Multiple Native Species Planting Multiple Native Species Planting MixturesMixtures

“It’s Time for a Change!!!”“It’s Time for a Change!!!”

GRASSLANDERGRASSLANDER

Chuck GrimesChuck Grimes

Rt 1 Box 56Rt 1 Box 56

Hennessey OK 73742Hennessey OK 73742

405-853-2607405-853-2607

chuck@grasslander.comchuck@grasslander.com

www.grasslander.comwww.grasslander.com

What is a GRASSLANDER???An individual which interacts with Grass and the Land!!!

SoilsGrass

Grass-like PlantsWoody Plants

Forbs

Wildflowers

Broadleaf Plants

Legumes

TYPICAL SANDYLAND MIXTURE IN OKLAHOMANRCS SPECIFICATIONS

.6010.00 .3096 .06Maximillian Sunflower

32.0021.533.82

5.4045.00.7932.12Prairie Clover

1.6010.00.2768.16Partridgepea

.606.004.017.10Sand Lovegrass

3.005.003.852.60Switchgrass

7.208.003.609.90Indiangrass

6.469.504.134.68Little Bluestem

7.206.004.5361.2Big Bluestem

COST/AC$/#PLSSEEDS/SQFT#PLS/ACNAME

MAJOR NATIVE SPECIES ON PRISTINE TALL-GRASS PRAIRIEBig Bluestem (Andropogon gerardi)

Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Laisy Daisy (Aphanostephus skirrhobasis)

Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maxmiliani)

Clasping coneflower (Rudbeckia amplexicaulis)

Heath Aster (Aster ericoides)

Illinois Bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis)

Showy Partridgepea (Cassia fasciculata)

Purple Prairie Clover (Petalostemon purpureum)

Scurfpea (Psoralea tenuiflora)

Roundhead Lespedeza (Lespedeza capitata)

Sand Lovegrass (Eragrostis trichodes)

Side-oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)

Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

Purpletop (Tridens flavus)

Tall Dropseed (Sporobolus asper)

Sand Dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus)

Sand Paspalum (Paspalum stramineum)

Knotroot Bristlegrass (Setaria geniculata)

Western Wheatgrass (Agropyron smithi)

Canada Wildrye (Elymus canadensis)

Virginia Wildrye (Elymus virginicus)

Sprangletop (Leptochloa dubia)

Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

SUPPORT (HELPER PLANTS)

There are hundreds more of the support plants!

