Andropogon (gerardii)
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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: | Andropogon gerardii Vitman | ||
| Common Synonym: | Andropogon furcatus Willd. | ||
| Common Name: | Big Bluestem, Turkeyfoot | ||
| Species Code: | ANGE | ||
| General Distribution: | Characteristic prairie species but spreading along roadsides/ railroads, oak woods, jack pine plains. As tall as three meters. | ||
| 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 August-September. Seed is an achene and is collected in October. | ||
| Propagule Processing: | Dry seeds for 1-2 weeks in open paper bags or open Rubbermaid-style bins, shaking or turning seed heads. Seed is not cleaned. Once seeds have dried, store in sealed Ziploc-style bags or Rubbermaid-style bins. Keep in a cool dry place (refrigerator or cold garage). Cold store until planted (up to 3 years). | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | None | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Propagation Environment: Greenhouse made of Standard U.V. 3HL Clear 6 mil (J.R. Johnson's Greenhouse Supply Inc.). Fans run continuously to circulate the air. Vents open during the summer months for cooling. Container Type: grows best in deep cell plug trays; 100 cell (1.5" diameter), 18"x12"x6.5" deep. Big Bluestem also grows successfully in a variety of other plug cell sizes and shapes. Growing Media: Scotts Redi-earth Plug and Seedling Mix. Contains vermiculite, and sphagnum peat moss. Soil is sterile. Thoroughly moisten the soil with water, mixing in the water with a trowel. Cover the holes in the bottom/sides of the plug tray cells with paper. 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. Water the soil in the plug tray cells again. Sow seeds by hand at a rate of about 3 seeds in each small cell and about 5 seeds in each large cell. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of dirt. Sow January until June as needed. |
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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 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 passed leave plants outside. Water less frequently. | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: | In the Upper Peninsula, flats are planted from late May to early October. Flats that are not planted in the summer remain in the greenhouse for another season. | ||
| Other Comments: | As with other warm season grasses, intitial establishment on site is slow. Forms a dense sod that is impenetrable to weeds. Best germination is if seed is fall planted on restoration sites. | ||
Citation:
Schultz, Jan; Beyer, Patty; Williams, Julie. 2001. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Andropogon gerardii Vitman plants USDA FS - Hiawatha National Forest Marquette, Michigan. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/04/25). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
