to the sea. Sites should be weed-free since this species is not as com- 

 petitive as the beachgrasses. Fumigation should be used for weed control. 



(b) Soil Preparation . Little or no preparation is required 

 in sand. Tillage to loosen hard-packed sites may be needed to facilitate 

 transplanting. 



(c) Planting . American dunegrass should be transplanted in 

 the same way as American beachgrass. Plant IS to 20 centimeters deep and 

 45 to 60 centimeters apart in rows 75 centimeters to 1 meter apart. Since 

 planting material is not likely to be plentiful and the plant spreads, 

 planting one stem per hill is advisable. The transplanting of dormant 

 plants appears to be the key to survival for this species. The dormant 

 period in the Pacific Northwest extends from late November to the end of 

 February. The temperature probably should be below 14° Celsius at plant- 

 ing and for several days thereafter. 



(d) Culture . This plant thrives under the rapid sand accre- 

 tion and, therefore, probably responds to fertilization. Suggested appli- 

 cation rate is 40 to 80 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare from a soluble 

 source in early spring or as soon as new growth begins. 



(e) Harvesting . Harvest only during the dormant season. 

 Plants may be loosened with a shovel, lifted, shaken free of sand and 

 dead trash, and broken into one- to five-stem plants. Cutting of stock 

 a few centimeters below the surface with a sharp shovel may be necessary 

 if sand has been deposited during the current growing season. Plants may 

 be stored during cold weather by heeling-in. They may be stacked in 

 baskets, boxes or tubs, or clay-dipped and packaged for handling as 

 described for beachgrass. Trim tops to 50 centimeters for easy storage, 

 handling, and transplanting. Take extra care to avoid drying and over- 

 heating. Planting should be as prompt as possible after digging. 



f . Planting and Maintenance . 



(1) Soil Moisture . Water is essential to the establishment of 

 plants. The low water holding capacity of sand can cause serious failure 

 of plantings. However, compensating factors in the beach and dune system 

 often make it possible to work around this problem. On low- lying beaches 

 in the Atlantic and gulf coast barrier islands, the water table is always 

 close to the surface. Dahl, et al. (1975) found that moisture on the 

 backshore (elevation, 1.3 to 1.6 meters MSL) was adequate at a depth of 

 15 centimeters except during extreme droughts. Moisture content was 

 usually at or above field capacity, the water table was usually within 

 60 centimeters of the surface, and capillary action kept the sand moist. 

 These sands drain excess water readily and surface drying is extremely 

 fast but total water loss is low. The layer of dry sand minimizes evap- 

 oration losses from below the surface as long as the layer remains. 

 Consequently, even on elevated surfaces such as fence-built dunes where 

 the water table is not near the surface, the sand may remain moist a few 

 centimeters below the surface for considerable periods of time. Dune 



52 



