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Meadows & Prairies

Growing Bouteloua curtipendula (side oats grama) from seed?

10 years ago

Hello.

Is this possible?

I have a couple of packets of Bouteloua curtipendula seed (maybe 6000 seeds in all). I have no heavy machinery and know ABSOLUTELY nothing about sowing grasses. If I scatter the seed in a "meadowy" patch....the area is limestone and very rocky....it is already filled w/solidago sp., dogbane, meadow type grasses will the seed germinate and grow? Is it absolutely necessary to till and remove all other existing plant populations?

Thanks for any input!

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Comments (2)

lazy_gardens
10 years ago
Of course not. Tilling and weeding doesn't happen in the wild, does it?

To get the best sprouting, pick bare or less-populated patches and scratch the dirt with a rake, then scatter some seed and rake it in a bit.
agkistrodon
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank-you Lazy! You are, of course, correct :) I am thinking of throwing in a packet of Bouteloua curtipendula and a packet of castilleja coccinea together and seeing what happens....

The previous owners put down a bunch of hay as a weed blocker...only prob is that this hay seeded itself and in the middle of the summer it comes to life and smothers everything! I've been trying to pull it out but the seeds just keep on germinating.....hope the grama and paintbrushes can compete w/this stuff!
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