Native Grass Varieties

De Bruyn Seed Store

101 E. Washington

Zeeland, MI 49464

616-772-2316

NATIVE GRASSES

With the destruction of many grassland habitats, establishment of high quality seeded grasslands is an important wildlife management activity. The native grasses are also excellent for ornamental use. De Bruyn Seed Store carries a variety of these grasses for whatever use you may have. With proper attention to site selection, site preparation and planting methods you will be rewarded with a beautiful native prairie

SWITCH GRASS BIG BLUESTEM LITTLE BLUESTEM CANADA WILD RYE BUFFALO GRASS HINTS ON NATIVE GRASSES

Variety	Seeding Rate	Days	Description
SWITCH GRASS	5 to 10 lb. per acre of pure, live seed	Approx. 28 days	Warm season perennial that propagates by underground stems and seed. Grows 3' to 6' tall. leaves are green to bluish-green, ?" to ?" wide, 6" to 8" long. Needs full sun, best adapted to deep, moist, fertile soils.
BIG BLUESTEM	7 to 15 lb. per acre of pure, live seed	Approx. 28 days	Warm season perennial that propagates by short, scaly underground stems and seed. Grows 3' to 8' tall. Foliage is tinged with red or purple, with a solid stem. Needs full sun, and prefers deep, moist, fertile soil.
LITTLE BLUESTEM	8 to 15 lb. per acre of pure, live seed	Approx. 28 days	Warm season perennial that propagates by seed, tillers and short underground rootstock. Grows 2' to 4' feet tall. Tufted grass with distinctive reddish brown color at maturity. Will grow in full sun to partial shade. Tolerates a wide range of soils, and is better adapted to drier soils than big bluestem.
CANADA WILD RYE	5 to 10 lb. per acre	14 to 21 days	Cool season perennial bunchgrass that propagates y seed. Grows 2' to 5' tall. Forms a thick spike that nods at maturity. Needs full sun, prefers cool climate and sandy soils. High moisture requirement.
BUFFALO GRASS	1 lb. per 1,000 sq. ft. of pure, live seed	Approx. 28 days	Warm season perennial that propagates by surface runners and seed. May take up to 3 years to fully establish. This does best when maintained at 2?" tall. Short, flat leaves are covered with fine hairs, gray-green in color. Needs full sun, prefers heavy soils, no sand. Adapts well to low fertility soils.

HINTS ON NATIVE GRASSES

SITE SELECTION:

Success in the establishment and maintenance of seeded grasslands is closely correlated with soil type, slope, moisture regimes and other site factors. The native warm season grasses grow best on soils that are moderately deep to deep, well drained and medium to moderately fine textured. Moderate permeability and high available water capacity is desired. Varieties vary, so check each variety before planting to see if it the best choice for your area.

SITE PREPARATION:

The tilled seedbed method is preferred for most seedings on fine to medium textured soils. Coarse sandy soils should be planted to an annual grain crop for one year and then the grass seeded directly into the clean stubble. It is absolutely necessary to control competing weeds before attempting to establish and seed grasslands. Fields that have a lot of pre-existing weeds may require one or more years of intense cultivation, herbicide treatment, or both before seeding.

PLANTING:

After tillage, the seedbed should be firmly packed before planting. If planting into an annual crop, mow the grain to 12" to 15", and then drill the native grasses into the standing stubble. (Grain sorghum, sudangrass and millet are excellent grain crops for this purpose. Do not use rye as this grain is too competitive for the native grasses.) The primary requirements for planting the grasses are uniform distribution of seed, placing the seed at the proper depth, and firming the soil around the seed. This is best done by drilling the seed into the soil. Broadcast seeding is not recommended for the warm season native grasses. If it is necessary to broadcast the seed, then double the amount of seed used and firmly pack the soil surface after seeding. The proper depth to plant is ?" to 1" (do not go deeper than 1?".) The warm season grasses are best planted when the soil temperature and moisture conditions are optimal for germination. Here in Michigan that is Generally May 15 to June 15. Fall seeding is not advised for the seeding of the warm season grasses. Seeding rates of 20 to 40 pure, live seeds per square foot are needed to establish adequate stands of the grasses.

MAINTENANCE:

Seeded grasslands must be periodically rejuvenated to maintain their optimum vigor. Methods to rejuvenate can be natural (fir or grazing), chemical (fertilizers), or mechanical (discing or plowing). Fire is the preferred method, and the optimal time is right before the grass begins to grow (May 15 to June 15 here in Michigan.) Grazing or haying should not be used on an annual basis on areas managed for wildlife. The plowing or discing method works best on the cool season grasses and legumes.

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DE BRUYN SEED STORE 101 EAST WASHINGTON ZEELAND, MICHIGAN 49464 616-772-2316 FAX 616-772-0011 debruynseed@att.net