Establishment of grass mixtures on roadsides

16. Abstract Individual plantings were installed in each of four operational Districts of TxDOT representative of East, Central, and West, Texas in Apri11989. Site preparation consisted of necessary smoothing followed by scarification to a depth of 10 to 13 cm (4.0 to 5.2 in). A standard seeding mixture was installed comparing drilling and hydroseeding. After the seed mixtures were in place, a straw/hay surface mulch with tackifer was placed over the designated seeded area using a mulch blower. Seeding emergence was good at Coleman, Lufkin, and Tulia, reflecting favorable moisture conditions; emergmce at Odessa, where rainfall was scant, was marginal. Above-average rainfall the year following planting encouraged the influx of volunteer plants, but seeded stands were not enhanced. Green sprangletop, sideoats grama, and common bermuda grass (where it was seeded) were most aggressive in early establishment. Indian grass, buffalo grass, blue grama, switchgrass, and little bluestrem increased in frequency within the planted stand over time.