or estuarine water (25 ppt) in large 

 plastic containers at about 2°C to 4 8 C 

 (36°F to 39°F). 



Seeds must be kept moist and they 

 must be stored cold to retard germina- 

 tion. If estuarine water or instant 

 ocean is not used, some of the seeds 

 will germinate after a few months. The 

 two things that prevent germination are 

 low temperatures and the salinity which 

 acts as an osmotic barrier. 



To scale up the seeding operation 

 we used a tractor-drawn, spike-toothed 

 harrow to scarify the substrate. We 

 seeded at the rate of about 100 viable 

 seeds per square meter. Viability was 

 determined on a per milliliter basis and 

 converted to area! extent (100 viable 

 seeds per square meter). After seeds 

 were spread over the area, we again went 

 over the area with the spike-toothed 

 harrow and incorporated them into the 

 substrate. After 5 mo we had a good 

 stand of seedlings. By the end of the 

 second growing season, there was a marsh 

 comparable to one established from 

 transplants. 



On certain dredge material depos- 

 its, the fine sand may blow around and 

 interfere with vegetation establishment. 

 In seeding operations, it may be neces- 

 sary to stop the sand from blowing on 

 the young seedlings. Either a sand fence 

 or vegetation can be used to catch the 

 sand and prevent it from covering the 

 young plants while they are very suscep- 

 tible to burial . 



Many areas are relatively inaccess- 

 ible with a tractor or heavy equipment. 

 One such area was a low profile island 

 which developed in the sound behind the 

 main barrier island after the opening of 

 an inlet. To plant this area, we had to 

 devise equipment that was more mobile. 

 We put dual wheels on a garden tractor 

 and constructed a tool bar with several 

 cultivator sweeps on it. It scarified 

 the area like a spike-toothed harrow. 

 An area about 4 to 4.8 ha (10 to 12 

 acres) was torn up in this manner and 

 seeded in spring. It required about 7.5 

 man-hours to scarify and seed the area. 



Even though the area was very ex- 

 posed, by the end of the first growing 

 season about half of the area was occu- 

 pied by the seedlings. Growth was not 

 especially good, and part of the lack of 



vigor was probably due to the exposed 

 situation and the high substrate salini- 

 ties which were up to 40 ppt. Smooth 

 cordgrass does not survive substrate 

 salinities much above about 45 ppt. At 

 the end of the third growing season a 

 marsh had developed from seed. 



We fertilized some areas and ob- 

 tained even better growth. Most sandy 

 substrates require fertilization with 

 nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen should 

 be applied at the rate of 57 kg/ha (50 

 lb/acre). 



Along the North Carolina coastline, 

 we have to harvest seeds in early Octo- 

 ber before full maturity to avoid losing 

 the seed crop because of shattering. We 

 harvest early enough to get the seeds as 

 they are maturing; otherwise, the crop 

 could be lost because the seeds will 

 shatter in the first storm. Harvesting 

 before full maturity does not affect 

 viability since the seeds continue to 

 develop. They can be taken to the lab- 

 oratory and put in a coldroom at about 

 2°C (36°F) and stored temporarily before 

 threshing. Seeds thresh better after 

 being stored for about a month. After 

 being threshed, they are stored in 

 estuarine water as described earlier. 



Direct seeding is feasible only in 

 the upper half of the intertidal zone. 

 Wave energies and other factors prevent 

 successful establishment in the lower 

 intertidal zone. Seedlings cannot be 

 established everywhere that transplants 

 can be established. Consequently, it is 

 better to use transplants rather than 

 seeds when time and money permit. On 

 the other hand, if a large area is to be 

 developed into a marsh within a limited 

 time frame, the upper half of the inter- 

 tidal zone could be seeded and trans- 

 plants could be used in the lower half. 

 Using both methods under favorable con- 

 ditions, complete vegetative cover could 

 be obtained just as quickly as with 

 transplanting alone. 



Once established, will a smooth 

 cordgrass marsh remain a smooth cord- 

 grass marsh? A full appreciation of the 

 interaction of tidal amplitude, salin- 

 ity, duration of inundation, and sub- 

 strate conditions is necessary to make 

 such a determination. For smooth cord- 

 grass to maintain itself, salinities 

 around 20 ppt are necessary. If there 



