Double El/Agate Conservation District Product 3

Double El/Agate Conservation Districts

Serving landowners in parts of Elbert, El Paso and Lincoln Counties

P.O. Box 215, 504 Washington Simla, CO 80835 Phone: 719-541-2359 Fax 719-541-3061

Grass Seed Information

Hundreds of species of grasses can be found on the Eastern Plains. Many provide excellent forage, and do so year-around, whether on the ground or as hay. The grasses below are perennial, hardy, and palatable. They span a wide variety of soil textures found in the area. Some grow in summer (warm). Others grow in spring and fall (cool). Some provide their best forage before they mature (spring); some after they head out (summer). Most of these are native to Colorado, but several popular species have been introduced from far away.

How to Plant: Grasses must be planted in a firm, weed-free seedbed, primarily because success depends upon good soil-to seed contact. Loose soil dries out quickly at the surface compared to firm soil, and native grass seed is planted only 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. All warm-season and most cool-season grasses should be planted with a designated grass drill to ensure proper placement of seed. Double-disk furrow openers, seed box agitator and depth bands are needed. Press wheels should be used to firm the soil around the seed and close small air pockets. Broadcasting by hand may be necessary in certain small areas, such as areas too steep or too rocky to drill.

In most cases, a grass seedling needs little or no fertilizer during establishment. However, on disturbed sites, such as area around a new house, water lines, trenching, etc., soil amendments may be required to maintain the vigor of the grasses.

When to Plant: Recommended seeding dates are Nov. 1- April 30 when soil is not frozen.

Cover Crop Seeding: Seeding native grasses in a suitable cover crop is almost a must. A suitable cover crop will decrease evaporation to retain soil moisture, and keep soil temperatures lower because of shading. It protects young grass seedlings from strong winds, collects snow during the winter, and will minimize the weed problem. The cover crop should be planted in the spring, allowing for a hay cutting in the fall, and leaving 6"-8" of stubble. Grass will be seeded into this stubble in the fall. Recommended cover crops are forage sorghum, long-season milo, forage millet, etc.

What to expect the first year: Most growers of native grasses are convinced they have a failure the first year. Most of the time they actually have a good stand. Native grasses grow down, not up, during the establishment year. The top growth normally amounts to a narrow, straight leaf until late summer. It is also necessary to defer any grazing for at least the first growing season.

Weed Control: Weeds are the greatest cause of poor grass stands because they challenge small seedlings in two ways: they take away necessary water and nutrients, and they shade and smother the young plants. Mowing at a six-inch height is important to prevent the seedlings from being choked or smothered.

Grazing Management: All desired grasses will decrease in numbers with continuous grazing, overgrazing, or abuse. Undesirable plants will invade immediately. Each grass plant has its growth and grazing characteristics. Proper management practices should be used to maximize the use of each grass. Most range plants provide quality forage and are eaten by some class of livestock during the year. In an overgrazed pasture, 45 to 60 percent to the rainfall is lost to runoff. In a properly grazed pasture, only 10% or less is lost to runoff. Proper grazing use allows the land to be grazed at an intensity that will maintain enough cover to protect the soil, while maintaining or improving the quantity and quality of the desired vegetation. A "rule of thumb" for proper grazing use is to "take half and leave half" of the available forage during the growing season. Livestock can graze a plant down to half its weight, which is generally about two-thirds of the mature height, without detrimental effects to the plant. A growing season is defined as April 1 to October 15.

