Elymus (canadensis)
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Jan Schultz Forest Plant Ecologist USDA FS - Hiawatha National Forest 1030 Wright Street Marquette, Michigan 49855 906.228.8491 906.228.4484 (fax) jschultz@fs.fed.us http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/copmc/ |
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| Family Scientific Name: | Gramineae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Grass Family | ||
| Scientific Name: | Elymus canadensis L. | ||
| Common Name: | Canada wild rye | ||
| Species Code: | ELCA4 | ||
| General Distribution: | Diversity of habitats, sandy thickets, woods among dunes, often on Great Lakes shorelines. Grass blades are reddish at the base. Up to 1 meter high. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | seed | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Time To Grow: | 0 | ||
| Propagule Collection: | Seed is collected by hand from locally native plants within the eastern central Upper Peninsula. Flowers from July to August. Seed-like grain or caryopsis; glume equaling its awn. Awns of lemmas curved at maturity (straight when young). Seed is harvested from September to October. Riper seed is yellow, no longer greenish. | ||
| Propagule Processing: | Dry seeds one to two weeks in open paper bags or open Rubbermaid-style bins. Seed is not cleaned. Once seeds have dried, store in sealed Ziploc-style bags or Rubbermaid-style containers. Keep in a cool dry place (refrigerator or cold garage) until planted. Cold store up and over 3 years. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | None are used. | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Propagation Environment: Greenhouse made of Standard U.V. 3HL Clear 6 mil from (J.R. Johnson's Greenhouse Supply Inc.). Fans run continuously to circulate the air. Vents open during the summer months to allow for cooling. Container Type: Grows best in deep cell plug trays; 100 cell (1-1/2" diameter), 18"x12"x6.5" deep. Growing Media: Scotts Redi-earth Plug and Seedling Mix. Contains vermiculite, and sphagnum peat moss. Soil is sterile. Add enough water to the soil to saturate. Mix soil with a trowel. Cover the holes in the bottom/sides of the plug tray cells with newspaper, as the soil will fall through. Fill cells with damp soil and press soil down with a spoon. Refill the cell plugs with soil to the top, this time not pressing it down. Thoroughly moisten soil in the plug cells, but do not saturate. Sow seeds by hand at a rate of about 3 seeds in each cell. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil or gently press seeds into the dirt. Sow January until late July. |
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| Establishment Phase: | From Jan. until Aug. the greenhouse thermostat is set at 65 degrees F both day and night. Ambient greenhouse temperatures may reach 100 degrees F during the day in the summer. From Sept. thru Dec. the greenhouse thermostat is set at 55 degrees F. During this season ambient greenhouse temperatures may reach 75 degrees F during the day. The greenhouse holds plants at all stages of growth so the temperature setting stays the same for all plants at all stages of growth. Soil is kept consistently damp during germination. Water using a fine mist or light hose setting only. Newly planted trays are placed on the south side of the greenhouse. No artificial light is used. | ||
| Active Growth Phase: | The soil does not need to be consistently moist. Move trays to cooler north greenhouse tables. No fertilizers are used. | ||
| Hardening Phase: | In early-late spring, mature plants can be moved into a cold frame with a cover of material that diffuses sunlight to prevent scorching of the plants. When danger of frost has passes leave plants outside. Water less frequently. | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: | In the Upper Peninsula, flats are transplanted into the field from late May to early October. Flats that are not planted in the summer remain in the greenhouse for another season. Transplant if needed. | ||
| Other Comments: | Canada wild rye is a good forage grass and a valuable ground cover. It provides extensive cover for several years (up to 5) but will not dominate a site for more than several years without site disturbance. Long awns may clog seeding apparatus. | ||
Citation:
Schultz, Jan; Beyer, Patty; Williams, Julie. 2001. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Elymus canadensis L. plants USDA FS - Hiawatha National Forest Marquette, Michigan. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/23). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
