Indiana - October 2008 (ver. 1.1) /
Critical Area Planting
Landowner: / County:Farm: / Tract: / Field(s): / SITE A / Width ft / Length ft / Total ac / Date:
SITE B / Width ft / Length ft / Total ac
Soil Type(s): / Soil Drainage Class: VPDPDSPDMWDWD / Primary Purpose
RECOMMENDED SPECIES and SEEDING RATE (PLS #/ac = Pure Live Seed Pounds per Acre)
Site A
(see map for location) / RATE
PLS#/ac / TOTAL = (RATE X Acres) / Site B
(see map for location) / RATE
PLS#/ac / TOTAL = (RATE X Acres)
Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb. / Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb.
Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb. / Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb.
Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb. / Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb.
Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb. / Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb.
Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb. / Bluegrass, KentuckyBrome, SmoothFescue, Creeping RedFescue, TallOrchardgrassRedtopRyegrass, PerennialTimothySwitchgrassWildrye, CanadaWildrye, RiverbankWildrye, VirginiaAlfalfaLespedeza, AnnualClover, RedClover, AlsikeClover, White (Ladino) / 0.0 / Lb.
NOTES:
Recommended Wildflowers include:
BEFORE PLANTING in Year: 200820092010201220132014201520162017201820192020
Permanent Fence: / Barbed WireHigh Tensile ElectricHigh Tensile (Non-Energized)WoodenWoven Wire (High Tensile)Woven Wire (Standard)Woven Wire + Barbed Wire: ft = (see attached design)
Water Source: / Drilled Well (see design)Bored Well (see design)Dug Well (see design)Pond (see design)Spring Development (see design) / Pipeline: ft = (see design)
Water Facilities(s): Tank (see design)Tank + Hydrant (see design)Trough (see design)Trough + Hydrant (see design) / Livestock Crossing: (see design)
Herbicide1 (per label): / Dates =
Herbicide2 (per label): / Dates =
Tillage: / Dates =
Temporary Seeding: / Annual Rye (24 lb/ac) = June - July; Aug - SeptWinter Wheat (120 lb/ac) = mid July to mid OctWinter Rye (90 lb/ac) = mid Aug to mid OctOats (68 lb/ac) = mid July to mid SeptSudangrass (25 lb/ac) = May 1 - June; July - Sep
Structures, Grading, Leveling, Filling – See the attached Design Sheet.
Apply fertilizer and lime according to an approved soil test and Planting recommendations for native or introduced grasses below.
Other:
PLANTING METHOD in Year: 200820092010201220132014201520162017201820192020
Planting Method: / Cultipack SeederGrain DrillNo-Till Native Grass DrillBroadcast (disk, cultipack, seed, cultipack)Aerial Seeder (disk, cultipack, seed, cultipack)
Dates = See Seeding Dates on Page 3
(If unforeseen circumstances prohibit the planting of the grass by this date, please contact our office as soon as possible)
POST-PLANTING MAINTENANCE
Mowing: During Establishment = mow 12” high when the weeds are 12” taller than the planted grasses
Native grass = AFTER Established = 8” MINIMUM Mowing Height / Outside nesting dates-
April 1-August 1
Non-Native grass= AFTER Established = 4” MINIMUM Mowing Height
Herbicide (per label): / Grazing: According to a grazing plan / Prescribed Burning: According to an approved plan
Other:
LOCATION AND LAYOUT SKETCH & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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United States Department of Agriculture
Indiana –October 2008 (ver. 1.0)
Critical Area Planting
5 of 4 Indiana - April 2005
Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS
Where does Critical Area Planting Apply?
This practice applies to highly disturbed areas such as active or abandoned mined lands, urban conservation sites, road construction areas, conservation practice construction sites, areas needing stabilization before or after natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, tornados and wildfires and other areas degraded by human activities or natural events.
Planning
Sites will be planted according to the Critical Area Planting Standard (342) and the Seeding Appendix A in the local Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG)
Only viable, certified, high quality and regionally adapted seed will be used.
Planting
Plant the vegetation according to the attached plan/design sheet. Any changes to these specifications should be approved by NRCS.
Site Preparation: Shape to final grade, including installation of all measures to provide surface and subsurface drainage and needed erosion control practices according to the attached plan/design sheet.
It is very important to plant the vegetation into a weed-free seedbed. Use herbicides and/or tillage to eliminate competing vegetation. Weed control efforts should begin as early as 12 months prior to planting, and may require multiple applications or operations in both the fall and spring prior to planting.
Pay particular attention to sites where noxious and potentially invasive species are likely. Many of these species are perennials that spread through seed and roots, and many have rhizomatous root systems that will persist and negatively impact the planting.
