Photo: Prairie restoration in East Texas. © 2017 Delena Norris-Tull
Prairie Restoration Workshop: East Texas – Indian Grass Preserve, part of the Katy Prairie Conservancy
Summaries by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, September 2020.
My great-niece, Amber Leung, invited me to attend a one-day workshop, The 2017 Prairie Restoration Roundup, at the Indian Grass Preserve, near Katy, Texas (just west of Houston). The workshop was held on October 5, 2017, just over a month after Hurricane Harvey devastated much of Houston and surrounding areas.
I was amazed that the Katy Prairie Conservancy was not deterred in providing this valuable workshop, so soon after the hurricane. The workshop, focused on prairie restoration and revegetation projects using native plants, was well attended. It was aimed at landowners, ranchers and farmers, interested in learning the benefits of and processes for adding native plants to their lands.
Summary of presentations:
Kelly Norrid, wildlife biologist and Houston Urban Planner for Texas Parks and Wildlife
kelly.norrid@tpwd.texas.gov
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled “Ten High Power Native Plants for Wildlife”:
1. The structure of the plant community is key in revegetation projects. Structure is about having a diverse shape to the landscape, such as by using tall, medium, and short plants, plants that are available [to wildlife] in diverse seasons, and plants that have diverse uses. Use multi-tasking plants [e.g., plants that are pollinators, seed producers, both for re-seeding purposes and seed that provides food for wildlife, such as quail.] Use plants that have a wide [geographic] range and that are easily propagated. Use seed that is readily available, either commercially, or is easy to collect and propagate.
The big four, or five, native grasses for east Texas are big bluestem, Indian grass, little bluestem, and switchgrass. And maybe grama grass, but it can take over easily. Other useful grasses are side oats grama, wild rye, and gulf muhly.
2. Forbs [definition: herbaceous flowering plants, other than grasses]:
Kelly Norrid chose to focus on a variety of native forbs that are under-utilized in revegetation projects, but that he considers valuable additions.
----------------------------------------------
Aaron Tjemeland, Nature Conservancy of Texas (Reviewed & approved, May 4, 2020)
Work 409-941-9114 Cell 361-522-4060
Email atjelmeland@TNC.ORG
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled, “Collecting, Drying, and Storing Seeds”:
There are no set methods for collecting, drying, and storing seeds. You have to innovate and figure out what works for your site.
1. Collecting seed: The Nature Conservancy staff typically collects over 20 species of native grasses and forbs. We try to introduce as much native diversity as possible into our restoration plantings. We collect brownseed (Paspalum plicatulum) in May, June, and early July. This species can be collected throughout the year, but produces seed massively in May, June, and early July. [Note: brownseed is a native perennial grass that is a good food source for both wildlife and livestock].
For small-scale sites, you can do hand collection along roadsides, private lands [with permission], parks. [Note: In Texas, while it is not legal to collect plants from the right-of-ways or parks, individuals can collect seed]. There are some small hand-held strippers you can use. In small-scale sites, it’s easy to incorporate diverse plant species.
For mid-scale projects, about 7-8 acres, you should consider using machinery for collection, and supplement with hand collections. Seed-strippers can be pulled by an ATV or mounted onto a tractor front-end loader, and start at around $25,000.
We use machinery for harvesting and planting. In this region, fall planting is preferable but we will often plant in the winter and into spring. Spring plantings can be riskier and can take longer to germinate because the soil dries much quicker during that time of year.
For large-scale projects, you can use older farm equipment, such as combines, that may no longer be in use and thus may be affordable. You may be able to contract with a seed company to do the collection for you on your own land.
2. Processing seed:
3. Storing seed: When storing seeds, you need to avoid humidity and heat. Storage at a combined heat (oF) + humidity (% RH) below 100 is ideal. In the hot, humid climate of Texas, the Nature Conservancy staff are content to store the seed at a combined value between 100-105, but that is not ideal. We use insulated containers with a de-humidifier and an awning to shield the lid from sunlight. It is safe to freeze seed after it has been dried, but freezing is often not feasible for larger amounts of seed and not necessary if only storing for a few years until it is planted. After drying, there is not enough moisture in the seed to destroy the seed when frozen. Also, I have not had any problems with insects consuming too much of the native seed.
4. Testing seed: When you buy seed from a commercial source, it will come with basic testing information. But when you harvest seed yourself, you must send It off for testing, if you wish to know the seed quality and to inform your planting rate. If you do not know your seed quality, it is easy to underplant or overplant your seed. We send our seed out to a company to test germination rates, purity of the seed (percentage of seed versus chaff/trash or % weed seed per volume), and dormancy. If you have a low purity or low germination rate, you will have to plant more seed or denser seed. You should calculate how many pounds of seed per acre that you will need. Alternatively, Pure Live Seed (PLS) per square foot can be used to give a more accurate planting rate. A formula to calculate PLS can be found online.
-----------------------------------------------------
Garry Stephens, Wildlife Habitat Federation
[Mr. Stephens worked for the NRCS for 30 years.]
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled “Broadcast Seeding: Techniques and Considerations”:
Advantages of prairie restoration, for ranchers:
Disadvantages:
Other considerations:
Broadcasting forb seed:
The NRCS, unfortunately, is still encouraging ranchers to use bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), an introduced perennial, which we now consider an invasive species. Texas ranches tend to be overrun with introduced grasses, such as King Ranch bluestem, Bermuda grass, and Johnson grass. If you have vaseygrass or Chinese tallow trees, you will need to keep on it to prevent encroachment. You will need to use herbicides initially to reduce the invasive species. There are some products that will kill Johnsongrass without impacting native grasses.
Texas Parks and Wildlife has some grant funds for “Pastures for upland game birds” that will assist in purchasing seed and chemicals. The Texas state Soil and water Conservation Board also has some grants.
If you have about one plant emerge in 10 square feet, you are on the way to success.
----------------------------------------------------
Jim Willis, Wildlife Habitat Federation
Mr. Willis was a farmer for many years. When he became interested in restoring native plants within part of his property, he went to the Nature Conservancy for assistance. He told them he needed a mentor to help him complete the revegetation project. He found out that there was no one with the expertise who could assist him. So he figured it out for himself, and now gives workshops to assist other farmers and ranchers to be able to do this.
Under the auspices of the Wildlife Habitat Federation, Mr. Willis recently completed a large revegetation project for the M.D. Anderson Center (add some details).
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled, “Seeding Demonstrations”:
Native wildflowers attract insects that provide essential food for birds. For example, loggerhead shrikes had been on the decline in the Houston area. At the MD Anderson revegetation project, they have found an increase in shrikes. The shrikes return to areas that have been planted in wildflowers.
The Wildlife Habitat Federation had a special harvester built for them by a company in Billings, Montana, to assist with large-scale seeding projects.
He recommends planting wildflowers [forbs] in September and October. You have to disc slightly for wildflower seed. You can broadcast grass seed, without discing.
Avoid tilling the soil. Tilling brings weed seed to the surface. If you have a hard-pan soil, till as little as possible, to break up the surface.
He recommends killing Johnson grass with Round-Up, before tilling it up. After you get native wildflowers and grasses growing, you won’t have to use chemicals anymore.
If you need to reduce invasive forbs on the site, spray the site with Semtech first [which kills broadleaf invasives, but also kills native forbs]. Then wait one-two weeks after spraying, before planting the wildflower seed.
Plant grasses first, because they take a long time to germinate.
Run a cultipacker over the ground, before broadcasting grass seed. The cultipacker presses the soil down, to make a smooth, firm seed bed. Then broadcast the grass seed. Then use the cultipacker again, to compact the soil after seeding.
He mixes wildflower seed with cat litter or saw dust, so he can see the seed after it is broadcast. After broadcasting the wildflower seed, go back over it with a spike-tooth roller to press it down very slightly.
To get them started, water wildflowers daily for about three weeks. Then you can back off on watering. Grass seed will come up on its own, without extra watering, but can take 1-3 years.
------------------------------------------------
Glenn Merkord, Native Prairies Association of Texas
Mr. Merkord works with the Deer Park Prairie Remnant.
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled, “Invasives and Herbicides”:
Native plants can sometimes become invasive. For example, persimmon, Bachharis, shrubby dogwoods, and yaupon can become invasive. In Texas, we do not typically see issues with native grasses becoming invasive.
Texas has the most challenge with invasive non-native grasses, such as the old world bluestems (e.g., King Ranch bluestem, silky bluestem), maisy grass, tall fescue, bahiagrass.
You can use the herbicide Plateau to kill the invasive grasses, but it will also kill the native Paspalum species.
