cover" on most of the area, the fertilizer program should be reduced to a 

 maintenance level, except on the occasional weak spots. Data are not yet 

 available to define the exact form this maintenance should take, but as a 

 first approximation, a cut-back to one annual application of 30-10-0 seems 

 reasonab I e. 



b. PI ant i ng 



Close to one mi II ion hills of Amer ican beachgrass pi us a few 

 thousand hills of sea oats have been planted during the past 2 years in our 

 experimental program. Some have been hand-planted, but most have been 

 planted with a conventional 2-row transplanter commonly used for trans- 

 planting such crops as tobacco. The only modification required is that 

 the openers, or shoes, should be extended to provide a furrow 8 or 9 inches 

 in depth. A wheel-type farm tractor is adequate as a power source on fairly 

 smooth areas. It is important that such machines have adequate weight and 

 power to operate the planter in a "no strain" condition. Our experience 

 indicates that with such equipment, and under good planting conditions, a 

 crew of six men can plant around 20,000 to 30,000 hills per 8-hour day. 



Sma I I crawler-type tractors have been used as a source of power by the 

 National Park Service and also by contractors on the hurricane protection 

 project at Carolina Beach. The Park Service has also used a wheel-type 

 tractor equipped with a half-track attachment. These operate on steeper 

 slopes than the wheel-type machines but it has been necessary to switch 

 over to hand planting in cases when slopes get much steeper than I on 5. 



II. RECOMMENDED PRACTICES 

 a . American Beachgrass 



(1) Planting dates . November I to April I - later planting, to 

 May 15 is feasible if planting stock is dug while still dormant and held in 

 cold storage (34° to 38° F). 



(2) Plants . Plant 3 to 5 stems per hill; single-stem plants can be 

 used on protected sites where first-year growth is not important. 



(3) Spacing . Plants should be spaced 18 x 18 inches (about 20,000 

 plants per acre) on very critical areas. However, preliminary indications 

 are that spacing 24 x 24 inches (about I 1,000 plants per acre) may be suf- 

 ficient in most cases, provided vigorous growth is assured by timely plant- 

 ing and adequate fertilization. 



(4) Planting depth . Plant so that base of plant is about 6 to 8 

 inches below the surface. Firm sand around base to avoid excessive drying 

 and to anchor the p I ant .aga i nst the wind. 



(5) Ferti I ization . First year - apply total of 150-200 pounds of 

 nitrogen and 50-60 pounds P 2 5 per acre, divided into four equal applications 

 around April I, May 15, July I and September 15. (This maintenance may be 



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