Valeriana (sitchensis)

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:	Valerianaceae
Family Common Name:	Valerian family
Scientific Name:	Valeriana sitchensis Bong.
Common Name:	Sitka valerian
Species Code:	VALSIT
Ecotype:	Subalpine meadows, Logan Pass, 2032m elev.
General Distribution:	V. sitchensis is found in moist places at mid to upper elevations, from Alaska to California, east to Idaho and Montana.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	172 ml conetainers
Time To Grow:	8 Months
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container seedling<br> Height: 6 cm, 4 to 6 true leaves<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: Firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are hand collected in mid September when achenes are turn tan and are easily separated from the receptacle. Seeds are collected in papaer bags.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are cleaned using a hammermill, followed by an office clipper at NRCS. Seed longevity is unknown. Seed dormancy is classified as physiological dormancy. Seeds/Kg: unknown % Purity: 100% % Germination: 50%
Pre-Planting Treatments:	5 month outdoor cold, moist stratification.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Outdoor nursery growing facility. Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seeds are covered with medium. Growing medium used is 6:1:1 milled sphagnum 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:	Seedlings appear to germinate very uniformly at 22C. True leaves emerge 2 weeks after germination. Seedlings are thinned at this stage.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Once seedlings are established, plants develop rapid shoot and root growth 2 to 4 weeks following germination. Plants are fertilized with 20-10-20 liquid NPK at 100 ppm weekly during the growing season. Plants quickly fill conetainers and are root-tight in 8 weeks.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	8 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Plants that are not outplanted the first year are hardened off. Irrigation is gradually reduced in September and October. Plants were given one final irrigation prior to winterization.
Length of Hardening Phase:	4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Total Time To Harvest: 8 months Harvest Date: August Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam cover and snow.
Length of Storage:	5 months
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press,7th printing, 1973. Seed Germination Theory and Practice, Second Edition, Deno, Norman, published 1993. Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin and Baskin,Academic Press, 1998. 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) Valeriana sitchensis Bong. plants 172 ml conetainers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/04/18). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.