Juncus (arcticus)

Lee Riley Horticulturist USDA FS - Dorena Genetic Resource Center 34963 Shoreview Road Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424 541-915-7324 541-767-5709 (fax) leriley@fs.fed.us

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Family Scientific Name:	Juncaceae
Family Common Name:	Rush
Scientific Name:	Juncus arcticus
Common Synonym:	Juncus balticus
Common Name:	Arctic rush, mountain rush
Species Code:	JUARL
Ecotype:	Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington
General Distribution:	Mountain rush is widespread throughout temperate regions in the northern hemisphere. It occurs throughout California to Alaska, eastern North America, and Eurasia. Mountain rush is the most widespread and common rush found in the Great Basin and dry Intermountain regions. Mountain rush is often found in wetland habitats, but will grow in any standing water to seasonally dry places, at elevations generally below 2,200 m (7,200 ft)
Propagation Goal:	Plants
Propagation Method:	Seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	107 ml (6.5 in3) container
Time To Grow:	10 weeks
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container seedling. Well-developed crown and firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Seed may be collected by hand, using a pair of hand shears, or with a gas-powered handheld seed harvester. The tiny, black seeds are easily lost from the capsules when collecting by hand. Be careful to keep capsules upright before putting in collection bag. Use paper sacks when collecting seeds for this species.
Propagule Processing:	To clean the seed, run the collection through a hammer mill to break up debris and knock the seeds loose. Use a 1/20 inch screen on the top and a solid sheet on the bottom of the seed cleaner. Adjust the airflow to blow off the chaff. The cleaning process can be speeded up by shaking the hammer milled collection to settle seed to the bottom of the pan. The top portion of the chaff can then be discarded and the seed-rich mixture that is left in the bottom can be run through the seed cleaner.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Due to small seed size and short growing season, seeds are mixed with sand and sown directly into target containers. Growing medium used in these cells consists of 40:20:20:20 peat:composted fir bark:perlite:pumice with Nutricote controlled release fertilizer (18N:6P2O5:8K2O with minors; 140-d release rate at 21C) at the rate of 0.5 gram Nutricote per 107 ml container. Entire racks are sealed inside plastic bags and placed into refrigeration at 1 to 3 °C for 90 days. Cells are checked weekly and kept moist throughout the stratification period.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Greenhouse growing facility. Racks are removed from stratification facilities and placed directly into greenhouses in mid-July. No additional time-release fertilizer is added to medium. Cells are irrigated lightly several times per day to ensure seeds are kept quite moist throughout the germination period.
Establishment Phase:	Germination is uniform and is usually complete in 1 to 2 weeks. Following germination, plants are fertilized with soluble 12-2-14-6Ca-3Mg at 100 ppm for 1 week.
Length of Establishment Phase:	2 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants grow quickly during the active growth phase Soluble fertilizer 20-9-20 NPK at 150 ppm is applied weekly for 8 weeks.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	8 weeks
Hardening Phase:	No dry-down is done to induce dormancy. Seedlings are moved to an outdoor growing area in mid-September.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2 to 3 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Harvest Date: Mid-October Storage Conditions: Seedlings are usually outplanted in fall. No storage except in outdoor growing area. Plants are well irrigated prior to shipping and shipped in containers.
Other Comments:	Wetland classification: FACW Juncus species can tolerate shade and flooded, anoxic soil conditions, at least periodically. They can also tolerate mild to moderate soil salinities and alkaline to calcareous soils. Often these plants are found on drier or seasonally fluctuating wetland sites (for example, desert playas) and can tolerate seasonal drought.
References:	Dorena Genetic Resource Center Propagation Records, unpublished. [NRCS] USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Juncus arcticus Willd. ssp. littoralis (Engelm.) Hultén mountain rush. URL: https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=JUARL (accessed 20 Sep 2018). Stevens M, Hoag C, Tilley D, St. John L. 2012. Plant guide for mountain rush (Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis. Aberdeen (ID): USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Aberdeen Plant Materials Center. URL: https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_juarl.pdf (accessed 6 Oct 2018).

Citation:

Riley, Lee E.; Klocke, Allison. 2018. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Juncus arcticus Plants 107 ml (6.5 in3) container; USDA FS - Dorena Genetic Resource Center Cottage Grove, Oregon. 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.