How to design a Diverse Native Grassland Mix
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- Elizabeth Steele teaches what puts "Diverse" in Diverse Native Grassland, and how you can design a seed mix to meet your needs (and your budget) using the four functional diversity groups: Native Warm Season Grasses, Native Cool Season Grasses, Native Forbs, and Native Legumes
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Are these grasses the same as what the American Bison had available when they thrived hundreds of years ago in what's now midwest US to the Rockies? For herds the size those were back then, even though migratory, the grasses would have to be plentiful and nutritious to support them, it seems. So if these worked great for Bison (a very successful large mammal, until recent history), they should naturally work for cattle and allow them to thrive as well.
Yes, they are indeed the same grasses that once made up the vast grasslands of the United States!
could you please share some info on native planting mixes (flowers and grasses) for small areas like home yards and planting areas as well as best native plants for home gardening. thank you
I will pass this on to our production team. I do think something like this is in the works!
Any advice on horse forage?
the key points from Elizabeth Steele’s discussion on designing a diverse native grassland mix for grazing:
Functional Diversity Groups: These are groups of plants that perform similar functions in the environment. The four main groups mentioned are Native Warm Season Grasses, Native Cool Season Grasses, Native Forbs (Wildflowers), and Native Legumes.
Species Diversity: More species from each functional group is generally better. This diversity contributes to the overall health and resilience of the grassland.
Site Adaptation: It’s crucial to ensure that the plants chosen are adapted to the site where they’ll be planted.
Benefits of Diverse Native Grasslands: These include providing green forage in each season, improving soil health, increasing organic matter, enhancing rainfall infiltration, and creating good wildlife habitats.
Point of Diminishing Returns: There’s a point at which adding more species doesn’t yield the same benefits as when you add the initial species. The goal is to find a balance that maximizes benefits without unnecessary complexity or cost.
Stability: One of the key benefits of diversity is stability in forage production. This means having a consistent level of forage across different years, regardless of whether they’re good or dry years. This stability allows for consistent herd sizes and smoother operations.
Choice for Livestock: Having multiple species gives livestock a choice of what to eat. This variety can be important for the animals’ health and well-being, which ultimately translates into better productivity and profitability.
Self-Medication and Dietary Balance: Animals can balance their diets and self-medicate by eating different plants. This is only possible if they have access to a variety of plants.
Medicinal Impacts: Some plants can have medicinal benefits for the animals. However, these are often less palatable, so they won’t be eaten in large quantities.
Soil Health and Wildlife Habitat: A diverse native grassland can improve soil health and provide better habitats for wildlife. The diversity of plants contributes to the health of the soil, which in turn supports more diverse wildlife.
Number of Species: The ideal number of species from each functional diversity group varies. For native warm season grasses and native cool season grasses, Elizabeth suggests at least five species, preferably around ten. For native forbs and legumes, she suggests at least ten species, preferably around twenty.
Adaptation: It’s important to choose plants that are adapted to the specific conditions of the site, including the amount of sunlight and the characteristics of the soil.
Right Plant in the Right Place: This principle emphasizes the importance of matching the plant species to the conditions of the site. For example, a cattail, which thrives in swampy conditions, would not survive on a dry ridge, and vice versa for a cactus.
Understanding Your Soils: It’s crucial to understand the characteristics of your soils, particularly their wetness or dryness. This understanding allows you to choose the right plants for each area.
Altering the Ratio of Functional Diversity Groups: The ratio of different functional diversity groups can be altered based on various factors, such as whether it’s your first planting of natives, whether you’re raising small ruminants or cattle, and whether the site is in full sun or a silvopasture (a combination of forestry and grazing).
The two key principles for a successful diverse native grassland planting for grazing are getting the diversity out there (multiple species from each functional diversity group) and getting the right plant in the right place (plants that are adapted to the specific conditions of the site).
Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or need additional information!
The report covers all the key points and concepts shared by Elizabeth Steele on designing a diverse native grassland mix for grazing. This includes the importance of functional diversity groups, species diversity, site adaptation, benefits of diverse native grasslands, stability in forage production, choice for livestock, self-medication and dietary balance, medicinal impacts, soil health and wildlife habitat, understanding your soils, and altering the ratio of functional diversity groups. If there’s any specific point or detail you feel is missing or needs further elaboration, please let me know! I’m here to help. 😊
Thank you for that concise summary. This commenter is not affiliated with us in any way, but we appreciate the thorough breakdown. All inquiries about principles discussed in this video or about a planting should be directed to Hamilton Native Outpost directly.
