populations of smooth cordgrass (Seneca, 1974) and seeds or plants for use on 

 a given site should come from the same general area; e.g., it is not advisable 

 to plant North Carolina material on Long Island. 



Vegetative reproduction by extensive below-ground, hollow stems (rhizomes) 

 is the primary method of spreading smooth cordgrass in established stands. 

 Although seed production is usually limited in old dense stands, it may be 

 substantial in newly established stands and along margins such as the borders 

 of tidal creeks. Seeds are important in spreading the plant into new areas 

 and often contribute to the density of open or patchy stands. 



Smooth cordgrass can be planted with better chance of success than any 

 other coastal marsh species native to the United States. It is relatively 

 easy to propagate and quick to establish and spread. This grass tolerates 

 inundation better than any other salt marsh species on the Atlantic and gulf 

 coasts. Erosion control plantings are limited to vegetative material, such as 

 sprigs , pot-grown seedlings , or plugs . 



a. Planting Techniques. 



(1) Sprigs . A sprig is a part of a plant consisting of at least one 

 node (joint of a stem from which leaves arise) with attached stems and roots. 

 Sprigs can be obtained from existing marshes or from nurseries established for 

 this purpose. They are the least expensive plant type, the easiest to plant, 

 and probably work better for smooth cordgrass than for any other marsh 

 species. Sprigs must be large, robust plants to be effective. 



Field-collected wild plants are satisfactory and often adequate for small- 

 scale plantings. These should come from uncrowded stands, usually of recent 

 origin, on sandy substrates. Plants are obtained by loosening individual 

 clumps with a shovel, small back-hoe, or a plow and lifting and separating 

 into individual transplants. Choice transplants consist of actively growing 

 single stems (culms) large enough to carry substantial food reserves, with 

 small shoots and short pieces of rhizomes left attached or discarded. 

 Unattached rhizomes are of no value as propagules in the intertidal zone 

 (Woodhouse, Seneca, and Broome, 1976). Digging and processing of planting 

 stock from old, dense marshes is difficult and usually yields small, poor- 

 quality plants. Where planting stock must be obtained from such stands, it is 

 preferable to resort to plugs or cores because the small, single stems are not 

 satisfactory as transplants (Woodhouse, Seneca, and Broome, 1974). A heavy 

 harvest of single culm plants initially appears to be devastating to the 

 stand. However, the effect is very short-lived, particularly in open, vigor- 

 ous stands on sandy substrates; remaining rhizomes and shoots soon repopulate 

 the area, usually in the same growing season. It is difficult to harvest such 

 sites intensively enough to prevent overcrowding and reducing the suitability 

 of the planting stock in succeeding years. Due to the rapid recovery of 

 vigorous new stands, the harvesting of planting stock from year-old plantings 

 for marsh building is often feasible. Such stands yield transplants of 

 excellent quality at low cost with only a slight delay in the process of marsh 

 development. 



Field nurseries are relatively easy and economical to establish if 

 suitable sites are available. An ideal site is a bare, smooth intertidal 

 slope of sandy material along a relatively protected shore. The Initial stand 



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