Backyard Habitats and
Warm Season Grasses
By Mary Hosmer
Public Affairs
Allegheny National Forest
The rabbit squirted out from almost underneath my feet and ‘zagged’ into a field of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). My shotgun fire had ‘zigged’. Beagle 1, rabbit 1, hunter 0. We were hunting switchgrass fields planted on State Game Lands down in Somerset County. My first experience with this grass left me a believer in its value to wildlife. Rabbits, pheasants, and woodcock – wow! I hadn’t had a day of hunting like that since I was a kid in the cedar swamps of Michigan and snowshoe hare were the prey of the day.
I was determined to learn more. I had learned ‘some’ about warm season grasses, of which switchgrass is just one kind of this grass, when I attended the Forestry Stewardship Course offered by the Renewable Natural Resources Extension and the Bureau of Forestry. Now I really wanted to know how to establish this grass on my farm here in Pennsylvania, My God’s Little Acre.
The first thing I learned was that warm-season grasses were native to Pennsylvania, and originally found along major rivers. Woods bison and elk grazed in these fields. Settlers arrived and turned the soil to plant faster-growing cool season grasses, such as clovers and forage grasses, and crops to feed their livestock and families.
I turn to the Renewable Natural Resources website, http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/Default.html, for help. I also visit my friend’s farm to check out his warm season grass fields and learn firsthand what the pitfalls might be in establishment of these grasses. The cool season grasses grow better in spring to produce early crops, whereas the warm season grasses grow best in July and August. The difficult part of warm season grasses is the time it takes for the grasses to become established. It takes four to five years for a good ‘stand’ of grasses to develop.
Even though it may take time for these warm season grasses to establish themselves, the benefits are worth the wait. Warm season grasses are called ‘bunch’ grasses because they produce a plant that grows into a large bunch with many leaves. These grasses are tall, four to six feet, when mature. The winter snows may bend them over to create little hiding holes for wildlife, but the winds don’t flatten these grasses as they do goldenrod stems. The deep roots, five to six feet, hold soil well and prevent erosion. Aw, the colors – I love the yellow flowers of Indian grass (Sorghastum nutans), and the purple ‘turkeys-foot’ of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii).
I learn that little bluestem (Schziachyrium scoparium), big bluestem, Indian grass, and switchgrass can be planted in a mixture to benefit wildlife. Another plus for warmseason grass is low nutrient needs. Farmers and homeowners can save money by planting a grass that doesn’t need lime and fertilizer every year, and will grow well in the low pH of western Pennsylvania soils. Warm season grasses can live up to fifty years; this eliminates the need to constantly renew the plant every three to five years, such as in clovers.
The important thing in establishment of fields of warm season grasses is to start with a weed-free field. Last year’s cornfield is a good site to start warm season grasses. Old fields with already established weeds and brush will take more herbicide and more work to remove the competition. I also learn that planting wildflowers into the warm season grass fields will add flowers and seeds to the grasses that benefit many birds, including pheasants. Turkey and grouse will bring poults (young birds) to a field with flowers in it because the flowers attract more insects to eat.
Good seed-to-soil contact is needed to properly grow a seed into a grass bunch plant. You can broadcast seed over a frozen ground as spring breakup occurs. But, the preferred method is to drill the seed with a no-till drill. Contact your local Pheasants Forever Chapter as they own several of these drills in Pennsylvania. Contact your County Conservation District for places to obtain technical advice when you establish warm season grasses on your property.
Pictured, from top, are little bluestem, Indian grass, switch grass and big bluestem.
Public Affairs
Allegheny National Forest
The rabbit squirted out from almost underneath my feet and ‘zagged’ into a field of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). My shotgun fire had ‘zigged’. Beagle 1, rabbit 1, hunter 0. We were hunting switchgrass fields planted on State Game Lands down in Somerset County. My first experience with this grass left me a believer in its value to wildlife. Rabbits, pheasants, and woodcock – wow! I hadn’t had a day of hunting like that since I was a kid in the cedar swamps of Michigan and snowshoe hare were the prey of the day.
I was determined to learn more. I had learned ‘some’ about warm season grasses, of which switchgrass is just one kind of this grass, when I attended the Forestry Stewardship Course offered by the Renewable Natural Resources Extension and the Bureau of Forestry. Now I really wanted to know how to establish this grass on my farm here in Pennsylvania, My God’s Little Acre.
The first thing I learned was that warm-season grasses were native to Pennsylvania, and originally found along major rivers. Woods bison and elk grazed in these fields. Settlers arrived and turned the soil to plant faster-growing cool season grasses, such as clovers and forage grasses, and crops to feed their livestock and families. I turn to the Renewable Natural Resources website, http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/Default.html, for help. I also visit my friend’s farm to check out his warm season grass fields and learn firsthand what the pitfalls might be in establishment of these grasses. The cool season grasses grow better in spring to produce early crops, whereas the warm season grasses grow best in July and August. The difficult part of warm season grasses is the time it takes for the grasses to become established. It takes four to five years for a good ‘stand’ of grasses to develop.
Even though it may take time for these warm season grasses to establish themselves, the benefits are worth the wait. Warm season grasses are called ‘bunch’ grasses because they produce a plant that grows into a large bunch with many leaves. These grasses are tall, four to six feet, when mature. The winter snows may bend them over to create little hiding holes for wildlife, but the winds don’t flatten these grasses as they do goldenrod stems. The deep roots, five to six feet, hold soil well and prevent erosion. Aw, the colors – I love the yellow flowers of Indian grass (Sorghastum nutans), and the purple ‘turkeys-foot’ of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). 
I learn that little bluestem (Schziachyrium scoparium), big bluestem, Indian grass, and switchgrass can be planted in a mixture to benefit wildlife. Another plus for warmseason grass is low nutrient needs. Farmers and homeowners can save money by planting a grass that doesn’t need lime and fertilizer every year, and will grow well in the low pH of western Pennsylvania soils. Warm season grasses can live up to fifty years; this eliminates the need to constantly renew the plant every three to five years, such as in clovers. 
The important thing in establishment of fields of warm season grasses is to start with a weed-free field. Last year’s cornfield is a good site to start warm season grasses. Old fields with already established weeds and brush will take more herbicide and more work to remove the competition. I also learn that planting wildflowers into the warm season grass fields will add flowers and seeds to the grasses that benefit many birds, including pheasants. Turkey and grouse will bring poults (young birds) to a field with flowers in it because the flowers attract more insects to eat. Good seed-to-soil contact is needed to properly grow a seed into a grass bunch plant. You can broadcast seed over a frozen ground as spring breakup occurs. But, the preferred method is to drill the seed with a no-till drill. Contact your local Pheasants Forever Chapter as they own several of these drills in Pennsylvania. Contact your County Conservation District for places to obtain technical advice when you establish warm season grasses on your property.
Pictured, from top, are little bluestem, Indian grass, switch grass and big bluestem.
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