Below are the key points from Elizabeth Steele’s discussion on designing a diverse native grassland mix for grazing:
Functional Diversity Groups: These are groups of plants that perform similar functions in the environment. The four main groups mentioned are Native Warm-Season Grasses, Native Cool-Season Grasses, Native Forbs (Wildflowers), and Native Legumes.
Species Diversity: Generally, having more species from each functional group is better. This diversity contributes to the overall health and resilience of the grassland.
Site Adaptation: It’s crucial to ensure that the plants chosen are adapted to the site where they’ll be planted.
Benefits of Diverse Native Grasslands: These include providing green forage in each season, improving soil health, increasing organic matter, enhancing rainfall infiltration, and creating good wildlife habitats.
Point of Diminishing Returns: There’s a point at which adding more species doesn’t yield the same benefits as when you add the initial species. The goal is to find a balance that maximizes benefits without unnecessary complexity or cost.
Stability: One key benefit of diversity is stability in forage production. This means having a consistent level of forage across different years, whether good or dry years. This stability allows for consistent herd sizes and smoother operations.
Choice for Livestock: Having multiple species gives livestock choices of what to eat. This variety can be important for the animal’s health and well-being, ultimately improving productivity and profitability.
Self-Medication and Dietary Balance: Animals can balance their diets and self-medicate by eating different plants. This is only possible if they have access to a variety of plants.
Medicinal Impacts: Some plants can have medicinal benefits for animals. However, these are often less palatable, so they won’t be eaten in large quantities.
Soil Health and Wildlife Habitat: A diverse native grassland can improve soil health and provide better habitats for wildlife. Plants' diversity contributes to the soil's health, which in turn supports more diverse wildlife.
Number of Species: The ideal number of species from each functional diversity group varies. For native warm-season grasses and native cool-season grasses, Elizabeth suggests at least five species, preferably around ten. For native forbs and legumes, she suggests at least ten species, preferably around twenty.
Adaptation: It’s important to choose plants that are adapted to the site's specific conditions, including the amount of sunlight and the characteristics of the soil.
Right Plant in the Right Place: This principle emphasizes matching the plant species to the site's conditions. For example, a cattail, which thrives in swampy conditions, would not survive on a dry ridge, and vice versa for a cactus.
Understanding Your Soils: It’s crucial to understand the characteristics of your soils, particularly their wetness or dryness. This understanding allows you to choose the right plants for each area.
Altering the Ratio of Functional Diversity Groups: The ratio of different functional diversity groups can be altered based on various factors, such as whether it’s your first native plantation, whether you’re raising small ruminants or cattle, and whether the site is in full sun or a silvopasture (a combination of forestry and grazing).
The two key principles for a successful diverse native grassland planting for grazing are getting the diversity out there (multiple species from each functional diversity group) and getting the right plant in the right place (plants adapted to the site's specific conditions).
Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or need additional information!
Thank you for that concise summary. This commenter is not affiliated with us in any way, but we appreciate the thorough breakdown. All inquiries about principles discussed in this video or about a planting should be directed to Hamilton Native Outpost directly.
Thanks
I fully agree with all you talked about. Another thing I focus on is getting the soil biology to match the plants you are trying to grow. Most soils do not have enough carbon and fungi and therefore they will grow to much weeds which like bacteria and nitrates. If this is corrected to a 1:1 ratio of fungi and bacteria these diverse mixes will thrive. In order to get fungi up you need a lot of carbon on surface abs better yet compost it first
It's worth mentioning that seeds from these native plants will come pre-inoculated with their own preferred microbes that they've inherited, in effect doing what the compost tea would also do. When used in combination a planting can really take off but compost tea *usually* isn't a necessary step.
@@robomaster14 thanks for that info. Is that true for most seeds including hybrids or just mostly natives ? My point about getting the bacteria to fungi ratio correct was more about better conditions for these grasses to thrive and less for weeds. Thanks again.
@@timshirk6261 All plants will inoculate the soil with their ideal microbial mix, now they wont have all the microbes necessary so there's still some succession needed to adjust F:B ratios but you have some wiggle room depending on species (Think of pioneer tree species, like hackberry) that will establish with high bacterial populations but will overtime bring up those fungal populations or vice versa for other species that prefer lower fungal populations. For more reading look up the rhizophagy process. Its a fantastic way to visualize what's happening when you apply compost tea or when a seedling begins to influence the native soil fauna.
do you have to use a seed drill and much would cost on the avg to a full mix of all the seeds
No, we broadcast everything here, even in our seed production fields. Drills typically get the native seeds too deep.
@@HamiltonNativeOutpost thank you
And...Native Grasslands sequester more carbon than forestlands do. The biomass beneath prairie grassland permanently remove this carbon from our atmosphere. Let's reestablish as much grassland as possible. thanks. Also see Cajun Prairie Preservation Society.