Panicum (virgatum)
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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: | Panicum virgatum L. | ||
| Common Name: | Switch grass | ||
| Species Code: | PAVI2 | ||
| General Distribution: | Found only sparingly within Michigan's U.P. Full sunlight to very light dappled shade. Prairies, dunes, swales, wet jack pine woodlands, open (often marshy) ground. Warm season grass with a height of up to 3'. In stands of various sizes. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | seed | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Time To Grow: | 0 | ||
| Propagule Collection: | The seed is collected by hand from locally native plants within the eastern central Upper Peninsula. Flowers in Aug.-Sept. 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, hand stripping the seed heads. Seed is not cleaned. Once seeds have dried begin stratification. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | Stratification: Use a Ziploc-style bag or a small Rubbermaid-style container to mix an equal amount of seeds with either perlite or vermiculite. Add enough water to moisten the entire mixture of seeds and perlite/vermiculite with no visible water. Place in a refrigerator or cold garage (33-42 degrees F) for one month. Cold store until planted (up to 3 years). | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Propagation Environment: Greenhouse film is made of Standard U.V. 3 HL Clear 6 mil (J.R. Johnson's Greenhouse Supply Inc.) Fans run continuously to circulate the air. Vents open during the summer months to allow for cooling. Heat for the cold months. Container Type: Grows best in 24 cell (2" diameter),14"x8.5"X4" deep. Switch grass will also grow successfully in a variety of other plug cell shapes and sizes. Growing Media: Scotts Redi-earth Plug and Seeling 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 to prevent soil from falling 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. Water the soil in the plug cells again. Sow the seeds by hand at a rate of about 3 seeds in each small cell and about 5 seeds in each large cell. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil or gently press the seeds into the dirt. Sow year-round due to variable success rates. |
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| Establishment Phase: | From Jan. until Aug. 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. through 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 fertilizers 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 planted from late May to early October. Flats that are not planted in the summer remain in the greenhouse for another season. | ||
| Other Comments: | This species is present only sparingly in the Upper Peninsula. Germination rate varies greatly from year to year. | ||
Citation:
Schultz, Jan; Beyer, Patty; Williams, Julie. 2001. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Panicum virgatum L. 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.
