Restoration is a process We have documented very few examples of success-
ful native restoration plantings when seed is casually planted after minimal seedbed preparation, such as a single application of discing just before planting. Our most successful rangeland seedings resulted
when land preparation started well in advance of plant- ing. This is due to 2 major factors. First, discing alone typically results in poor seed-
beds, leaving large amounts of residual plant material standing or seedbeds that are too fl uffy. Loose seedbeds hold moisture poorly and are not conducive to creat-
particular planting site, it does not matter if you get rain or correctly prepare the land. We have learned that when it comes to species se-
lection, fast establishment of early successional native plants is critical to later success. In nearly all of our seedings, the relationship between the density of seeded species and the other plants (weeds or exotic grasses) has remained relatively constant from the fi rst sam- pling date (a few weeks or a month after emergence) through at least 5 years after planting. Different native species may be present over time, but the relative amounts of seeded natives, non-natives,
Dilley Germplasm slender grama has proven to be one of the most reliable native grass seeding options for South Texas. Photo courtesy South Texas Natives (photo from restoration planting, Jim Wells County).
ing the good seed-to-soil contact that is required for seed germination. Second, when planning a native rangeland seeding,
consider the presence of non-native grasses. Our most successful seedings, in areas previously
dominated by non-native species, followed multiple cycles of discing or herbicide applications. Repeated site preparation treatments reduce the seedbank of non-native grasses, thereby reducing the amount of competition following seeding. This process can take a year or 2 to adequately ac-
complish.
The right native species We have also learned that you have to plant the right
native species for each specifi c planting site and soils. Not all natives are native everywhere, and not all native plants are well-adapted for the quick establishment or persistence necessary to make a seeding successful. If you don’t plant native species adapted to your
tscra.org
Remember, no 2 plantings are alike Finally, don’t expect the same results in any 2 plant-
ings. Even after conducting almost 50 plantings, no 2 plantings have ever turned out the same from a vegeta- tion standpoint. That’s not saying if you have success one year and you do everything right, that you are not going to be successful again in the second year. How- ever, you will more than likely have different native
February 2015 The Cattleman 67
Rangeland reseeding projects using adapted seed sources have had good success across much of South Texas. Photo courtesy South Texas Natives (photo from restoration plant- ing, Maverick County).
and volunteer plants often changed little. The surprising take-home message is that if you
have good seeded-species cover within 30 days after favorable germination conditions, our results suggest you will probably maintain good seeded-species cover for the foreseeable future. What does that mean for species selection? Make sure
that a large percentage of your native seed mixes are early successional species. These species are adapted to the quick establishment that is generally required for a planting to be successful both short-term and long-term.
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