I am facing challenges from annual grasses such as cheat grass and bulbous wheatgrass at my restoration sites. These areas were previously heavily infested with yellow star thistle and have been treated with milestone (aminopyralid). The milestone worked great to get rid of the thistle but the secondary invasion of annual grass has made seed based restoration nearly impossible. 

I am considered an additional herbicide treatment, specifically Rejuvra (indaziflam):

https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us/vegetation-management/range-and-pasture/products/rejuvra

I would prefer not to use herbicide at all due to potential implications and interactions that are hard to known. Unfortunately the annual grass is the nail in the coffin of seed based restoration at these sites. If you have used rejuvra and wouldn’t mind having a conversation with me on how it went I would really appreciate it. 

Attached are a couple of pictures of the annual grass infestation areas and you can see there is native grass still present in some of the sites that is barely holding on beneath the annual grass. 

I am formulating a seed mix that can be planted along the Wasatch Front at elevations 4,000-7,500', no irrigation, broadcast seeded, with precipitation 20" or so annually (highly variable with drought conditions). This mix should be a (mostly) native mix of grasses and wildflower forbs. There are invasive species present that will take over the sites (construction or herbicide treated areas) unless restoration seed mix establishes quickly. The mix needs to be hardy - bordering on weedy or it will fail. We have used mixes with primarily wheatgrass in the past and it is too slow growing and has failed, the mix needs to be diversified. 

*crested wheatgrass is out and we will not use it in this mix

Questions:

Will I need a few introduced species because the natives cannot compete with the quick germinating invasives?  I am leaning towards yes. 

Is there a rule of thumb for total number of different species you should use when formulating a seed mix of this type? (i.e. how many different varieties of wheatgrass is too much?)

What cool season grass species will germinate quickly and help prevent the ruderal strategist species like cheatgrass? We usually do our restoration in fall or early spring. 

Smooth Brome is not on the attached list but I was considering it because it is so hardy. 

A  list of species I am considering is attached. Any advice would be appreciated! 

Thank You. 

does anyone have any experience in the niche seeding technique where pre-germinated seed is mixed with a medium and deposited into shallow holes or depressions by hand. It is used in difficult terrain or when there is the unavailability of machines for direct seeding. I have developed a prototype tool for this technique and am interested in the possibility of inoculating the medium with appropriate fungi and microbes. It may also be a cheap accessible method for community and volunteer restoration, and reduce the investment risk in areas where seedlings may be susceptible eg flood zones, predation.

Regards

Dave

Have you heard about the Savory institute holistic management method for prairie and arid land restoration? What's your opinion?

Directed to: all

I'm sharing a survey from Seeds of Success East, a program of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Seed Bank. If you are located in the Eastern US, please take a few minutes to share your native plant and seed needs.

Here's the full announcement

If you have any questions, please contact 

Shanyn Siegel, Mid-Atlantic Regional Seed Bank
or visit www.marsb.org for more information
 
Seeds of Success East is a 5-institution partnership that collects critically needed seed and works to further long-term seed conservation efforts in the Eastern U.S.

SOS East Partners
Mid-Atlantic Regional Seed Bank
New England Wildflower Society
North Carolina Botanical Garden
Chicago Botanic Garden
USDA/NRCS Cape May Plant Materials Center

Thank you,

Laura Capponi

SER Membership Director

You harvest summer fall, spread next spring. Are there species you need to spread in the same year as collected, to avoid overwintering?

Directed to: Chris

What suggestions do you have for convincing grape growers to adopt restorative methods? I did my masters thesis on native bunch grasses in vineyards as a cover crop in arid eastern Washington. Growers have many reasons for a cover crop, one main one is dust reduction, ability to mow, and water conservation. I used seed from a local business specializing in using local genetically appropriate seed. I used a direct seeder and sowed in December and had  great germination success. I am now looking for vineyards to do a larger trial.

Directed to: Stephanie (and others)

What is meant by "orthodox or recalcitrant" in seed storage?

Directed to Stephanie

Any info to share with orchardists/vineyard owners wanting to plant native understories re: competition between native and crop species?

Directed to: Stephanie

How long do you store your seeds? If more than one season do you find seed storage in the uninsulated building an issue?

Directed to: Chris 

For desert species, is storage in a metal shed OK if seed collected in late spring and fall is planted the following winter?

Directed to: Chris

Is there a concern with genetic bottlenecking when you collect seeds from restored prairies?

Directed to: Chris

Does cost per acre include management activities (burning, mowing, herbicide application, etc.) or just your initial seeding activities?

Directed to: Chris

How do you monitor germination rates in a habitat that already has reasonable vegetation and differentiating fresh germination is tough?

Directed to: Chris

You mentioned you have 200 species. Is that 200 species total for all sites, or 200 species in each mix?

Directed to: Chris

In previously farmed fields (intensive) is subsurface compaction an issue?

Directed to: Chris

How is the restoration landscape (financing, work, etc.) doing in the US with the present political "situation"?

Directed to: Chris

Are you using dormant season burning, or growing season burns? Which are historically more likely to have occurred?

Directed to: Chris