How to Grow Beardless Wildrye

Overview

Beardless Wildrye is a sod-forming, cool season, perennial grass, native to the United States. It makes excellent ground cover and is frequently used for the stabilization of soil on riverbanks, roadsides, wetlands and range land. It can also act as livestock forage. It is well suited for reclaiming wet, saline or alkaline soils. The plant grows by underground rhizomes and a branching root system that runs up to 20 inches deep. A tall grass, growing 1 to 3 feet, it usually has smooth stems and leaf blades that are blue green and up to 4 mm wide. The seed heads mature between spring and summer.

Planting Seed

Step 1

Select your seed from the cultivars 'Rio', for California plantings, or 'Shoshone' for the plains area of the United States.

Step 2

Prepare the seedbed by removing all weeds and ensure that the seedbed is firm. Leave roots and stem remnants to improve moisture conditions, if you are using chemicals to eradicate weeds.

Step 3

Scarify seeds to improve the possibility of germination. For small amounts of seed, this can be accomplished by rubbing them between sheets of fine sandpaper. For larger amounts check with your seed distributor for pre-scarified seed.

Step 4

Sow seed in fall. This will meet the cold stratification requirements to break the dormancy of the seed in the spring and encourage germination.

Step 5

Sow the seed in the soil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.

Step 6

Sow large areas at a rate of 7 pounds per acre.

Step 7

Improve germination with light, frequent waterings in the spring.

Planting Sprigs

Step 1

Obtain rhizome sprigs from your nursery or an existing stand of Beardless Wildrye.

Step 2

Plant root and rhyzome sprigs in areas where it is too saline for seeds to germinate.

Step 3

Ensure that the sprigs are free of disease, such as fungus, rusts mold or pests.

Step 4

Select a time in spring or early summer to plant the sprigs, after the last frost occurs.

Step 5

Plant the sprigs to a depth of 3 to 4 inches and water regularly until the sprigs begin to grow.