Bluestem - Big Native Grass Seed

Big bluestem native grass is a warm season perennial grass which has an attractive reddish-copper color in fall and can help create a beautiful landscape. In fact, some use it specifically as an ornamental grass. It blooms from June through September. In late summer, purplish flower spikes form. Big bluestem is the most prevalent and widely distributed of all prairie grasses which can grow 4 to 7 feet tall.

Big Bluestem has tall and slender stems that are blue-green in the summer. The hairy blades, which can get to be 12 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, will get a red tinge on the leaves as they get older, and turn reddish copper in the fall. Pot or bed this native grass, it doesn't care. Very attractive grass which works well as an accent plant or in mass plantings.

8 - 12 PLS lbs per acre or 1/2 - 1 PLS lb per 1000 square feet for ornamental plantings.

PLS pounds - Pure Live Seed, or PLS, is the percentage of viable seed in a given lot. It is calculated by multiplying the purity percentage by the total germination percentage. For example, 95% purity multiplied by 85% total germination equals a 80.75% PLS. This means that out of every bulk pound of that bag of native grass seed that you plant, 80.75% of it is actually seed of that tagged variety and has the potential to germinate.

Type: Perennial
Mature Height: 4 - 7 feet
Soil Type: Well drained
Mature Spread: 2 - 3 feet
Flower Color: Purplish
Mature Form: Upright - Clump
Foliage Color: Silvery-blue
Growth Rate: Moderate
Fall Color: Reddish copper
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Moisture Requirements: Adaptable to dry
Zones: 4 - 9

Conservation: Big bluestem is the dominant native grass species of the Midwestern tallgrass prairie. It is mixed with other native prairie grasses for prairie restoration and highway revegetation or mixed with wildflowers.  If mixing with wildflowers, it should be mixed with tall wildflower species; otherwise, the big blustem will dominate. While it does best in moist soils, it can be used for mine reclamation, logging road restoration and other restoration areas that have sandy or droughty conditions.

Erosion Control: Big bluestem is planted to stabilize soil. Rhizomes (underground roots that form runners) are typically 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface, while the main roots can extend downward to 10 feet. Big bluestem is also planted to provide aboveground protection against wind erosion.

Forage: Big bluestem is a high quality forage species for all classes of livestock. Crude protein content of 16-18% is maintained from May through August but drops below 6% in September and October. It is often cultivated as a pasture grass and for hay-making. Big bluestem can withstand substantial grazing. However, if this native grass is continually grazed closer than 6 to 8 inches, it will be out competed by other grass species. It is highly palatable to livestock during spring and summer and becomes coarse and less palatable during the fall and winter. Hay should be mowed in early to mid-summer to maintain high nutrition quality.

Landscaping: Big bluestem is used in wildflower meadows and prairie plantings. It is also effective as a rear border or accent in native plant gardens.

Wildlife: Big bluestem provides shelter for nesting birds and insects. Songbirds and prairie chickens consume the seeds while white-tailed deer and bison graze vegetative parts.

Big bluestem is native to the United States. It occurs in southern Canada, from Maine to Montana, south to Florida and New Mexico and into Mexico. It is found in open woods, prairies, meadows, along riverbanks, and roadsides. It is especially abundant in lowland prairies, overflow sites, and sandy areas.

The USDA hardiness zones for big bluestem are 4 to 9. It is best adapted to moist, sandy or clay loams but also occurs in dry or shallow soils. It does well in full sun or partial shade. Prairie conditions, like low nutrient and moisture content, have conditioned many native grasses for use in well-drained soil with low fertility. It is not tolerant of heavy clays, extremely wet bottomlands, deep sands, high salinity, or high lime. Big bluestem is generally shorter in the northern portion of its range, and taller in the southern portion of its range. It is a rhizomatous, sod-forming grass in the tallgrass prairie and has a bunchgrass appearance in more arid regions.

Fill germination trays, pots with moist soil or broadcast the native grass seed over the desired planting area. Sow seeds by hand, covering with a thin layer of soil. Keep soil evenly moist during germination and do not use fertilizer.  Seeds can be sown directly outside from late winter to late spring. Emergence will occur in in 3 to 4 weeks depending on adequate moisture and soil temperatures. Plants will be ready for harvest in mid-summer to late fall. First-season growth is often slow. Rhizomatic regeneration in following years increases the growth rate.

Two Great LazyMan Products For Lawns, Gardens, Flowerbeds, etc.

LazyMan Liquid Gold - LazyMan Liquid Gold lawn aerator, dethatcher and soil conditioner is a 3-in-1 easy apply spray-on liquid application to aerate, dethatch, and condition your turf and soil. The aeration portion of LazyMan Liquid Gold is uniquely formulated to reduce crusting, loosen up hard clay soils, aggregate sandy soil, and allow water and oxygen to better reach plant roots by reducing the surface tension between the water and the soil. While this aerator is loosening the soil, the microbial dethatcher breaks down thatch in to organic matter and beneficial soil microorganisms, kelp extracts and potassium humate help to enrich the soil.

LazyMan Soil Doctor - LazyMan Soil Doctor is our latest product in lawn renovation. We have enhanced our already popular LazyMan Liquid Gold and added organic-based 6-1-2 fertilizer with amino acids to this proprietary blend. LazyMan Soil Doctor is a 4-in-1 easy apply spray-on liquid to aerate, dethatch, fertilize, and condition your turf and soil for lawns, gardens, flowerbeds, etc. While this aerator is loosening the soil, the microbial dethatcher breaks down thatch in to organic matter and beneficial soil microorganisms, kelp extracts and potassium humate help to enrich the soil. Meanwhile, the organic-based 6-1-2 fertilizer has already been absorbed in to the plant tissue. A powerful combination all wrapped in to one product..