In Texas there are not a lot of invasive forbs. Brazilian vervain is one found in east Texas.
To remove invasive plants:
Herbicides often must be used to eliminate invasive forbs. Even if native plants are surrounding the invasive forbs, the invasives can still potentially take over the area. Spray plants when the ground is wet. Try to get at the whole taproot.
You cannot successfully pull up invasive grasses, because their rhizomes are often very long and deep. Pulling can stimulate growth.
To remove invasive grasses, here are some tips on the following herbicides:
Herbicides for woody species:
To reduce yaupon infestations, you have to use an herbicide. Simply cutting the plant stimulates growth.
Someone in the group mentioned the following less expensive herbicides - for woody species:
Links to additional Prairie Restoration projects:
Links to additional Rangeland Restoration practices:
Links to additional Innovative Solutions:
Prairie Restoration Workshop: East Texas – Indian Grass Preserve, part of the Katy Prairie Conservancy
Summaries by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, September 2020.
My great-niece, Amber Leung, invited me to attend a one-day workshop, The 2017 Prairie Restoration Roundup, at the Indian Grass Preserve, near Katy, Texas (just west of Houston). The workshop was held on October 5, 2017, just over a month after Hurricane Harvey devastated much of Houston and surrounding areas.
I was amazed that the Katy Prairie Conservancy was not deterred in providing this valuable workshop, so soon after the hurricane. The workshop, focused on prairie restoration and revegetation projects using native plants, was well attended. It was aimed at landowners, ranchers and farmers, interested in learning the benefits of and processes for adding native plants to their lands.
Summary of presentations:
Kelly Norrid, wildlife biologist and Houston Urban Planner for Texas Parks and Wildlife
kelly.norrid@tpwd.texas.gov
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled “Ten High Power Native Plants for Wildlife”:
1. The structure of the plant community is key in revegetation projects. Structure is about having a diverse shape to the landscape, such as by using tall, medium, and short plants, plants that are available [to wildlife] in diverse seasons, and plants that have diverse uses. Use multi-tasking plants [e.g., plants that are pollinators, seed producers, both for re-seeding purposes and seed that provides food for wildlife, such as quail.] Use plants that have a wide [geographic] range and that are easily propagated. Use seed that is readily available, either commercially, or is easy to collect and propagate.
The big four, or five, native grasses for east Texas are big bluestem, Indian grass, little bluestem, and switchgrass. And maybe grama grass, but it can take over easily. Other useful grasses are side oats grama, wild rye, and gulf muhly.
2. Forbs [definition: herbaceous flowering plants, other than grasses]:
Kelly Norrid chose to focus on a variety of native forbs that are under-utilized in revegetation projects, but that he considers valuable additions.
- Partridge pea: valuable quail food [both for the insects it attracts and for the seeds it produces]; pollinator; deer browse that is available through the winter. It is high in phosphorus and protein, and it is low in crude fiber and lignin, thus making it more digestible than some other forbs. As are most legumes, it is valuable for fixing nitrogen in the soil. It’s useful in erosion control, and is fairly readily available commercially.
- Croton species: Kelly said, “There is a croton for every ecosystem.” Texas croton and woolly croton are hosts for leafwing caterpillars/butterflies [popular with butterfly collectors, but whose habitat has been greatly reduced]. Crotons are hosts for a variety of insects that are important food, such as for quail.
- Asteraceae [forbs of the sunflower family]: All species are good to use, as they are valuable pollinators. Kelly mentioned American basketflower; the sunflowers: common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani), swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius); yellow bull thistle and Texas thistle [thistles provide food for wildlife and attract insects for quail].
- Shrubs: provide food, shelter, cover, and thermoregulation [which is very important for quail and for the Texas horned lizard, a declining species]. A cluster of shrubs should have an area of about 40-100 square feet. Islands of shrubs should be planted rather far apart. Kelly said, “About as far apart as a center fielder can throw, about 400 feet.” Keep shrubs under control so that they don’t dominate the landscape. He listed the following as useful shrubs: chickasaw plum, yaupon holly [if kept under control], wax myrtle, gum bumelia, and prickley pear. Prickly pear species provide 97% of the diet for the endangered Texas tortoise, and provides valuable diet, cover, and shelter for wildlife and livestock. [Note from Delena: his list of valuable shrubs was surprising, given concerns in recent years for yaupon holly and prickly pear encroachments]. He said that landowners should not trim off lower limbs of shrubs, as shrubs are important browse for wildlife. [Note: John Samson, at the Wyoming Department of Transportation also warned that, when using shrubs in right-of-ways, be careful that they are not so close to highways that deer and other wildlife in the shrubs are not hidden from view]. Kelly also said that islands of shrubs should not form hard lines, such as rectangles or trimmed hedges. He recommended using soft edges for areas of shrubs.
