Prairie Cord Grass

[letemgrow]

Here is another great NWSG.
This will stand up all winter long and provides great thermal cover for wildlife. It will grow in wet or dry areas. I have jumped many pheasants and deer out of this cover and wish I had more on my place.

Seedhead

 

[dbltree]

I see it growing in ditches just like that around here also Phil

 

[letemgrow]

I see it growing in ditches just like that around here also Phil

It prefers wet areas, but I see it growing on lots of other sites. It's another great all around NWSG. Pretty expensive to buy plugs or seeds tho. It's far cheaper to pick your own. :way:

 

[dkelley]

I have been planning on replacing about 7 acres of brome with cp-25 around the "high" areas of my wetlands. Unfortunately even my high areas have had trouble drying out in SE Iowa this year. To prepare for the CP-25, I have disked and planted beans where I could but I have several areas a tractor can not get that I want to get something in this winter. I have been wondering if these areas were going to be too wet for the CP-25 and from this it sounds like this cord grass would be a nice mix in these wet areas that could blend in around the CP-25. In a "normal" year some of these places should be relatively dry through the summer, will the cord grass withstand this? Can it be frost seeded or drilled in the winter the same as switch or CP-25?

Thanks

 

[letemgrow]

It will withstand wet or dry situations, period wet areas would be ideal for this grass from looking at where I see it growing wild. I would think frost seeding is the best way to get the grass started besides buying plugs. I have been told that in IA and along iwth MO that you can collect all the seeds you want on the roadsides. I know in MO you can for sure...I read the law pertaining to it. Another member on here asked a retired game warden what the laws were in IA and apparently they are the same.

Granted with a cp-25 contract you probably have to show a receipt for seed purchased.

Another option my be gama grass since it can withstand some moist conditions also. The roots of gama have air filled passages which seem to allow it to grow on moist soils and be able to withstand them.

 

[IQDM]

Here is another great NWSG.
This will stand up all winter long and provides great thermal cover for wildlife. It will grow in wet or dry areas. I have jumped many pheasants and deer out of this cover and wish I had more on my place.

It took me 15 pages of forums to find a PCG thread! so I'm going to bring it back up to the front by mentioning that I heard a rumor this summer that Wisconsin may be doing some sort of cost share for PCG installation and are looking to put in something like 5,000 acres? I'm not sure of the number ... but I heard that the standard installation method would be to spray oust in the spring then seed it in the summer.
I had no idea PCG was tollerant of any sprays, especially oust! Has anyone done any testing with PCG and different sprays? There is tons of awesome info from dbltree and Letemgrow on switchgrass and other natives, but PCG is one that I dont know much about and am very interested in learning more! It seems like a great native grass for deer, just as good or better than switchgrass esp. in a wetter areas from what I have heard so far...? :way: