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The Forest Service National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources (RNGR) is a leading source of technical information for nurseries and land managers regarding production and planting of trees and other native plants for reforestation, restoration, and conservation.

 
NPN Protocol Details Image

Carex (nigricans)

Tara Luna
USDI NPS - Glacier National Park
West Glacier, Montana 59936
(406) 888-7835
http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/azpmc
Family Scientific Name: Cyperaceae
Family Common Name: Sedge Family
Scientific Name: Carex nigricans Retz.
Common Name: Black alpine sedge
Species Code: CARNIG
Ecotype: Wet subalpine meadows, Logan Pass, 2200m elevation.
General Distribution: C. nigricans ranges from Siberia to Alaska, south to California, and east to the Rocky Mountain states in wet, subalpine to alpine habitats.
Propagation Goal: plants
Propagation Method: seed
ProductType: Container (plug)
Stock Type: 490 ml containers
Time To Grow: 9 Months
Target Specifications: Stock Type: Container seedlings<br> Height:15 cm<br> Caliper:n/a<br> Root System: firm plug in 490 ml pots.
Propagule Collection: Hand collect mature inflorescences when perigynia and scales turn dark brown. Seeds are stored in paper bags in a drying shed prior to cleaning.
Propagule Processing: Seeds can be cleaned by using a thresher and air blower and screens.
Seeds are stored at 3 to 5 C in sealed containers.Seed longevity is unknown.
Seed dormancy is classified as physiological dormancy.
Seeds/Kg:2,684,946/kg
% Purity:100%
% Germination: 50%
Pre-Planting Treatments: Seeds are fall sown outdoors in conetainers and undergo a 5 month outdoor cold, moist stratification.
Growing Area Preparation/
Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:		 Outdoor Nursery.
Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seeds are surface sown for the light requirement.
Growing medium used is 6:1:1 milled sphagnum peat,perlite, and vermiculite with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer (13N:13P2O5:13K2O; 8 to 9 month release rate at 21C) and Micromax fertilizer (12%S, 0.1%B, 0.5%Cu, 12%Fe,2 .5%Mn, 0.05%Mo, 1%Zn) at the rate of 2 grams of Osmocote and 1 gram of Micromax per 172 ml conetainer.

Conetainers are filled and sown in late fall and irrigated thoroughly prior to winter stratification.
Seedlings germinate in spring under fluctuating outdoor temperatures and are grown under full sun exposure. Seedlings are irrigated with Rainbird automatic irrigation system in early morning until containers are thoroughly leached.
Average growing season of nursery is from late April after snowmelt until October 15th.
Establishment Phase: Seeds germinate in April and early May when outdoor temperatures range from 13 to 21C during the day and 0 to 10 C during the night. Medium is kept moist during germination. Shoot and root development occur rapidly following germination.
Length of Establishment Phase: 4 weeks
Active Growth Phase: This high elevation species is adapted to very rapid growth and development.
Additional fertilizationwas not required for seedlings to reach root-tightness in 8 weeks. Seedlings require frequent irrigation.
Plants held over in the nursery the second year were flowering 5 weeks after snowmelt.
Length of Active Growth Phase: 8 weeks
Hardening Phase: Plants are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 200 ppm during August and September. Irrigation is gradually reduced in September and October. Plants were given one final irrigation prior to winterization.
Length of Hardening Phase: 4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: Total Time to Harvest: 9 months
Harvest Date: July to August
Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam cover and snow.
Length of Storage: 5 months
Other Comments: Vegetative Propagation Method:This species has a strongly rhizomatous root system. Nursery stock can be divided to obtain additional plants.
References: Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press,7th printing, 1990.
Growing Colorado Plants from Seed, A State of the Art, Vol. 2, USDA Forest Service , General Technical Report INT-103, Jan.1981.
Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished.
Native and Introduced Species Statistics, National Park Service, Denver Service Center, Hassell, Wendel, April 1996.

Citation:

Evans, Jeff. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Carex nigricans Retz. plants 490 ml containers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/24). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.