Poaceae (Sporobolus)
Sporobolus (heterolepis)
Poaceae
Grass family
Sporobolus
heterolepis
(Gray) Gray
Northern Dropseed
SPOHET
Central Illinois, 650 feet msl elevation
S. heterolepis is found from Quebec to Sakkatchewan south through the Great Plains to Texas; also the upper Midwest.
plants
seed
Container (plug)
1+0 container plugs
11 Months
Height: n/a, herbaceous perennial.
Caliper: n/a, herbaceous perennial.
Root System: firm root plug.
Seed is harvested by combine or by hand, depending on the seed lot size, about Sept. 22. It is ready when it no longer has a soft, creamy center.
Seed sizes change from year to year, so it is important to experiment with screens and techniques.
Run the seed dry through the Dybvig then over the Clipper with a top screen of 6 to 8 and a bottom screen of 1/15. Seed purity varies from year to year and should be sent out for testing.
8 ounces of seed is saved to sow one bench in either 64 flats of the Multipot #6, or 24 flats of the Multipot #3 or #4.
Seed is damp stratified by mixing it with equal amounts of vermiculite and lightly dampening in a plastic bag or container. Store this seed for 3-4 months in a cold room of 34-36 degrees F.
Propagation Environment: Fully controlled greenhouse
Container Type and Volume: Multipot #3, #4, or #6 are used. Cell volumes are 6, 9, and 6 cubic inches, respectively.
Growing Media: Sterile, Pro-Mix PGX. Add vermiculite and perlite at a 10:1 ratio. Do not add slow release fertilizer to the grasses, as it tends to burn the young, tender roots. Ensure flats are tapped down to prevent settling.
Total Time to Harvest: 7-11 months, depending on weather and plant/root development.
Sowing Date: Three crops are started in the greenhouse with the first in late December and the last no later than the end of March.
Sowing/Planting Technique: Sow the seeds by hand by broadcasting. Try to sprinkle 3-5 seeds per cell. Seed purity rates vary from year to year. Cover the seeds to one times their depth with the same growing media. Use a dibble board or roller to gently press seed and cover soil in the cell.
Set the greenhouse temperatures to be 70-80 degrees during the day, and 65-75 degrees at night. 75% germination is reached in about one week. Plants must be watered by hand during germination. Set the hose on gentle shower to prevent seeds from splashing out.
Once germination is successful, the greenhouse temperature may be turned down gradually depending on outside temperatures. Plants are irrigated in the morning by soaking for 20 to 30 minutes. This allows the foliage to dry out during the day. Once true leaves appear, not cotyledons, the plants may be fertilized. Start with 50 ppm of Rapid Grow or Peter's Liquid Fertilizer once a week. This rate is increased to 200 ppm gradually, and, again, decreased to 50 ppm before moving the plants outside to the shadehouse. It is important to rinse fertilizer residue off the foliage by running the irrigation for 30 seconds. Grasses are not thinned. When foliage reaches 8 to 10 inches, the plants need to be pruned back to 3 or 4 inches. This is accomplished by turning the flats on their sides and cutting with scissors or sheers. Make sure the clippings are all removed from the flats to prevent disease spread.
7 months
The first greenhouse crop will be moved to a hoop house in late January to February.
To acclimate the plants, the irrigation rate is reduced to 50 ppm before moving and greenhouse temperatures are decreased to 55-60 degrees day. The second and third crops are moved directly to the shadehouse in April and May. Again, greenhouse controls and fertilization rates are adjusted in preparation for the move. Plants that reach 8-10 inches in the shadehouse will require pruning also.
1 month
Harvest Date: Flats may be unplugged in October or November as long as most of the tops have died down.
Storage Conditions: Plugs that are not shipped during this fall's planting season may be stored for spring planting in cold rooms above freezing, preferably 40-50 degrees. Try to remove most of the dead foliage as you can before bagging the root plugs for storage. Store them on plastic bags to ensure the roots do not dry out.
Storage Duration: Approximately 4 to 6 months. Plugs may be shipped at any time as long as the receiver has cold storage.
4 to 6 months
Blessman, Gary; Flood, Roberta Mountz; Horvath, David J.. 2001. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Sporobolus heterolepis (Gray) Gray plants 1+0 container plugs; Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Mason State Nursery Topeka, Illinois. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/05/11). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
