Poa (secunda)

Tara Luna USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana 59936 (406) 888-7835 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/azpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Poaceae
Family Common Name:	Grass family
Scientific Name:	Poa secunda Presl.
Common Synonym:	Poa gracillima Vasey
Common Name:	Slender bluegrass
Species Code:	POASEC
Ecotype:	Subalpine meadows, Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, MT. 2032m elevation.
General Distribution:	P. secunda is mostly found in montane grassland to the subalpine to alpine zone, but is found down to near sea level in the Columbia River Gorge and on the Pacific coast. It ranges from B.C. to Alberta, south to California, east to Montana, northwest Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	160 ml conetainers
Time To Grow:	8 Months
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container seedlings<br> Height: 12 to 14 cm<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: firm plug in conetainer.
Propagule Collection:	Collect mature inflorescences in late August when florets turn tan. Seeds are light tan at maturity. Inflorescences are collected using scissors and are collected in paper bags. Seeds are spread over an opened tarp in the drying shed to facilitate drying prior to cleaning.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are cleaned with a small clipper and air blowerat NRCS. Seed Storage is at least 7 years at 3 to 5 C in sealed containers. Seed dormancy is classified as non dormant. Seeds/Kg: 2,200,000/kg % Purity: 100% % Germination: 60 to 95%
Pre-Planting Treatments:	5 month outdoor stratification. Germination rate is reported to be higher in the light vs. dark.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Outdoor nursery growing facility. Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seeds are surface sown or lightly covered with medium. Growing medium used is 6:1:1 milled spaghnum peat, perlite, and vermiculite with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer (13N:13P2O5:13K2O; 8 to 9 month release rate at 21C) and Micromax fertilizer (12%S, 0.1%B, 0.5%Cu, 12%Fe, 2.5%Mn, 0.05%Mo, 1%Zn) at the rate of 1 gram of Osmocote and 0.20 gram of Micromax per 172 ml conetainer. Conetainers are filled and sown in late fall and irrigated thoroughly prior to winter stratification. Seedlings germinate in spring under fluctuating outdoor temperatures and are grown under full sun exposure. Seedlings are irrigated with Rainbird automatic irrigation system in early morning until containers are thoroughly leached. Average growing season of nursery is from late April after snowmelt until October 15th.
Establishment Phase:	Medium is kept slightly moist during germination. Germination is usually complete in 1 to 2 weeks.ÿ
Length of Establishment Phase:	2 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Shoot and root development occur rapidly following germination. Plants are fertilized with 20-20-20 liquid NPK fertilizer until root tightness is obtained. Plants are usually outplanted the first year.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	6 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 200 ppm during August and September. Irrigation is gradually reduced in September and October. Plants were given one final irrigation prior to winterization.
Length of Hardening Phase:	5 months
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Total Time to Harvest: 8 months Harvest Date: July to August Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam cover and snow.
Length of Storage:	5 months
Other Comments:	Vegetative Propagation Method: Yes; established nursery stock can be increased by divisions. P. ampla, P.gracillima, P. juncifolia, P. lucida, P. nevadensis, P. sandbergii, and P. scabrella have all been recently united under the single taxon P. secunda.
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, 7th edition, University of Washington Press, 1973. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species, Hassell, Wendel, U.S.D.I. and U.S.D.A., April 1996. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin and Baskin, Academic Press, 1998. Glacier National Park propagation records, unpublished. 1999 Revegetation Monitoring Report, Glacier National Park, Asebrook, J. and Brenneman, B., unpublished.

Citation:

Luna, Tara; Evans, Jeff; Wick, Dale. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Poa secunda Presl. plants 160 ml conetainers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/21). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.