1.80

3.80

1.25

2.40

1.00

1.825

1.28

.60

.50

1.50

.50

.56

.50

.80

.80

.80

1.80

.40

.50

.35

.45

.45

.475

.95

.32

.40

.30

.50

.57

.49

.50

28.37

6.00

9.50

5.00

8.00

5.00

8.50

6.00

6.00

5.00

7.50

5.00

56.00

5.00

8.00

8.00

8.00

6.00

4.00

10.00

70.00

90.00

45.00

190.00

190.00

16.00

16.00

6.00

10.00

190.00

49.00

10.00

1.14

2.44

1.61

1.2

1.15

1.825

8.04

4.04

12.41

.032

1.1547

.459

.252

.277

.1675

.11

3.7

.195

.0865

.00173

.03485

.0661

.00945

.3673

.7818

.87975

.086

.258

.00072

.0459

.1935

43.01

.3

.4

.25

.3

.2

.1

.2

.1

.1

.2

.1

.01

.1

.1

.1

.1

.3

.1

.05

.005

.0005

.010

.0025

.005

.02

.025

.05

.05

.003

.01

.05

3.341

3.78

6.08

6.42

4.01

5.73

18.25

40.17

40.17

121,625

.16

11.547

4.59

2.52

2.77

1.675

1.10

12.35

1.95

1.73

3.46

6.97

6.61

3.78

73.46

39.09

35.19

1.72

5.16

.24

4.59

3.87

165,000

265,000

280,000

175,000

250,000

795,000

1,750,000

1,750,000

5,298,000

7,282

503,000

200,000

110,000

121,000

73,000

48,000

538,00

85,000

75,600

151,000

304,000

288,000

165,000

3,200,000

1,703,000

1,533,000

75,000

225,000

10,500

200,000

169,000

Big Bluestem

Little Bluestem

Switchgrass

Indiangrass

Side-oats Grama

Blue Grama

Sand Lovegrass

Alkali Sacaton

Sand Dropseed

Eastern Gamagrass

Tall Dropseed

Purpletop

Western Wheatgrass

Canada Wildrye

Virginia Wildrye

Buffalograss

Sprangle-Top

Illinois Bundleflower

Showy Partridgepea

Roundhead Lespedeza

White Prairie Clover

Purple Prairie Clover

Slender lespedeza

Heath Aster

Blackeyed Susan

Plains Coreopsis

Annual Sunflower

Maximilian Sunflower

Compass Plant

Pitcher Sage

Pennsylvania Smartweed

Cost per

acre

Cost per

#PLS

Actual

Seeds/sqft

Desired PLS

#/acre

No. seeds/sqft

1 # PLS

Seeds per

1 # PLS

Common

Name

EXAMPLE OF MULTIPLE NATIVE SPECIES PLANTING MIXTURES

MMultiple ultiple NNative ative SSpecies pecies PPlanting lanting MMixturesixtures

Look at the seed mixture on the basis of seeds desired per square foot:

some species 1-3 seeds per sq ftsome species 1 seed per sq ydsome species 1 seed per 50 sq ftsome species 5-20 seeds per acre

.0000593

.88.00.120.95190.00.3673.00573.463.2MHeath AsterAster

ericoides

.0000472.241.122.020.404.00.195.11.9585KIllinois

Bundleflower

Desmanthus

illinoensis

.0000457

7.381.236.0202.408.001.2.34.01175KIndiangrassSorghastrum

nutans

MLKJIHGFEDCBA

EXAMPLE FOR FIGURING MULTIPLE NATIVE SPECIES PLANTING MIXTURES

A = scientific nameB = common nameC = seeds in one pound of Pure Live Seed (PLS)D = no. seeds per square foot in 1 pound PLS per acre (C ÷ by 43,560 sqft/acre)E = desired PLS pound per acre (man-made decision)F = column D x column E = column F (no. of seeds per sqft/acre in planting mixture)G = actual cost per pound of PLS (data collected from seed dealers)H = column E x column G = column H (actual cost per acre)I = acres to be planted . . .J = column E x column I = column J (total PLS pounds needed)K = seed tests determine bulk pounds needed to equal one pound of PLSL = column J x column K = column L (total bulk pounds in seed mix)M = column G ÷ by column C = cost per individual seed

.0000593.88.00.120.95190.00.3673.00573.463.2MHeath AsterAster

ericoides

.0000472.241.122.020.404.00.195.11.9585KIllinois

Bundleflower

Desmanthus

illinoensis

.00004577.381.236.0202.408.001.2.34.01175KIndiangrassSorghastrum

nutans

MLKJIHGFEDCBA

EXAMPLE FOR FIGURING MULTIPLE NATIVE SPECIES PLANTING MIXTURES

Examples for figuring germination - Column K:

90% germination x 90% purity = 81% PLS1 ÷ .81 = 1.23 #bulk = 1 # PLS

90% germination x 99% purity = 89.1% PLS1 ÷ .891 = 1.12 #bulk = 1 # PLS

50% germination x 25% purity = 12.50% PLS1 ÷ .1250 = 8 #bulk = 1 # PLS

Multiple Native Species Planting Multiple Native Species Planting MixturesMixtures