Types of Grasses Available

Type of Grass	Soil	Growth	Miscellaneous
Prairie Sandreed	Light Sandy Plains	Warm	Forage : summer/Fall/Winter, Tall with stout rhizomatous roots, sod-forming, drought resistant; native
Switch grass	Light - Alkaline Soils	Warm	Forage: Spring, Early Summer; Tall with strong rhizomatous roots. Large amounts of early forage. Becomes tough when mature. Native
Yellow Indian Grass	Light	Medium	Forage Summer, Winter; Tall with short Rhizomatous. Sod forming, tolerates moist and dry conditions.
Sand Bluestem	Light Sandy Plains	Warm	Forage: Spring, Early Summer; Tall with creeping rhizomes. Differs from Big Bluestem in its roots, and in dense white hairs on the seed heads. Native, Golden yellow to reddish brown.
Little Bluestem	Sandy Plains Site	Warm	Forage: Spring, Early Summer. Mid height, bunch grass. Palatable when young. Decreases rapidly with overgrazing. A purple-red color when mature. Native.
Big Bluestem	Medium Sandy Plains Site	Warm	Forage: Spring, Early Summer. Tall, bunch grass. A top prairie grass in terms of quality and quantity of forage. Purple-red color when mature. heavy grazing reduces stand. Native.
Blue Grama	Alt Loamy to Clay Plains	Warm	Forage: Summer/Winter. Short bunch grass. Most widespread of all popular grasses. Holds up well to grazing. Native good for low water use lawn or yard area.
Side Oats Grama	Alto Loamy to Clay Plains	Warm	Forage: Summer/Winter. Mid to tall, bunch grass. Large amount of forage per foot. Native
Western Wheatgrass	Alt Loam to Clay Plains Site	Cool	Forage: Year-around. Mid-grass with long rhizomes. Nutritious even after maturity wit highly palatable seed heads. Some textbooks call it " Colorado Bluestem. drought-resistant grass. Native
Pubescent Wheatgrass (Luna)	Med. Heavy	Cool	Forage: year-around. Tall rhizomatous. Sod forming, very drought resistant and persistent. Introduced. Not to be seeded with natives.
Intermediate Wheatgrass	Medium	Cool	Forage: Year-around. Tall, rhizomatous. Similar to Pubescent Wheatgrass but not as drought-tolerant. Introduced. Not to be seeded with natives.
Tall Wheatgrass	Heavy	Warm	Forage: year-around. Tall, bunch grass. Looks stemmy and coarse but is very palatable. Performs best under irrigation.
Smooth Brome	Light/Med	Cool	Needs some moisture. Introduced from Europe. Not to be seeded with natives.
Green Needle grass	Med/Heavy	Cool	Forage: Summer/Winter. Has booth female and male flowers.
Buffalo Grass	Heavy/Med	Warm	Good for Low water use or yard area.

HOW DO YOUR GRASSES GROW

By Ben Hendrix

    Eastern plains grasses are made up of the warm season and cool season grasses. What this means is the grasses labeled warm season do most of the growing during the warm months of June, July and August. The cool season grasses grow mostly during the cool months of April, May, September and October.

     Since it is important to allow your grass to grow and feed the root system it is also important to be able to at least do a switchback type of rotation of your pastures. Switchback means to pasture one of your pastures the first half of the season then switching to the other for the last half of the season. In doing this the next year the pasture you went into first the previous year needs to be pastured last this year. This will allow grasses in both warm and cool seasons to grow and feed the root system with enough nutrients to help them to survive droughts.

     Some grasses have a deeper root system than others. The short rooted grasses have adapted somewhat to droughts by going into a dormant state until moisture comes than they will kick in to green up and grow. Tow of these that are noted for this is the grass call Blue Grama and the grass called Buffalograss. These short rooted grasses also have a high mortality rate in a prolonged drought.

    The deeper rooted grasses have roots that reach deeper to moisture when available but then do poorer during droughts because of deep moisture and when we do get rains unless it is a soaker, the moisture doesn’t get to penetrate to the roots before it evaporates back out.

    When your grasses die off, weeds become a major problem. They have no competition from the grasses so they will keep taking over the pasture. It is costly to reseed your pastures and get grass established again so it is imperative to take care of the grass you have in your pastures and not to over graze or abuse it. Good rule of thumb for grazing is to take half, leave half. This will allow the grass plants to have enough forage above ground to feed the roots below ground.



Xeriscape

Water wise landscaping for Eastern Plains of Colorado

Xeriscape is a method that is in harmony with our dry climate that produces beautiful, water efficient, and sustainable landscape. The Eastern part of Colorado is considered an arid desert with only 13 inches of rain on a average. In the summer more than half the water used in domestic residence is for watering the landscape. Water conservation is becoming more and more important and the district provides, shrubs and trees that have been acclimated to this area to have a more successful with plants in our climate. The conservation districts are exploring alternatives for water-efficient sustainable landscapes and conservation plantings. Many plants available from the district are good for xeriscape planting on the eastern plains.

Basic concepts of xeriscaping:

1. Plan the xeriscape design- Plan for the future so you can add more to your plantings as time and money allow. Begin with a drawing and identify areas of sunny and shady, slopes, buildings and driveways. Draw out the garden with the plants you have selected and try to determine the full grown size of the plant or tree.

2. Evaluate and Improve the soil- Good soil is a must for any kind of successful planting. The soil has to have good drainage that allows oxygen to reach the roots. Using about 2-3 inches of organic matter (compost, aged manure, humus, wood chips or peat moss) will enhance the soil and should be done every year.

3. Use grasses that require less water or make the high water grasses very small in size. Groundcovers, shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses often require less water. The Double El/Agate Conservation District has many different types of grasses that do well in our dry climate.

4. Select plants that are adapted to our unique conditions and climate. Group them by water needs and place in position that is favorable to the plant. For an attractive landscape all your round, include plants with seasonal interest, such as berries, unusual bark, seed heads, and dramatic color contrast.

5. Water efficiently- Grouping plants with similar water needs makes irrigation more efficient. The district can help with designing a system that will fill your needs on your property. Water deeply to develop deep roots. The best time to water is between 6pm and 9am when cooler temperatures less wind increase the water absorption.

6. Use weed barrier and mulch to reduce evaporation. Mulch decomposes and improves the soil. Some ground cover plants can also be used in conjunction. Click here for survival aids available from the district .

7. Maintain good horticultural practices. Weeding, fertilization, watering, and a good irrigation system will increase your success in your .

Sample of Xeriscape plants and trees available from the district every year in April:

Shrubs: Lilac, Mountain mahogany, Rabbit bush, New Mexico Privet, Sumac, Golden Current, Buffalo berry, Serviceberry, Cotoneaster, Chokecherry, Wild rose, Yucca and many others.

Trees: Juniper, Bristlecone pine, Ponderosa pine, Limber pine, Douglas fir, Hawthorn, Maple, Hackberry, Locust, Green Ash, Narrow leaf cottonwood, Lodge pole pine, Austrian Pine, Blue Spruce.

Grasses: Buffalo Grass, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, and Blue Grama.

Pasture Management

	Pasture management for grazing is part art and part science. Regardless of all the tools available to you, your visual observation of the condition of your pasture before, during and after grazing, will lead to proper utilization of this valuable resource.
	A mature horse should consume about 1.5 percent of his weight in daily forage dry matter each day.
	Cool-season grass species grow best spring early spring and early fall.
	Warm-season grasses begin to grow in late spring.

The eastern plains of Colorado is experiencing a long term drought. The effects on the pasture for grazing can be severe if the grasses are overgrazed. Getting and using a pasture management plan is essential in keeping the land productive.

There are warm season and cool season grasses that produce at different times of the season. Cool season grasses found on dry pastures include tall wheatgrass, Western wheatgrass, intermediate wheatgrass pubescent wheatgrass, and Smooth brome grass. Cool season grass species have their maximum production during early spring and early fall. During the hot summer months, cool-season production is reduced. The wheatgrass species become less palatable as the plants mature. This may result in selective grazing by animals to more desirable species or the younger leaves of plants, resulting in overgrazing of the more palatable species. Some dry pastures are composed of warm-season species. Grass species such as big bluestem, little bluestem, Side-oats grama, Switch grass and Buffalo grass are examples of warm-season grass species. Maximum production usually occurs during the summer months. Overgrazing easily damages warm-season grass species. The key is to determine how much forage your pasture will produce during that six-month season.

The timing of grazing has a long-term impact on your pasture. Grazing too early in the spring can reduce the yield potential of your pasture and is the most common pasture management mistake. Allow grass to grow before grazing. This grass growth varies depending on the grass species. Grasses have different height requirements prior to the initiation of grazing. A grazing animal should not remove more than 50 percent of the available forage. This approach is called "take half and leave half." Planning and implementing a grazing program will ensure a pasture's health for the long term and save a lot of money and time later to reestablish a field that was over grazed. Being a good steward of the land now will provide long term rewards in keeping the land healthy and producing new grass for the future.