Increasing Native Grass Germination Using Novel Germination Blankets, Soil Treatments, and Cover Crops

Project summary:

Despite many attempts to establish both native and non-native grasses on heavily traveled highways in the Metro area, we have found that establishment of desirable vegetation is often limited to 14% or less on the poor soils of inslopes. We know from previous studies that the inslope soils are compacted, often sodic, generally present a poor growing environment for many select native species, and are extremely low in nutrients and organic carbon. This proposal will address combinations of novel germination blankets, soil treatments to improve soil chemistry and structure, cover crops to increase vegetation establishment, and new methods of nutrient control on the inslope and ditches of highway rights-of-way.