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Photo by P.J. Perea
Native grasses may take up to four years to become fully established, so don’t give up on a stand after the first year or two. |
Native warm season grasses are good for quail
Re-establishing native grasses and forbs can be a big first step in bringing bobwhites and other grassland birds back to the farm. However, re-establishing native warm season grasses (NWSG) and forb communities is not quite the same as raising a grain crop or even a stand of most non-native grass species. It is a little harder and takes much longer, but the results make for great wildlife habitat.
Also referred to as prairie grass or savannas, a forest-grassland complex with less than half of the area covered in trees historically dominated much of the country’s landscape. So going back to the “good old days” of habitat makes a huge difference in game bird populations.
Native grasses may take up to four years to become fully established, so don’t give up on a stand after the first year or two. I’ve planted native grasses since 1973 and the results usually follow this scenario: The first fall after planting looks like a complete failure; the second fall brings scattered native grass seed heads here and there; the third season after planting, however, a miracle seems to occur with a wonderful stand of native grass across the entire field.
But even during those early establishment years when most of what you see growing is not what you planted, the site can still provide excellent habitat for quail and other upland wildlife.
Planning a NWSG planting
Plans for your planting should begin the previous growing season.
The seedbed for native grasses and forbs must be firm and weed free. Do not use a long-residual herbicide on the site during the previous crop year. It could damage grass seedlings. Short-residual herbicides are less likely to pose a problem to seedling grasses and should be used to produce a weed free seedbed.
The preferred seedbed for NWSG has been the leftover stubble of a weed free sorghum crop from the previous year. Late planted forage sorghum where the plants were frost killed is also an ideal seedbed for native grasses, which are seeded directly into the standing stubble with no additional tillage.
If pre-plant tilling is required to create a clean, weed free seedbed, be sure there is a sufficient amount of tillage to create a firm, friable seedbed. You will probably have to cultipack or roll the site a couple times to get the required firmness.
Seed selection
If your goal is to provide wildlife habitat, choose a mix that has several grass species adapted to your soil and location — and with as many native forbs as you can afford.
Native forb seed is often expensive, so it may be tempting to delete them from the species list, but that is a mistake. The forbs attract insects for young birds and produce seed for fall and winter feedings. I generally recommend at least a half- to one pound of native forb seeds per acre, but even a few ounces of several native forbs in a blend may be sufficient to get these beneficial species started in your new planting.
Native grasses are purchased and planted by pounds of pure live seed (PLS) per acre. For wildlife plantings, I recommend three pounds of PLS per acre of native grasses. More than that, say 6 to 10 pounds per acre of native grass, becomes much too thick for upland wildlife use after a few years.
Some of the most common native grass species used in wildlife plantings include big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass, sideoats grama, dropseed, sand lovegrass, purpletop and Eastern gamagrass.
Planting NWSG
Planting NWSG can begin in late fall, when daytime temperatures are below 55 F, and extend to spring. Optimum planting dates are from one month before to three weeks after the average last frost date.
Native grasses and forbs must be planted shallow, no more than a quarter-inch deep. In my experience, when I’m finished planting, if half the seed is still on top of the ground I know I did it right. In fact, some of the best stands are achieved when the seed is broadcast on a clean, firm seedbed, then cultipacked to provide seed-to-soil contact.
Drills used for NWSG typically have picker wheels that extend into the seed box to pull seed into the drop tubes and agitators, which keeps the seed fluffed and around the picker wheels. Common farm drills used for wheat, oats, alfalfa, etc., do not work well with the light, fluffy seed.
If a NWSG drill is not available, broadcast the seed on a firm, clean seedbed with any type of truck or tractor broadcaster. Use a carrier with the NWSG seed thoroughly blended in to get the seed to flow through the broadcast seeder. Typical carriers are pelletized lime, fertilizer (but not nitrogen fertilizer), or even grains such as wheat. After broadcast seeding, cultipack the site to achieve good seed-to-soil contact.
Long-term management
Native grasses and forbs evolved in a fire-dominated ecosystem, and prescribed burning is the best tool for long-term management of your planting. Burning removes accumulated litter, stimulates vigorous growth, reduces tree and shrub invasion, and promotes most wildlife use, especially improving the quality of brood habitat. For wildlife purposes, it is usually best to burn only a quarter to half of the site annually so that adequate unburned nesting cover remains.
If burning is not possible, selective haying is a suitable substitute. Haying is better than just rotary mowing since haying removes the accumulated litter that reduces the stand’s value to many small game species. Do not cut hay during the peak nesting period of April through mid-July.
For more information on establishing and managing native warm season grasses and forbs, consult your state agency wildlife biologist, agricultural extension agent or local NWTF biologist. — Roger Wells, NWTF upland wildlife biologist