• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • paul wheaton
  • Tereza Okava
  • Andrés Bernal
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden

Best native american grasses?

 
Posts: 1206
Location: Alaska
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I know big bluestem is considered good forage grass and I've purchased some seed to plant in a neglected weedy field by the house in hopes of crowding out the weeds and having something beautiful and productive (and no, I cannot plant trees, powerlines pass overhead). I know that it's supposed to be one of the better grasses, but not the best. Does anyone know what else might be better to plant? There isn't anything in this part of the world that eats grass, save for the geese that fly through and the snowshoe hares that haven't lived in the city for 30 years, but maybe someone can cut it and feed it to rabbits, or whatever. Anything would be better than the invasive toadflax that lives there now, including salted barren earth.
 
pollinator
Posts: 11855
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
1271
cat forest garden fish trees chicken fiber arts wood heat greening the desert
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Does it need to be grass?  What about native meadow broad-leafed annual and perennial plants, for the native and migratory birds and the butterflies, etc?  Maybe add in a few grasses because some butterflies need them as larval food. 

 
Tyler Ludens
pollinator
Posts: 11855
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
1271
cat forest garden fish trees chicken fiber arts wood heat greening the desert
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
http://hubpages.com/hub/Wildflower-Seeds-for-Alaska-Gardens
 
Emerson White
Posts: 1206
Location: Alaska
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Well they went through and cut out the trees years ago, and all they seem to have done is come back every few years and re-cut them. It's native plants being overtaken by weeds, so I don't think that I will find anything that's already here that will outdo them. Based on the weeds that are there anything taller than 18" and thick should shade them out, though after reading the RCD thread it occurred to me that there is some RCG within a few miles, so maybe that will be there chocking everything out soon enough...
 
Posts: 700
Location: rainier OR
10
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
around here I'd say just wait and the bird will bring in blackberries
but then my love of blackberry brush is gonna get me in trouble one of these days
 
Emerson White
Posts: 1206
Location: Alaska
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
It's too cold for blackberries.
 
I agree. Here's the link: http://stoves2.com
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic