swales and dunes, planting stock should not be obtained from these areas. 

 Recent evidence indicates that there is adaptive genetic divergence among the 

 marsh swale and dune subpopulations of saltmeadow cordgrass (Silander, 1979). 



Saltmeadow cordgrass can be grown as readily inland as on the coast. 

 However , survival of such material has been variable when transplanted to more 

 saline environments. It should be planted on a weed-free, sandy soil with a 

 moderately good moisture-holding capacity. The seedbed should be well 

 pulverized, and if needed, fumigated with methyl bromide to kill weed seeds. 

 Seed may be used for nursery establishment but transplants are usually more 

 practical. Nursery plantings should be made in late winter or spring. One- 

 to three-culm transplants should be used from young, vigorous stands set 10 to 

 15 centimeters deep in moist soil, 0.5 meter apart in rows. To allow cultiva- 

 tion, rows should be spaced about 1 meter apart. Fertilizing should be done 

 at planting; topdress with nitrogen later if needed as indicated by growth and 

 appearance . 



It is usually best to harvest nursery-grown stock after one growing season 

 to avoid the development of overcrowded, less desirable plants. Harvest is 

 accomplished by loosening individual clumps with a shovel, a tree digger, or a 

 similar tool and then lifting. Saltmeadow cordgrass culms are small even 

 under the best growing conditions; clumps should be divided into four- to 

 eight-culm plants for transplanting. Plants may be stacked upright in tubs, 

 baskets, or crates for handling and transport, or bundled in the same way as 

 tree seedlings. Care must be taken to avoid drying or heating. Plants may be 

 heeled in moist sand for temporary storage. 



Field-grown plants may be planted by hand by inserting them 15 to 20 

 centimeters deep in holes opened with a dibble or shovel or in furrows opened 

 by machine. Soil should be firmed around them to minimize blowouts and 

 washouts* Tobacco or strawberry planters can be modified to handle them. 

 Soil should always be moist at planting. 



(b) Pot-Grown Nursery Seedlings . Nursery seedlings are an 

 alternative to the use of sprigs for the planting of saltmeadow cordgrass; 

 however, seedlings are more expensive. Seedlings will be preferable where 

 salt buildup or drought is likely to interfere with initial establishment. 

 The more intact root systems of the pot-grown seedlings provide better plant 

 survival. Salt buildup is likely in part of the saltmeadow cordgrass zone 

 when inundation by spring tide or storm surges is followed by periods of low 

 rainfall and warm temperatures. Established plants can tolerate this but 

 fresh transplants may suffer severe damage. 



To prepare seedlings, seeds must be harvested from existing stands of 

 saltmeadow cordgrass. Saltmeadow cordgrass is a fairly consistent seed pro- 

 ducer. It grows on irregularly flooded and unflooded sites and the seeds do 

 not require moist storage (Webb and Dodd, 1976). Large-scale harvesting and 

 processing of this species could be handled with the same equipment and in a 

 similar manner as many of the cultivated grasses. Small quantities are har- 

 vested by hand, as with smooth cordgrass. Seed should be stored dry. Storage 

 at low temperature is probably best, although there is no clear-cut evidence 

 to support this. The seeds should be removed from storage and scattered over 

 the surface of 5- to 10-centimeter plastic or peat pots filled with sand about 

 3 or 4 months before transplanting time (seeds may be germiniated in flats and 



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