Selection of Cool-Season Grasses for Revegetating Well-Drained Fill Materials
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and persistence of 11 cool-season grasses growing in well-drained fill materials. Grasses were evaluated over a four-year period and grown on fill material containing 11% gravel, 61% sand, 27% silt and 1% clay at the Franklin Falls Darn in Franklin, N.H. During the second season, half of each plot was refertilized. Visual observations of the sown grasses suggested that moisture stress was an important factor limiting growth. During the last two years of study, the most persistent species were Jamestown chewings fescue (Festuca rubra L. ssp. commutata Gaud.) and Canada bluegrass (Poa compressa L.). Refertilization helped to promote growth and increase persistence of all the sown species except for Jamestown chewings fescue. Three improved varieties of the grasses were not consistently more persistent than their common counterparts. This study demonstrates that there are major differences among cool-season grasses in their ability to tolerate well-drained, low-maintenance sites. When refertilized, varieties of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) were more persistent, and a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) provided rapid emergence.... Fill materials, Grasses, Revegetation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA268459
Entities
People
- Antonio J. Palazzo
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory