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consider an erosion control blanket to cover the slope to <br />prevent rilling and loss of topsoil and seed that has been <br />applied. <br />3. Seeding should preferably be accomplished using an appropriate grass <br />drill. The drill should be equipped with a satisfactory seed - feeding <br />mechanism, agitator, double disc openers with depth bands and packer <br />wheels or drag chains. Distances between drill rows should not exceed <br />12 inches. The best results are from a seed drill that has an 8 inch <br />spacing between drill rows. Seed may be broadcast if the site is not <br />accessible to a grass drill. Broadcast rates will be double the drill <br />rates. The broadcast seed should be covered 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch deep <br />rake in. Care should be taken not to cover the seed over 3/4 of an inch <br />since it will probably not be able to germinate and emerge at deeper <br />depths. If the soil is frozen seeding should wait until the site can be <br />drilled or broadcast and the seed covered to the required depth. Hydro <br />mulching might be a consideration on some sites that are difficult to <br />reseed. I would recommend that two operations be applied with hydro <br />mulching. The seed applied first and the mulch in the second operation. <br />If the seeding operation is done all at once I would ask the applicator <br />for some assurances of success when applying the seed by hydro mulch. <br />4. The timing of the seeding should also be considered. Best results <br />are with late fall seeding before the ground freezes. Spring <br />application will work but it may take longer to get a stand of grass <br />that holds the ground. Seeding should not occur from May 15th to the <br />middle of October unless supplemental water is available to germinate <br />the newly seeded area. Supplemental water could be applied at a rate <br />sufficient to keep plants from stressing once they are germinated. <br />Apply about an inch of water per application during the first growing <br />season dependent on the amount of natural moisture received. <br />5. Upon completion of the seeding operation the site should be covered <br />with weed free mulch at the rate of 4,000 lbs to the acre and be <br />crimped into the soil to prevent the straw from being blown off the <br />site. Mulches will provide a more humid environment for the seeding to <br />become established, help in providing wind erosion protection and <br />conserve existing soil moisture. I would recommend oat straw as a <br />mulch. <br />6. Weed control for the first two seasons should be considered as part <br />of the seeding operation. Mowing during the first growing season when <br />the weeds are approximately 6 inches high will help in establishing the <br />newly seeded area. Native grass seeding takes from 2 to 4 years to get <br />firmly established depending on the species selected. <br />A good mix that I would recommend for this site: <br />Species <br />Sideoats Grama <br />Switch Grass <br />Little Bluestem <br />Sand Bluestem <br />Western Wheatgrass <br />Prairie Sandreed <br />Sand Dropseed <br />Variety Seeding rate <br />Butte 3.0 Pls # /ac <br />Nebraska 28 2.0 Pls # /ac <br />Pastura 2.0 Pls # /ac <br />Woodward 3.0 Pls # /ac <br />Arriba 2.5 Pls # /ac <br />Goshen 1.5 Pls # /ac <br />Native 0.5 Pls # /ac <br />