Humus is a general term for organic material that naturally occurs in the top layer of soil. In almost all cases it is cases, it is better to spend the time amending the current soil with humus rather than hauling in new topsoil. Step 4: Amend the soil. Most soil will need to be amended with humus before you plant. Once you have cultivated the soil you will want to water this area for approximately 1 month if time allows and wait for new weeds to sprout then spray those out before seeding. If you prefer not to till, cultivate as much of the area as you can with a hoe, garden rake, or shovel. Try to work at least 4-6 inches of soil into a nice pulverized soil mix. Rototill the entire area lengthwise, then again crosswise. If you don't have a roto-tiller consider renting one from a tool rental store. Next, cultivate the soil with a rear-tine roto-tiller. Begin by removing debris like dead weeds, leaves and rocks from the area. Remember to wait the allotted time after spraying your herbicide before cultivating. The deeper you can cultivate the soil, the more quickly your lawn will establish and thrive. Step 3: Cultivate the soil as deeply as possible. The proper slope has the potential to prevent both drought and poor drainage. This may be more than most of us can afford, but consider it nonetheless. Still, it is one of the best ways to guarantee a beautiful lawn is to establish the proper grade before you begin. This is probably more than most of us can afford. Plan ahead since you will need to wait approximately two weeks (check product label) after sprayer before you seed. Use a non selective weed control like Round-Up. Step 1: Spray existing weeds. The first step in planting a new Bluegrass lawn is to eliminate all weeds from the lawn area. The best news is that Bluegrass lawns are planted in cooler weather, so you can be thankful you are not laying Bermuda Grass sod on the 95 degree Saturday afternoon in July. This is especially true if you are cultivating areas under trees. For instance, I would strongly suggest cultivating one weekend and planting the next. Try to spread the various steps over the next two or three weekends. But then again, it is not a one-weekend project either. These clippings will decay nicely, adding vital organic matter to the soil.Starting a new Bluegrass lawn from scratch is not an overwhelming project. With air-root pruned plugs like our SuperPlugs or RootMaker seedlings, Big Bluestem can be expected to establish much more quickly.īig Bluestem is best managed by burning in late winter, but that isn't for everyone! Another simple tactic is to simply take a hedge trimmer to the grass, cutting through in multiple passes to reduce the size of the clippings. It does take a little longer than other grasses to establish, but a full-sized plant can be expected by the third growing season in the ground. How to Grow Big Bluestemīig Bluestem does best planted in moist, rich soil. The seeds are also eaten by songbirds and small animals, and the leaves provide forage for bison and deer as well as cattle. Big Bluestem Usesīig bluestem is difficult to incorporate into smaller gardens due to its immense size, but it makes an excellent screen along fence rows and yard boundaries! For larger perennial borders, Big Bluestem could conceivably be used as a backdrop, but it does have a bit of a wild look to it.Įcologically, Big Bluestem is an important food source for grasshoppers and the larvae of several butterflies. The stems are stout and strong, and last well into the winter. The seed heads resemble a turkey's foot (Another name for Big Bluestem is "Turkeyfoot"), and turn a nice bronze tone after the first frost. A warm-season grass, it blooms in late summer to early fall. Scattered remnants can be found today along railroad tracks and fencerows, as well as on prairie restoration plantings.īig Bluestem has a nice deep green cast to it in the summer. Growing as much as 8 feet tall, Big Bluestem is the King of the Tallgrass Prairie! Big bluestem once was the dominating grass of the Tallgrass Prairie that extended from Northern Ohio and Northern Indiana through Eastern Nebraska.
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