by spacing parallel rows of a 2-foot-high snow picket fence at 8- to 12-foot intervals to a 

 50-foot width. One year after erection of the fences, a broad flat dune relatively free of salt 

 had formed, and then planted with both grasses with excellent results. 



6. Fence-Built Dunes. 



Barren dunes constructed with one to two tiers of 4-foot-high sand fencing were 

 successfully stabilized by hand-transplanting bitter panicum and sea oats on the slopes. 

 Preplanting irrigation was essential, while postplanting irrigation appeared to be useful only 

 during drought. After planting, mulch-netting placed over the transplants eliminated wind 

 erosion of the culms. 



7. Planting Density. 



Density of beach plantings of either species should be 2 feet between plants and rows, 

 with only a single culm per lull. Use of closer spacing or larger clumps is more expensive and 

 yields no benefit except when transplant survival is very low. Wider spacing of 3-foot centers 

 is acceptable when transplant survival is near 100 percent. Survival rates on the backshore 

 rarely were this high. Survival of 25 percent or greater for sea oats, and 50 percent or greater 

 for bitter panicum should be considered very good. The main benefit to a planting of high 

 survival was during the first year of growth. After this, cover became uniform and 

 sand-trapping efficiency was at the maximum. However, transplant survival of less than 

 10 percent required replanting. 



8. Planting Width. 



The initial beach planting should be no wider than 50 feet, due to the sand-trapping 

 efficiency of both species. Wider plantings are proportionally more expensive and do not 

 result in increased dune growth. A broader dune can be achieved by a second 50-foot-wide 

 planting immediately shoreward of the first dune, 4 to 5 years after the initial planting. 



9. Nursery. 



A nursery yielded a stand of uniform localized plant material, which reduced harvest 

 time and effort and thus nursery establishment at least a year before transplanting is 

 recommended. However, there was no survival advantage of nursery over wild stock. 



10. Transplant Survival. 



Transplant survival was influenced more by such variable parameters as soil salinity, soil 

 moisture, precipitation, carbohydrate storage, and burial by drifting sand rather than 

 seasonality. Sea oats was most successfully transplanted in mid-winter, but with proper soil 

 conditions (low salinity and high moisture), this species was transplanted with adequate 

 survival in all months. Bitter panicum had no optimum season for transplant survival, and 

 was successfully planted in any month if soil conditions were favorable. Poorest time was in 

 fall since active growth was delayed for 6 months after planting. The recommended time of 

 transplanting for either species is winter through spring since climate and soil conditions are 

 usually more favorable. 



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