Elymus (villosus)

John M. Englert USDA NRCS - Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center Bldg. 509, BARC - East, E. Beaver Dam Road Beltsville, Maryland 20705 (301) 504-8175 (301) 504-8741 (fax) john.englert@wdc.usda.gov http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/mdpmc/

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Family Scientific Name:	Poaceae
Family Common Name:	Grass Family
Scientific Name:	Elymus villosus Muhl. ex Willd.
Common Name:	Hairy wildrye
Species Code:	ELYVIL
Ecotype:	Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Kentucky, 1150' elevation, Poor Valley
General Distribution:	Elymus villosus is widely distributed from eastern Canada south to the Carolinas, Alabama, and Texas, and west to North Dakota and Wyoming; it grows in moist to dry woods and on shaded banks.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	Container plugs
Time To Grow:	14 Weeks
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container plug. Height: Approximately 5-6 inches after cutbacks, multiple stems. Root System: Roots fill plug; plug holds its shape when pulled from tray.
Propagule Collection:	Collected in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park by R. Russell 10/15/91; National Plant Materials Center by D. Dusty 9/92, 7/28/93, 8/25/94, 7/26/95, 7/30/96, 8/28/97, 7/27/98, x/x/99.
Propagule Processing:	Seed Processing: Seeds are ripe when they turn tan and at are the `hard dough' stage. They are hand-harvested, by stripping seeds from seed stalks and are cleaned through a 2-screen clipper. Seeds/Kg: 230,000/kg average. Germination: 85% average (test); 40% in greenhouse; 88 plugs per gram of seed. Purity: 98% average.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Seed Treatments: None needed.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Propagation Environment: Greenhouse, 75F/68F day/night temperature cycle during winter propagation; use fans/evaporative coolers and shade from direct sunlight during summer propagation; no extended day length. Container Type and Volume: Ropak Multipot plug trays. Growing Media: Germination mix layered over Sunshine Mix #5 with 180 day Nutricote Total (18-6-8) SR @ 0.151b /cu ft. A 2:1 mix of Sunshine Mix #5:Compro (1 bale Sunshine:2 bags Compro) and Nutricote has been used with good results.
Establishment Phase:	Sowing Date: Early December; mid July for fall field planting. Emergence and Date: 1999 seed planted in summer 2000 - all of the seedlings that germinated (3,980) emerged by day 11. (Weather was unseasonably cool and plugs germinated rapidly under plastic). 1996 seed planted in spring 1999 - 50% had emerged by day 11. These were not under plastic. Sowing/Planting Technique: Seed was direct sown in Ropak multipots. Multipots were watered, covered with plastic and placed in cool section of greenhouse behind shade cloth. Establishment Phase: Planting medium is kept moist during germination by hand watering.
Active Growth Phase:	Rapid Growth Phase: Seedlings develop quickly after germination. They are ready for a cutback when they reach about 4-6" or blades lodge upon watering. Plants need several cutbacks before out-planting to keep blades upright and allow water to reach media. Root and stem vigor is also increased by cutbacks. Plugs are fertilized as needed (every 1-2 weeks) with Technigro 16-17-17 Plus @ 75-100 ppm.
Hardening Phase:	Hardening Phase: Seedlings are not maintained throughout the year. They are started mid-winter for spring outplanting or mid-summer for fall. Seedlings are hardened off by placing plug containers outside the greenhouse in a sheltered area for 2 weeks prior to outplanting. Fertilization is stopped and water is decreased.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Harvest Date: Late March-early April; plugs are generally ready for outplanting 14 weeks after they germinate. Seed Storage: Seed storage estimated to be greater than 4 years if seed is stored dry, in cloth bags or paper envelopes at 40 F and 35% relative humidity. Storage Conditions: Plugs in Ropak Multipots which failed to mature in time for fall planting have been over-wintered in a dark cooler @ 45 F, all survived and produced seed when removed the following spring. Needed periodic watering while in storage.
Length of Storage:	<b>Storage Duration:</b> 5 months.
References:	Manual of the Grasses of the United States, Hitchcock, 2nd edition, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950. Manual of Vascular Plants, Gleason and Cronquist, D. Van Nostrand Co., 1963.

Citation:

Kujawski, Jennifer L.; Davis, Kathy M.. 2001. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Elymus villosus Muhl. ex Willd. plants Container plugs; USDA NRCS - Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center Beltsville, Maryland. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/20). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.