Cool season weeds (i.e. - Canada thistle, quack grass) are best controlled in the fall (mid September –Early November) with a translocation herbicide. Plants should be actively growing at the time of application. Avoid herbicide application after 3:00 pm if over night temperatures are expected to drop below 50 degrees.
Warm season weeds (i.e. - Johnsongrass) are best controlled just prior to flower with a follow-up application prior to first frost.
Contact your local Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service for specific herbicides to use. Apply all herbicides according to the label.
Use a nurse/companion crop to further control potential weed issues and/or a temporary cover for erosion control.
Lime and Fertilizer: Where soil tests are not feasible, an application of 500 lbs. 12-12-12 or equivalent shall be used.
For other sites, apply Nitrogen at 50 lbs./ac. if the previous crop was corn or a cereal grain and 30 lbs./ac. if the previous crop was soybean or a legume. Lime, P, and K should be applied at establishment according to a current soil test (less than four years old).
Apply and incorporate all soil amendments during seedbed preparation, or before planting if a no-till planting is used.
Seed preparation: Inoculate legume seed before seeding with the proper Rhizobia bacteria specific for the species. Re-inoculate seed if it was pre-inoculated more than 60 days prior to seeding. Be careful not to blend seed of varying size, shape and weight as this can make calibration of equipment and seeding uniformity difficult.
Seeding Dates:
Species/Mix / IN Seeding Dates* / Dormant Seeding Dates**Cool Season Grasses / 3/1-5/15 or 8/1-9/15 / 12/1-3/1
Legumes / 3/1-5/15 or 8/1-9/15 / 12/1-3/1
Warm Season Grasses / 4/1-6/15 / 12/1-4/1
Forbs / 4/1-6/15 / 12/1-4/1
* Seedings which includes Tall Fescue and/or Perennial Ryegrass and a mulch cover may extend to 9/30 for fall seeding due to the reduced time for germination and range of cold tolerance. **Increase seeding rates by 25% when interseeding.
Seeding:
Seed the area immediately after the earthwork is completed.
All drill and packer operations will be contoured or perpendicular to the slopes.
No-Till seeding: Use a no-till drill with 7” or less row spacing. Ensure the drill is designed to handle the type seed being planted (especially important for native grasses). Set the no-till drill to provide good seed to soil contact and a planting depth preferred for the desired species to be planted. Generally this does not exceed 1/4 inch. Seeding native grasses deeper than 1/4 inch will lead to potential failure. Soils that are too wet or too dry can also cause improper seed placement.
Conventional Seeding: Prepare a fine firm seedbed to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Incorporate lime and fertilizer during seedbed preparation. Use a drill with 7” or less row spacing or a culti-packer seeder, designed for the seed to be planted. Grass seed should be drilled uniformly at a proper seeding depth of 1/8 to 1/2 inch.
Broadcast Seeding: Seed may be broadcast if completed in a uniform manner. Pre-mix the seed with 200 lbs. per acre of pelletized lime if using an airflow applicator. Seedbeds should be worked to a minimum depth of 3 inches and firmed before seeding. The seedbed should be culti-packed before and after seeding. It is acceptable to see up to 1/3 of the seed on the soil surface. Wind speed should be 15 m.p.h. or less when broadcasting.
Interseeding: Broadcast as above into existing vegetation or residues. This method relies on freeze/thaw cycles, rain and/or snow to incorporate the seed. It does not include a seedbed preparation. This is most commonly used during the dormant seeding period to increase legume and/or forb populations in existing grass stands. It can also be used to establish combination mixes into relatively light (such as soybean) and weed free crop residues or to establish vegetation into a cover crop or standing crops.
Weed Control During Establishment Period: Mow, burn, or apply herbicides as needed to control unwanted vegetation for up to 3 years after planting. Mow when competing weeds are taller than the planted vegetation, and at a height above the planted vegetation.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
Control or exclude pests or animals that will interfere with the timely establishment of vegetation.
Inspect the site after storm events and repair any gullies that have formed,
Inspections, reseeding or replanting, fertilization, and pest control may be needed to insure that this practice functions as intended throughout its expected life. Observation of establishment progress and success should be performed at regular intervals until the practice has met the criteria for successful establishment and implementation.
Where establishment of vegetation creates potential habitat for grass-nesting birds, the impacts of vegetative disturbance upon these birds and their nests should be considered and included in operation and maintenance plans. Maintenance activities that result in disturbance of vegetation will not be conducted during the primary nesting season for grass-nesting birds where occupied habitat for these species exists.
Noxious weeds and any plant species, whose presence or overpopulation may jeopardize this practice, or have detrimental effects to the surrounding land will be controlled. .
If prescribed burning is used to manage and maintain the field border, an approved burn plan must be developed.
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