----------------------------------------------
Aaron Tjemeland, Nature Conservancy of Texas (Reviewed & approved, May 4, 2020)
Work 409-941-9114 Cell 361-522-4060
Email atjelmeland@TNC.ORG
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled, “Collecting, Drying, and Storing Seeds”:
There are no set methods for collecting, drying, and storing seeds. You have to innovate and figure out what works for your site.
1. Collecting seed: The Nature Conservancy staff typically collects over 20 species of native grasses and forbs. We try to introduce as much native diversity as possible into our restoration plantings. We collect brownseed (Paspalum plicatulum) in May, June, and early July. This species can be collected throughout the year, but produces seed massively in May, June, and early July. [Note: brownseed is a native perennial grass that is a good food source for both wildlife and livestock].
For small-scale sites, you can do hand collection along roadsides, private lands [with permission], parks. [Note: In Texas, while it is not legal to collect plants from the right-of-ways or parks, individuals can collect seed]. There are some small hand-held strippers you can use. In small-scale sites, it’s easy to incorporate diverse plant species.
For mid-scale projects, about 7-8 acres, you should consider using machinery for collection, and supplement with hand collections. Seed-strippers can be pulled by an ATV or mounted onto a tractor front-end loader, and start at around $25,000.
We use machinery for harvesting and planting. In this region, fall planting is preferable but we will often plant in the winter and into spring. Spring plantings can be riskier and can take longer to germinate because the soil dries much quicker during that time of year.
For large-scale projects, you can use older farm equipment, such as combines, that may no longer be in use and thus may be affordable. You may be able to contract with a seed company to do the collection for you on your own land.
2. Processing seed:
- Drying: If you need to store the seed for a period of time, you will have to dry it. You can use drawers with screens on them to lay out the seed or lay the seed out on a floor. The key is to keep the air moving across the seed with fans. It generally takes about 3-10 days to dry seed to “crispy dry,” and during that drying time, it’s important to turn the seed over at least once a day so mold doesn’t develop at the bottom of the seed.
- Seed cleaning: You may need to do this to remove trash and seed pods. This is not always necessary. It depends on what technique you will use to plant the seed. If you will be using a seed drill to plant seeds, the seed needs to be pretty clean. There are a lot of different seed cleaners you can use. Many times, shaker tables are used which allow screens to separate seed and chaff. The native seed industry often uses a larger version of these shaker tables to clean seed. If necessary, a de-awner can be used to remove awns from seed. Forced air systems can also be used but are generally for small amounts of seed and for research purposes.
- Broadcasting machines: Broadcast one type of seed at a time because different sizes of seed flow out of a broadcasting machine differently. Calibrate the machine for the size of the seed and the distance you wish to broadcast it. If you use a lawn spreader, the seed doesn’t have to be clean [free of debris], but if the seed is trashy, you may need to cut up the trash first. Use a flail-type chipper or hammer mill to break up the trash and cut it into even-sizes for broadcasting. You can also use a seed slinger. We use old lime spreaders as drop spreaders that allow the seed to fall out of a gap at the bottom that you can adjust. In this case, we don’t need to clean the seed. However, the seed must be able to flow through the gap so we chip the seed up using the hammer mill or similar machine. Some chippers with blades will not chip up the seed so it’s important to use the correct type of chipper.
3. Storing seed: When storing seeds, you need to avoid humidity and heat. Storage at a combined heat (oF) + humidity (% RH) below 100 is ideal. In the hot, humid climate of Texas, the Nature Conservancy staff are content to store the seed at a combined value between 100-105, but that is not ideal. We use insulated containers with a de-humidifier and an awning to shield the lid from sunlight. It is safe to freeze seed after it has been dried, but freezing is often not feasible for larger amounts of seed and not necessary if only storing for a few years until it is planted. After drying, there is not enough moisture in the seed to destroy the seed when frozen. Also, I have not had any problems with insects consuming too much of the native seed.
