By: Megan K. Clayton, Forrest S. Smith, Keith A. Pawelek, and Anthony D. Falk*
*Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist; and Director, Assistant Director, and Evaluation and Collection Coordinator, South Texas Natives Project, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University– Kingsville
After the work of planning and seeding native plants is complete, it is often difficult to wait for results. Even though you waited to plant before expected “normal” rainfall, you will also likely find yourself waiting until the conditions are right for the seeds to germinate and establish (Fig. 1).
After seeding, expect to wait at least a year for the native plant community to reach its full potential—if the area receives the normal amount of rainfall. During drought conditions, allow at least 3 years for the plant community to establish.
Field appearance
Successful native plantings usually include species that colonize an area in three stages, early-, mid-, and latesuccession. Early-succession plants will germinate first; typically followed by mid- and late-succession plants, which usually emerge gradually over time.
If you planted species from a variety of successional stages, the site could look “weedy” during the initial stages of plant establishment (Figs. 2 and 3), much different from what you expected. Allow time for the natural plant succession to occur before taking action on the site or calling it a failure.
Livestock grazing
For areas where you plan to eventually graze livestock, make sure that you can provide alternative pastures for 1 to 3 years, or until the native stand establishes. Once established, native fields can provide enough good-quality forage for livestock if you manage grazing properly—that is, you do not exceed the carrying capacity of the plant resources (for more information, see How Much Forage Do You Have? which is available from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bookstore at https://www.agrilifebookstore.org/). You may need to plant fewer acres at a time to allow more alternative areas to graze livestock in case of drought.
Grazing a newly planted area too soon after planting is a critical mistake because livestock often prefer this new growth; the plants will not be able to grow adequate roots and shoots to survive being grazed.
Once the plant community is well established, you will need to continue to maintain lower grazing rates than are common for introduced pastures or native stands. Set livestock stocking rates to leave enough stubble—at least 50 percent of the plant—to enable the plants to recover easily from grazing and allow the plant community to become well established. Monitor the area continuously to keep from overusing the livestock’s preferred grasses.
Proper livestock grazing can benefit native plantings once they have become established. Grazing can increase the production of forbs, reduce ground litter, and make use of dense grass species.
Prescribed burning
Landowners who plan to incorporate prescribed fire into their management plans should wait at least 2 years to burn after planting to allow the plants to become established. During this period, the plants will be able to produce dormant fuel as well as develop enough roots to regrow after the burn.
After the fire, give the plants enough time to regrow before grazing with livestock; the more recently established plants may take a bit longer to rebound post-burn.
If you need to burn areas of a native-seeded pasture sooner, protect the new plantings by installing fire lines such as disked or plowed borders around them. Before deciding to burn, carefully weigh the potential benefits against the risks of prescribed fire in your area. For example, although prescribed fire may increase grass productivity, some invasive exotic grasses respond more favorably to prescribed fire than do natives. Use discretion when considering the use of fire as a management tool in restored native grasslands.
Summary
Allow seeded native plants to mature fully and produce seed at least once before applying any pressure from livestock, implementing prescribed fire, or undertaking other management practices. This delay will minimize the chances of losing plants to weather or accidental overuse. It also will increase the amount of desirable seed in the soil and improve your site’s resiliency for years to come.
For more information
The Reseeding Natives in South Texas series also offers these publications:
- Planting Techniques and Equipment
- Site Preparation
- Selecting the Seed Mix
- Targeting Noxious Plants
- Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid
They are available from the Texas AgriLife Extension Bookstore at http:// www.agrilifebookstore.org/. How-to videos are also available on the Web:
- The Benefits of Reseeding with Natives (http://youtu.be/KmSv9kCD7uU)
- Seedbed Preparation (http://youtu.be/8HXjTXNqYYs)
- Reading Tags, Storage, and Handling of Seed (http:// youtu.be/aLKu3lExXIw)
- Selecting Native Seed Mix (http://youtu.be/bhZwroeq 2dI)
- The Parts of a Seed Drill and Calibration (http://youtu.be/VhMlfapT1vQ)
- Timing and Planting Expectations (http://youtu.be/jGGq8TrQtC4)
- Maintenance with Brush Management (http://youtu.be/00TjO-t4Ze0)
Download a printer-friendly version of this publication: Reseeding Natives in South Texas: Post-Planting Management
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