movement is low, plant growth is usually poor. The number of harvest- 

 able plants may be increased by fertilizing the area Csee Sec. VII) 1 

 year before harvesting. (Mature stands of sea oats may not respond to 

 fertilization.) During harvesting, part of each' clump should be undis- 

 turbed to allow regeneration of the stand. If future harvesting is plan- 

 ned, the area should be refertilized. 



a. American and European Beachgrasses . Cliiraps may be pulled or dug 

 from the sand. Shake the clumps free of sand, separate into transplants 

 with about three stems (culms) each. All transplants will not have roots, 

 though a basal node should be present from which roots will develop after 

 planting. Plants may be trimmed to a height of 15 to 20 inches (38 to 51 

 centimeters) to facilitate mechanical planting. 



b. Sea Oats . Since the nodes are usually buried, transplants must 

 be dug carefully with a shovel to dislodge the clump intact. Once dis- 

 lodged, single-stem transplants can be separated from the clump, cleaned 

 of dead material, and trimmed if necessary to facilitate mechanical plant- 

 ing. 



c. Bitter Panicum . Single-stem transplants can be pulled from the 

 sand by hand. Roots are not necessary, and culms can be broken off at 

 ground level. Culms 1.5 to 3 feet (0.5 to 0.9 meter) long are preferred 

 over shorter ones; those under 10 inches (25 centimeters) long are un- 

 satisfactory. Stems over 3 feet long should be broken in half, and both 

 halves planted. Again, plants to be lised for mechanical planting should 

 be trimmed to 15- to 20-inch lengths. 



2. Field Nursery . 



If adequate wild or commercial stock is not available, a nursery 



should be established. A nursery ensures a supply of easy to handle, 



uniform-size transplants. In one growing season, a 1-acre (4.047 square 

 meters) nursery will yield approximately: 



(a) 25,000 to 50,000 three-stem transplants of American beachgrass; 



(b) 50,000 to 75,000 three-stem transplants of European beachgrass; or 



(c) 50,000 to 75,000 single-stem transplants of bitter panicum on the 

 Atlantic coast and 75,000 to 100,000 on the gulf coast. 



In two growing seasons, a 1-acre nursery will yield approximately 

 50,000 to 75,000 single-stem transplants of sea oats on the Atlantic 

 coast or 75,000 to 100,000 on the gulf coast. 



Specifications for a nursery are discussed in Appendix C. 



3. Commercial Growers . 



A U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service list of 

 commercial distributors of beach grasses is in Appendix D. Commercial stock 