4. Testing seed: When you buy seed from a commercial source, it will come with basic testing information. But when you harvest seed yourself, you must send It off for testing, if you wish to know the seed quality and to inform your planting rate. If you do not know your seed quality, it is easy to underplant or overplant your seed. We send our seed out to a company to test germination rates, purity of the seed (percentage of seed versus chaff/trash or % weed seed per volume), and dormancy. If you have a low purity or low germination rate, you will have to plant more seed or denser seed. You should calculate how many pounds of seed per acre that you will need. Alternatively, Pure Live Seed (PLS) per square foot can be used to give a more accurate planting rate. A formula to calculate PLS can be found online.
-----------------------------------------------------
Garry Stephens, Wildlife Habitat Federation
[Mr. Stephens worked for the NRCS for 30 years.]
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled “Broadcast Seeding: Techniques and Considerations”:
Advantages of prairie restoration, for ranchers:
- Increased number of quail: With the restoration of native forbs, which provide both seeds and insects as food for quail. He calls insects, “MREs for quail.”
- Decreased cost of inputs: When using native plant species, you don’t have to fertilize them or spray them with insecticides. After initially using herbicides to reduce non-native invasive species, you won’t need to continue using herbicides. You don’t need to supplement cattle with hay. Native grasses provide “standing hay” for livestock.
- Improved soil health: Native plants increase soil bacteria, fungi, mycorrhiza, and earthworms, all which benefit plant growth. You want to attain at least 10 earthworm casts per square foot of soil.
- Improves biodiversity
- Improves carbon sequestration, through the roots in the soil
Disadvantages:
- You will need to reduce the number of livestock per acre
- You will need to use rotational grazing, to avoid over-grazing
- You will need to use prescribed burns to control forbs, reduce invasive species, and to increase the native grasses. Use scrap burning or pass burning on about one-third of the landscape per year.
Other considerations:
- Texas coastal prairies need depressional wetlands throughout the acreage, to hold water.
- In coastal Texas, we need some dry years to encourage plants for quail populations.
- We recommend harvesting native seed locally, to better ensure planting success.
- Broadcast grasses in the fall or spring. In the fall, plant early fall through September.
- Use no-till drilling
- Plant about 10 pounds of grass seed per acre
Broadcasting forb seed:
- Plant forb seeds immediately after planting grass seed
- When broadcasting forbs, slight discing is needed
- Some species are planted in the fall and some in the spring
The NRCS, unfortunately, is still encouraging ranchers to use bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), an introduced perennial, which we now consider an invasive species. Texas ranches tend to be overrun with introduced grasses, such as King Ranch bluestem, Bermuda grass, and Johnson grass. If you have vaseygrass or Chinese tallow trees, you will need to keep on it to prevent encroachment. You will need to use herbicides initially to reduce the invasive species. There are some products that will kill Johnsongrass without impacting native grasses.
Texas Parks and Wildlife has some grant funds for “Pastures for upland game birds” that will assist in purchasing seed and chemicals. The Texas state Soil and water Conservation Board also has some grants.
If you have about one plant emerge in 10 square feet, you are on the way to success.
----------------------------------------------------
Jim Willis, Wildlife Habitat Federation
Mr. Willis was a farmer for many years. When he became interested in restoring native plants within part of his property, he went to the Nature Conservancy for assistance. He told them he needed a mentor to help him complete the revegetation project. He found out that there was no one with the expertise who could assist him. So he figured it out for himself, and now gives workshops to assist other farmers and ranchers to be able to do this.
Under the auspices of the Wildlife Habitat Federation, Mr. Willis recently completed a large revegetation project for the M.D. Anderson Center (add some details).
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled, “Seeding Demonstrations”:
Native wildflowers attract insects that provide essential food for birds. For example, loggerhead shrikes had been on the decline in the Houston area. At the MD Anderson revegetation project, they have found an increase in shrikes. The shrikes return to areas that have been planted in wildflowers.
The Wildlife Habitat Federation had a special harvester built for them by a company in Billings, Montana, to assist with large-scale seeding projects.
He recommends planting wildflowers [forbs] in September and October. You have to disc slightly for wildflower seed. You can broadcast grass seed, without discing.
Avoid tilling the soil. Tilling brings weed seed to the surface. If you have a hard-pan soil, till as little as possible, to break up the surface.
