Planting Methods for
Establishing Native
Forbs on the Landscape
Alison Whittaker, Danny Summers, Jason
Stettler, Jason Vernon
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Great Basin Research Center
Scott Jensen
Rocky Mountain Research Station
Shrub Sciences Laboratory
Questions
 Can we get these native forbs to grow in a
wildland setting?
 What kind of equipment should we be
using to plant seed from these native
forbs?
 How deep should we plant these species?
Does soil texture have and effect on
planting depth?
 Can we use these species in large scale
restoration projects?
Outline
 Update on the comparison of wildland
planting methods of native forbs.
 Soil texture and planting depth study.
 Update on the Forb Island Study.
What piece of equipment do
we use?
Planting Methods




Aerator
Pipe Harrow
Ely Chain
Truax Rangeland Drill
Seed Mix
Species
Munro Globemallow
Rate (lbs/acre)
0.5
Seeds/sq.ft.
4.32
Blue Flax
Utah Sweetvetch
Silvery Lupine
1
1
1.5
6.04
0.60
0.27
Palmer Penstemon
Utah Astragalus
Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Firecracker Penstemon
Tapertip Hawksbeard
Total
0.5
0.6
2
0.29
0.16
7.55
4.86
2.03
2.28
3.18
0.48
24.04
Results
Germination of Seeded Species by Site
7.0%
5.0%
ASUT
BASA
CRAC
HEBO
LILE
LUAR
PEEA
PEPA8
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
1.0%
North
South
Harrow
Drill
Control
Chain
Aerator
Harrow
Drill
Control
Chain
0.0%
Aerator
% Germination
6.0%
Germination and Establishment of Seeded
Species
% Germination
2.0%
1.5%
1.0%
1 Year
2 Years
0.5%
0.0%
Seeded Species
Control
Aerator
Harrow
Drill
Chain
Which piece of equipment
should you use?
 Some success from each piece of equipment
with the least amount of success with the drill.
 Consider your objectives
 Do you want to remove sagebrush? If so how
much?
 Consider the site potential
 Is there cheatgrass or other weedy annuals
present?
 How rocky is the site?
Soil Texture – Planting Depth
Study
Planting Depths
• Surface
• 1 cm
• 2 cm
• 3 cm
Soil Textures
• Clay Loam
• Loam
• Sandy Loam
• Loamy Sand
Species
Cold Stratified Species
Heliomeris multiflora var. nevadensis
Crepis acuminata
Crepis intermedia
Ipomopsis aggregata
Lomatium nudicaule
Balsamorhiza sagitatta
Eriogonum heracleoides
Penstemon speciosus
Penstemon pachyphyllus
Enceliopsis nudicaulis
Non-Stratified Species
Sphaeralcea coccinea
Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia
Lupinus prunophilus
Lupinus sericeus
Lupinus arbustus
Lupinus argenteus
Agoseris grandiflora
Agoseris heterophylla
Cleome lutea
Mentzelia albicaulis
Germination of Non-Stratified Species
100%
% Germination
80%
60%
Surface
1 cm
2 cm
3 cm
40%
20%
0%
Species
Mortality of Non-Stratified Species
100
% Mortality
80
60
Surface
1 cm
2 cm
3 cm
40
20
0
Species
Germination of Cold Stratified Species
100%
% Germination
80%
60%
Surface
1cm
2cm
3cm
40%
20%
0%
Species
Mortality of Cold Stratified Species
100
% Mortality
80
60
Surface
1cm
2cm
3cm
40
20
0
Species
Germination by Soil Type of Non-Stratified Species
100%
%Germination
80%
60%
Clay loam
Loam
Sandy Loam
Loamy Sand
40%
20%
0%
Species
Germination by Soil Type of Cold Stratified Species
100%
% Germination
80%
60%
Clay Loam
Loam
Sandy Loam
Loamy Sand
40%
20%
0%
Species
Germination of Seeded Species by Site
7.0%
5.0%
ASUT
BASA
CRAC
HEBO
LILE
LUAR
PEEA
PEPA8
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
1.0%
North
South
Harrow
Drill
Control
Chain
Aerator
Harrow
Drill
Control
Chain
0.0%
Aerator
% Germination
6.0%
Forb Island Study
N-Sulate Fabric
 Row cover that is permeable to water
and air
 Allows light penetration
 Increases soil temperature
 Increases length of soil moisture
availability
 Hypothesis - Increase seed germination
and survival
Study Design
 4 sites




Fountain Green
Gordon Creek
Lookout Pass
Hatch Ranch
 2 N-Sulate treatments
 Covered
 Uncovered
 2 Seed Mixes
Seed Mixes
Rate
Seed Mix 1
Seeds/ft2
Rate
Seed Mix 2
Seeds/ft2
Linum lewisii
9
Agoseris grandiflora
24
Poa fendleriana
17
Agoseris heterophylla
18
Cleome serrulata
3
Nicotiana attenuata
26
Lupinus argenteus
21
Lomatium nudicaule
25
Sphaeralcea grossularifolia
20
Argemone munita
18
Balsamorhiza sagittata
16
Heliomeris multiflora
nevadensis
17
Hedysarum boreale
17
Thelypodium milleflorum
18
Penstemon pachyphyllus
17
Total
146
Total
122
1st Growing Season - 2010 Plots
90
80
basa3
clse
hebo
lile
luar3
pepa8
agose
armu
hemun
lonu2
niat
thmi5
Density (m. sq.)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Uncovered
Covered
Mix 1
Uncovered
Covered
Mix 2
Uncovered
Covered
Control
Germintation by Site - 2010 Plots
70
50
40
30
20
10
Fountain Green
Gordon Creek
Hatch Ranch
Covered
Uncovered
Covered
Uncovered
Covered
Uncovered
Covered
0
Uncovered
Density (m. sq.)
60
Lookout Pass
agose
armu
basa3
clse
hebo
lile
lonu2
luar3
niat
pepa8
pofe
thmi5
Second Growing Season - 2009 Plots
40
35
25
20
15
10
5
Mix 1
Mix 2
Covered
Uncovered
Covered
Uncovered
Covered
0
Uncovered
Density (m. sq.)
30
Control
agose
armu
basa3
clse
hebo
hemun
lile
lonu2
luar3
niat
pepa8
pofe
thmi5
Cost vs Benefit
 Possibility of increase in cheatgrass and
other annual species.
 Price of N-Sulate fabric is approximately
$800/acre but it can be used 2 or 3 times.
 Increased germination of seeded species
particularly on drier sites during the first
year. Less of a difference the second year.
 Increased germination of sagebrush.
Continued Research and
New Questions
 Continue to monitor equipment comparison study.
 Can we control the planting depth of the drill so that the
native forbs are not being planted too deep and have
better success with the rangeland drill?
 Continue to monitor the Forb Island study to follow
establishment.
 Can we use plateau with N-Sulate fabric to help control
germination of cheatgrass and other annuals?
 Are there other mulches that can improve
establishment of native forbs that may be more cost
effective than N-Sulate fabric?
Acknowledgements
Additional funding from the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid Grant W-82-R