Restoring Native grasses

[twarr1]

I'd like to get some thoughts on restoring native grasses. About 4 years ago I had the county extension agent and Texas Natural Resources Conservation agent come out and survey the land, but their focus is really more on maintaining land for grazing. They were very helpful in explaining the effects of years of grazing and taking inventory of the remaining natives.
Now after 4 years and reading countess publications and giving it a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that it is difficult if not impossible to maintain a truly native grassland without fire. I notice that a lot of the 'natural" habitat around here (North Central Texas) is actually heavily infested with invasive brush that previously was suppressed by regular fires. The invasive plants around here are just not as obvious as in other parts of the country.
Comments?

 

[keegs]

Nothing to add just that I hope this thread takes off. I think it will be interesting to follow if it does.

 

[GGB]

We are trying to restore a few acres back to native grasses, and contacted our local soil conservation office for assistance. They have been very helpful, and even provided some help with expenses for reseeding since the ground is in a runoff area into and out of a pond on the property.

They recommend burning every spring, and from what I have researched, it will be difficult to restore otherwise. Many of the native grasses require heat to promote new growth, and the fire will help control other invasive plants.

In addition, it will probably take at least 3 to 4 years to really start to see what we think of as a native stand of grasses. On another ground we put into one of the FSA programs (WHIP), I learned that patience is a virtue! That ground looked absolutely horrible for several years, but now have really started to look like we had hoped. In addition to helping control erosion, the pheasants and quail have started to return.

Check with your local resources again to see if any newer programs might be applicable to your situation.

GGB

 

[sweettractors]

Do a Google search on "Kentucky CREP program". It is available for my county and many farmers have signed up and are receiving a big check every year for protecting the Green River Valley watershed. All Native grasses. There are many rules and regs to participate in this program. We did not sign up. Someone has to farm and produce goods for the consumer. Ken Sweet

 

[smstonypoint]

Now after 4 years and reading countess publications and giving it a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that it is difficult if not impossible to maintain a truly native grassland without fire. I notice that a lot of the 'natural" habitat around here (North Central Texas) is actually heavily infested with invasive brush that previously was suppressed by regular fires.

Good thread. I'm interested in establishing some native warm-season grasses for quail habitat in NC.

I'm curious as to whether you have any problems getting permits for controlled (prescribed) burns out your way. It's getting harder in NC due to air-quality regulations.

Steve

 

[MarkV]

Twarr1 is there a reason you can't burn. It sounds as if your research says it needs to happen to achieve the goal. Controlled burns are used for forest management in my area often.

MarkV

 

[jbooth]

I'm in Kansas and entered the Consevation Reserve Program (CRP). It is expensive to plant native grass seed. The CRP does do cost sharing. I did not enroll in the cost sharing as it is deducted from the annual payments. Sort of pay me now or pay me later deal. I planted around 76 acres to grass about 4 years ago and it is now starting to really take hold. Seems like my cost was around $3500.00 for seed not counting the prep work and grass planter rental. $6.00 an acre for seeder rental. There is a requirement to burn about every 2 years. The burning really helps control invasive woody plants such as honey locust and osage orange. The control will get better as the grasses impove and fuel load increases. I am paid roughly $50 an acre annually to be in the program.

The CRP is mainly for returning erodable tilled ground back to native grass/pasture.

There are also government programs to restore/improve pasture land. I would guess Texas and other states have programs appropriate to the areas.

 

[jbooth]

We can still burn in Kansas with the appropriate burn permits. I live in an area of KS. that is known as the Tall Grass Prairie (Flint Hills) and the spring burning smoke can be seen from sattelites.

 

[jinman]

Now after 4 years and reading countess publications and giving it a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that it is difficult if not impossible to maintain a truly native grassland without fire. I notice that a lot of the 'natural" habitat around here (North Central Texas) is actually heavily infested with invasive brush that previously was suppressed by regular fires. The invasive plants around here are just not as obvious as in other parts of the country.
Comments?

I live very near to the LBJ Nat'l Grasslands. Last spring, they burned thousands of acres to kill invasive brush and restore grasses. An interesting side-effect of that was the destruction of many geocaches. The grasslands is open to the public and an ideal place for geocaches. Another TBN member, Ron Hall, and I found a couple of geocaches with the contents burned to a crisp. However, within a couple of weeks of the burn, the ground was green with new grass.

 

[jbooth]

What are geocaches. I mark and mow around any trees that I intend to keep such as pecan, walnut, and oak. Our pecans are not like the Texas variety. About 1/2 to 2/3 as big as Texas's.