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American Beachgrass Nursery
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Recognizing the need for a local source of plant material best suited for stabilizing sand dunes & lakeshores, the Charlevoix Conservation District established a beachgrass nursery in 1986. On property leased from the DNR, and with stock from another conservation district, the Charlevoix Conservation District planted 20,000 plugs of beachgrass then waited for them to grow more! Harvests began in the spring of 1989.
The District's nursery is inspected annually by the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Plant/Pesticide Division.
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Best Choice
Harvests
Planting
Ordering
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Best Choice
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American Beachgrass is the best choice for initial stilling of moving sands. Stems from the plant form a mechanical barrier, which slows and then traps moving sand. It is a native plant to the Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes. It is strongly rhizomatous, less sensitive to high temperatures and somewhat longer lived than European beachgrass. American beachgrass is a tough, coarse, erect perennial with hard, scaly, creeping rhizomes and dense, spike-like seed heads. Most eroding sandy areas and shifting sand dunes can be planted.
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Harvests
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Beachgrass is harvested in the spring (May) and fall (October) while the plants are dormant. Orders (to the extent possible) are harvested in coordination with the customer's planting schedule. The ideal situation is to harvest the order 1-2 days prior to pickup.
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Planting
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Recommended spacing to plant beachgrass is in an 18" x 18" grid pattern. However, most of our customers choose to space the plants closer together, reporting a 10" x 10" pattern looks better. For large areas, where planting will extend over a period of seasons, it is usually best to start on the windward side first. The key to a successful planting, is planting when soil conditions are their best, early in the spring or fall when the weather is cool. A planting depth of 8-10" is suggested, so the buds at the base of the stem do not dry out, nor will plants blow out in a heavy wind. Enough moisture should be present so when an opening is made with a spade, the sand will not run back into the hole. A narrow tile spade or planting bar may be used for hand planting. After planting, firm the soil around the plants with your heel. Place 1 culm/plug per hole, or place 2-3 per hole (strictly personal preference). Fertilization is very important to successful establishment of beachgrass. In the absence of a soil test, about 25 pounds of 12-12-12 fertilizer per 1,000 plugs is suggested. This is equivalent to 500 pounds per acre. Fertilizer should be broadcast on the soil surface after planting. Beachgrass spreads by sending new shoots (rhizomes) under the sand. It grows in clumps/bunches which contain many culms/plugs, that may reach a height of two to three feet. Roots are usually NOT evident at the end of a plug of beachgrass. Roots will develop from basal nodes after planting. Plant all the plugs in the bundle, even if they look dead!!!! They will grow! A year or two after planting beachgrass, when all surface sand movement has ceased, adapted trees may be planted in the beachgrass.
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Ordering
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Orders can be placed throughout the year, but will be deferred until the next harvest season.
To place an order, contact the District Office at (231) 582-6193 or print an order form from the Conservation Plants & Products section.
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This page last updated on 2/14/2005.
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