Common Wild Oats

Common Wild Oats should be watered regularly, usually once or twice a week. Water them deeply, until the soil is moist to a couple inches below the surface. It is best to avoid over-watering; this species tolerates dry conditions well. During the summer months, the plants should be watered about every 2 days, depending on how hot and dry the weather is during that time. In the winter, when the weather is cooler and drier, water them less frequently.

Common Wild Oats (Avena fatua) needs direct sunlight for about 6-8 hours each day in the summertime in order to thrive. During the winter months, this plant should still get 4-6 hours of sunlight each day in order to maintain its health. The sunlight should be strong and should fall directly on the leaves of the plant in order to give it the best chance of absorbing the necessary nutrients. If the sunlight is obstructed or too weak, the Wild Oats will not thrive.

Wild Oats should be pruned in the spring (late March-early April) to encourage lush, healthy growth. Cut back the plant's stems to just above the second set of leaves to encourage branching. This will create a bushy-looking plant with many stems and leaves. Prune away all brown, dead, or damaged stems and leaves while you are trimming the plant. An additional pruning can be done in late summer (early-mid August) to once again encourage branching.