He recommends killing Johnson grass with Round-Up, before tilling it up. After you get native wildflowers and grasses growing, you won’t have to use chemicals anymore.
If you need to reduce invasive forbs on the site, spray the site with Semtech first [which kills broadleaf invasives, but also kills native forbs]. Then wait one-two weeks after spraying, before planting the wildflower seed.
Plant grasses first, because they take a long time to germinate.
Run a cultipacker over the ground, before broadcasting grass seed. The cultipacker presses the soil down, to make a smooth, firm seed bed. Then broadcast the grass seed. Then use the cultipacker again, to compact the soil after seeding.
He mixes wildflower seed with cat litter or saw dust, so he can see the seed after it is broadcast. After broadcasting the wildflower seed, go back over it with a spike-tooth roller to press it down very slightly.
To get them started, water wildflowers daily for about three weeks. Then you can back off on watering. Grass seed will come up on its own, without extra watering, but can take 1-3 years.
------------------------------------------------
Glenn Merkord, Native Prairies Association of Texas
Mr. Merkord works with the Deer Park Prairie Remnant.
Here are the main points of his presentation entitled, “Invasives and Herbicides”:
Native plants can sometimes become invasive. For example, persimmon, Bachharis, shrubby dogwoods, and yaupon can become invasive. In Texas, we do not typically see issues with native grasses becoming invasive.
Texas has the most challenge with invasive non-native grasses, such as the old world bluestems (e.g., King Ranch bluestem, silky bluestem), maisy grass, tall fescue, bahiagrass.
You can use the herbicide Plateau to kill the invasive grasses, but it will also kill the native Paspalum species.
In Texas there are not a lot of invasive forbs. Brazilian vervain is one found in east Texas.
To remove invasive plants:
- Fire is the most beneficial strategy. Not only does it kill the invasives and much of their seed, but it restores their nutrients to the soil.
- Pulling plants is more beneficial (less disruptive to the soil) than digging them up, but is not always effective.
- Herbicides are often an essential part of the management practice. Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides over large areas. For example, if feasible, burn the plants back to the roots first, so that you spray a much smaller area. This not only reduces the amount of herbicide you introduce to the system, but is much less expensive than broadcast spraying.
- Haying young plants can be used to reduce invasives, but you lose the benefit of restoring the nutrients to the soil.
- Grazing is an effective tool to reduce invasives, depending on the species.
- Mowing can be used to reduce invasives, but does not remove plants, and may result in covering up [mulching] native plants, potentially preventing natives from reseeding naturally. In dense stands, you can mow the area first, then spray individual clusters of invasive plants with herbicides.
Herbicides often must be used to eliminate invasive forbs. Even if native plants are surrounding the invasive forbs, the invasives can still potentially take over the area. Spray plants when the ground is wet. Try to get at the whole taproot.
You cannot successfully pull up invasive grasses, because their rhizomes are often very long and deep. Pulling can stimulate growth.
To remove invasive grasses, here are some tips on the following herbicides:
- Round-Up (glyphosate) –you will need to re-apply it several times. Be aware that it kills everything [grasses and forbs]. There is recent research and lawsuits, because of the potential to be a carcinogen.
- Outrider – is expensive but you can buy smaller packages, such as Certainty. It is safe to use with warm season grasses and will not harm native grasses. Outrider works slowly.
Herbicides for woody species:
- Remedy – kills foliage. Or you can cut a woody plant to the ground and spray the woody base. In this case, add diesel to the herbicide (25% diesel). Add marking dye to the desiel, so you know where you have sprayed. It’s helpful to have one person cut, and another person spray. (Less expensive alternatives: Regulate; Grazeon)
- Basal bark treatment – add diesel to the herbicide. For smooth bark trees, such as Chinese tallow tree, simply spray around the base of the tree.
- Hack and squirt – Cut a notch in the wood and spray with Arsenal and 50% water. This is an inexpensive technique.
To reduce yaupon infestations, you have to use an herbicide. Simply cutting the plant stimulates growth.
Someone in the group mentioned the following less expensive herbicides - for woody species:
- Arsenal works on woody species
- Sidekick
Links to additional Prairie Restoration projects:
Links to additional Rangeland Restoration practices:
- Federal Goals for Rangelands
- Novel Ecosystems
- Sagebrush Steppe Restoration
- Revegetation with Native Plants
- Dogs as detectors of noxious weeds
Links to additional Innovative Solutions: