Deschampsia (flexuosa)
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Jan Schultz Forest Plant Ecologist USDA FS - Hiawatha National Forest 1030 Wright Street Marquette, Michigan 49855 906.228.8491 906.228.4484 (fax) jschultz@fs.fed.us http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/copmc/ |
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| Family Scientific Name: | Gramineae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Grass Family | ||
| Scientific Name: | Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Beauv. | ||
| Common Name: | Hairgrass | ||
| Species Code: | DEFL | ||
| General Distribution: | Open, generally dry sandy or rocky shores, dunes, and plains, usually associated with pine, oak, and aspen, particularly characteristic of jack pine plains and timbered and burned over sand ridges. Circumboreal. Slender leaves of grass growing in tufts, distinct or clumps. Height is 1'-3'. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | seed | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Time To Grow: | 0 | ||
| Propagule Collection: | Seed is collected by hand from locally native plants within the eastern central Upper Peninsula. Seed is quite small and easiest to harvest by cutting the entire plant head. Flowers from late summer to fall. Seed is an achene and is collected in October. | ||
| Propagule Processing: | Dry seeds for 1-2 weeks in open paper bags or open Rubbermaid-style bins. Seed is not cleaned. Once seeds have dried begin stratification. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | One to three months of moist cold stratification is required. Use a Ziploc-style bag or a small Rubbermaid-style container to mix an equal amount of seeds with either perlite or vermiculite. Add a small amount of water. (There should be no visible water within the bag or container.) Place in a refrigerator or cold garage (33-42 degrees F) for at least one month. Cold store until planted (up to 3 years). | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Propagation Environment: Greenhouse made of Standard U.V. 3Hl Clear 6 mil from (J.R. Johnson's Supply Inc.). Fans run continuously to circulate the air. Vents open during summer months for cooling. Container Type: grows best in 24 cell (2" diameter), 14"x8.5"x4" deep. Hairgrass does not do well in deep plug trays. Growing Media: Scotts Redi-earth Plug and Seedling Mix. Contains vermiculite, and sphagnum peat moss. Soil is sterile. Thoroughly moisten the soil with water, mixing in the water with a trowel. Cover the holes in the bottom/sides of the plug tray cells with newspaper, as the soil will fall through. Fill cells with damp soil and press soil down with a spoon. Refill the cell plugs with soil to the top, this time not pressing it down. Thoroughly moisten soil in the plug cells, but do not saturate. Sow the seeds by hand at arate of about 3 seeds in each cell. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil or gently press the seeds into the dirt. Sow year-round in the greenhouse due to its slow germination rate and variable success rates. Approximately 50% germination. If seeds do not germinate within 2 months of planting, reseeding the plugs with seeds that were stratified for longer than the time specified may be considered. |
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| Establishment Phase: | From January until August the greenhouse thermostat is set at 65 degrees F both day and night. Ambient greenhouse temperatures may reach 100 degrees F during the day in the summer. From Sept. thru Dec. the thermostat is set at 55 degrees F. During this season ambient greenhouse temperatures may reach 75 degrees F during the day. The greenhouse holds plants at all stages of growth so the temperature setting stays the same for all plants at all stages of growth. Soil is kept consistently damp during germination. Water using a fine mist or light hose setting only. Newly planted trays are placed on the south side of the greenhouse. No artificial light is used. | ||
| Active Growth Phase: | The soil does not need to be consistently moist. Move trays to cooler north greenhouse tables. No fertilzers are used. | ||
| Hardening Phase: | In early-late spring, mature plants can be moved into a cold frame with a cover of material that diffuses sunlight to prevent scorching of the plants. When danger of frost has passed leave plants outside. Water less frequently. | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: | In the Upper Peninsula, flats are out-planted from late May to early October. Flats that are not planted in the summer remain in the greenhouse for another season. Transplant if necessary. | ||
| Other Comments: | Excellent success rate transplanting into the field. High germination rate. Ornamental when in seed. | ||
Citation:
Schultz, Jan; Beyer, Patty; Williams, Julie. 2001. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Beauv. plants USDA FS - Hiawatha National Forest Marquette, Michigan. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