“It’s Time for a Change!!!”“It’s Time for a Change!!!” Rangeland ([Prairie] planting techniques need to be Rangeland ([Prairie] planting techniques need to be

taken to the next level. Pure-Live-Seed-Pounds to the taken to the next level. Pure-Live-Seed-Pounds to the acre is not good enough. Most plantings are made on acre is not good enough. Most plantings are made on old worn-out, depleted fields which are low in fertility, old worn-out, depleted fields which are low in fertility, low in organic matter, and the nitrogen cycle is almost low in organic matter, and the nitrogen cycle is almost nonexistent. So why are plantings of nonexistent. So why are plantings of onlyonly 8 to 10 8 to 10 species mixtures still being used??? [Table #1 typical species mixtures still being used??? [Table #1 typical planting mix] we are trying for a pristine prairie planting mix] we are trying for a pristine prairie condition without having a pristine soil condition without having a pristine soil oror without without putting in the support plants to help achieve this goal, putting in the support plants to help achieve this goal, thru plant succession. [Table #2 helper or support or thru plant succession. [Table #2 helper or support or secondary plants] These support plants will help with secondary plants] These support plants will help with ground coverage, stand establishment and enhance ground coverage, stand establishment and enhance and speed-up “Plant Succession”.and speed-up “Plant Succession”.

Figuring PureLiveSeed pounds to the acre only is not good enough!!! The next level in figuring seeding mixtures is to use “Live-Seeds per square feet”. Annual and perennial forbs, secondary grasses, and native legumes are all important to a successful and productive native prairie. In multiple native species planting mixtures, using the number of live seeds per square foot needs to be considered for all future plantings.

We need to schedule “Shotgun” mixtures with 10 to 20 native grasses, 5 to 10 native legumes, and 14 to 30 native wildflowers, with at least 25 to 60 native species represented. [Table #3]

Multiple Native Species Planting Multiple Native Species Planting MixturesMixtures

Multiple Native Species Planting Multiple Native Species Planting MixturesMixtures

Look at the seed mixture on the basis of seeds desired per square foot:some species 1-3 seeds per sq ftsome species 1 seed per sq ftsome species 1 seed per 27 sq ftsome species 5-20 seeds per acre

If any given seed is super expensive, put only a few seeds per acre. Which will provide a seed source for plant succession. Of prime importance is to be sure the seed has been tested by a seed testing lab so you will be able to determine the Pure Live Seed percentage of a given lot of seed.

Multiple species plantings will be conducive to whatever the soil type represented [sand-silt-clay], so the broader the spectrum of species planted, the better the chance of having good plant coverage. This will assist in weed control and erosion control.

Table #4 illustrates step-by-step how to use the “live-seeds-per-square-foot” method.

Multiple Native Species Planting Multiple Native Species Planting MixturesMixtures

As far as where we should get seed to plant, over the years botanists and ecologists and others have collected and catalogued the different species. Now self-proclaimed ecologists, johnny-come-latelys and others are saying that Andropogon gerardi is not the same in Florida as it is in Oklahoma, and we can’t seed interchangeably. I think we need to check the DNA of these plants, and if they prove to be the same we should be able to use them wherever. As seed growers and seed dealers, we already know of genetic adaptability of a lot of plants. In my opinion, to demand the seed to be planted on a given site, be harvested within a one to 25 mile range or within a state, is plumb asinine.

Through the universities and agricultural agencies, the ecological information and experience is available to assist local people to decide what species will be in a mixture for a given resource area. If what we say is true about plant succession and proper management of native prairies, each individual site will find its own balance of the best plants to be grown sequentially on a given site.

Multiple Native Species Planting Multiple Native Species Planting MixturesMixtures

Research at the Woodward Experiment Station has shown when planting “old fields” we can get an economical response to 20# to 25# of nitrogen [W.A. Berg, Soil Scientist] which will in turn boost the stamina of the young seedlings. Part of our planting criteria should be a strong emphasis on soil testing and applying the appropriate amounts of N-P-K needed. There are also several products on the market to help increase the numbers of bacteria in the soil, such as a product available through Agri-Gro. Using multiple native species planting mixtures, plus today’s mechanical planting technology, prairie seeding planting success ratios will increase 40 to 60%. The livestock industry and the wildlife industry will both benefit from multiple native species plantings. The longer we put off making changes to the MNSPM method, we are limiting our capabilities and short-changing the producer who has confidence in us.