Native warm season grasses (NWSG) provide excellent nesting and escape cover for small game and songbirds. NWSG are clump grasses that maintain an open layer at ground level, allowing birds to move freely. These grasses offer a valuable component to forage production programs for livestock. Livestock producers have found substantial increases in weight gain among livestock that have fed on a rotation of NWSG and cool season grasses (CSG) over animals fed only CSG. About 25% of your pasture or hayland should be placed in NWSG. The main advantage in forage production is that as CSG (ex. fescue) go into dormant stage NWSG are beginning to produce carrying you through the dry part of the year. NWSG are drought resistant and can act as a safety valve during drought years by providing forage. Wildlife benefit from NWSG plantings by the development of nesting and escape cover, creation of accessible bugging areas, and higher residual cover that CSG.

Native warm season grasses can be planted with a cyclone spreader, conventional drill, or warm season grass drill, depending on the desired grass species. The warm season grass drill is needed for grasses that have fluffy seed. The Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries has a NWSG planter available to landowners. A partial list of NWSG includes switchgrass, indiangrass, big and little bluestem, eastern gamagrass, and sideoats gama. Planting a mixed stand of grasses creates diversity that will attract a greater variety of wildlife than a monoculture. Seed should be planted by either drilling 1/4 inch into a firm seedbed that has been cultipacked or by broadcasting seed and dragging to lightly cover seed. Native warm season grasses are planted from April 1 to June 30. You must have patience when establishing NWSG. They usually require two growing seasons to become fully established.

Weed control is very important when establishing NWSG. Use of herbicides before planting may be necessary for areas extremely infested with weeds or you can release plantings enough through repeated mowings. Mowing should occur in May, June, and July. Your goal is to keep weeds at the same level as the planting so grasses are not shaded out. Weeds should be cut just above the top of NWSG. You do not want to cut the grasses during weed control.

Once established, maintenance will be required to maintain optimal wildlife values. Your main objective is to reduce accumulated litter through haying, grazing, discing, or burning. If allowed to grow unmanaged, grasses will become matted not allow free movement of wildlife at ground level.

Native warm season grass plantings should be established in blocks, not linear strips. Strips will develop predator traps for nesting birds by making it easier for predators to search through plantings. Plantings should be a minimum of an acre in size and near escape cover such as brush or woodlots. Virginia Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries biologists will be glad to assist you with design plans, planting recommendations, and maintenance schedules.