rough areas and by machine on large smooth sites. Sea oats is more diffi- 

 cult to transplant than bitter panicum because of its form and the wide 

 range in stem size. 



_2 Depth . Planting depth should be at least 15 centi- 

 meters on the moist backshore and 20 to 30 centimeters in loose dune sand. 

 This plant is slow to start growth after transplanting and requires extra 

 care to avoid excessive drying and to assure firm anchorage during the 

 establishment period. 



_3 Planting Date . Dahl, et al. (1975) established 

 successful plantings whenever moisture was favorable, including July and 

 September, but concluded that January and February were usually the best 

 months . 



4_ Planting Stock . Stem-size range is greater than 

 that of bitter panicum (Fig. 26). Also, size is greatly affected by age; 

 the larger plants are usually older. Dahl, et al. (19 75) found larger 

 stems survived best. However, the better survival of large stems did 

 not compensate for the difficulty of digging and processing them, and 

 there was no practical advantage in planting more than one stem per hill. 

 Delaying harvest of nursery-grown plants until the second year resulted 

 in a higher proportion of the more desirable, intermediate-size plants. 



5 Spacing . Survival of transplanted sea oats is usually 

 lower and regrowth slower than that of bitter panicum. Sea oats can be 

 planted at a lower density than bitter panicum to trap sand under gulf 

 coast conditions. There is no reason to space sea oats closer than 61 

 centimeters on centers. When included as a component of a bitter panicum 

 planting, it should replace the appropriate number of rows, at the same 

 spacing as the dominant species. 



Direct seeding on bare dune sites is not feasible. However, this 

 plant does invade other dune plant stands by seeds. Where transplants 

 are not available, sea oats seeds should be introduced into bitter 

 panicum plantings. Mature seed heads should be gathered in September 

 or early October, and broadcast over the planting area where they may 

 be trapped and buried, 



6 Fertilization and Management . Response of sea oats 

 to nutrients is similar to that of other dune plants. Fertilizer will 

 promote rapid establishment and early development of sand-trapping 

 capacity or revive or maintain growth and vigor in sand-deficient areas. 

 This plant is probably the most tolerant of the pioneer species to low 

 nutrient levels and persists in the intermediate zone for long periods 

 without fertilizer or fresh sand adding nutrient. 



Fertilization of mixed plantings with sea oats should be the same as 

 that for bitter panicum. Where revival of sand-starved stands is required, 

 100 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare and 30 kilograms of phosphate (P2O5) 



