie gardens and market garden beds
• Improving water infiltration before the next season

Pairs well with

• Sunn Hemp Seed: Grow sunn hemp over summer, then follow with radish and oats in autumn. The radish takes up the nitrogen the sunn hemp leaves behind and holds it over winter.
• Plantain Seed and Chicory Seed: Perennial herbs with taproots that stay on after the radish breaks down, keeping the soil open for years rather than one season.

Sowing guide

• When: best from late summer through autumn, and early spring in cooler districts. This is a cool-season mix, so it will struggle in the heat of mid summer.
• Paddock rate: 20 to 40 kg/ha, depending on how much cover you want
• Garden rate: a 500 g bag covers roughly 150 to 200 square metres
• Depth: 1 to 2 cm, then lightly rake or roll for good seed to soil contact

Grazing notes

• Suits cattle and sheep once plants are well established. Introduce them gradually.
• In horse paddocks, use it as a soil repair crop in a rested area rather than as grazing
• Or simply leave it standing and let the radish break down in place

Sizes and dispatch

• 500 g and 1 kg bags
• Bare, uncoated seed with high germination
• Every order includes our sowing and grazing guide
• Seed is sold in pre-order rounds and sent out in scheduled dispatch runs. We will email you when your order is on its way.
• We are unable to send seed to WA or TAS due to quarantine rules