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The Deep Middle


Gardening & writing in the prairie echo

The Not So Fine Art of Mixing Plugs With Seeds

11/18/2021

11 Comments

 
Let's just dive right in. Why mix seed with plugs in your garden? Two of the biggest reasons are:

1) Cost. Doing 100% plugs will always be much more. That includes material and labor costs.
2) Maturity. Some plants will establish slower and those are the ones to plant.

I'm often mixing the too, specifically on sunny sites. What I'll do is design and plant the ornamental layer (forbs) using plugs -- think drifts and masses and tiers -- then sow in a warm-season bunchgrass. If the planting is in spring this is a simple 1-2 step process: plant plugs, sow seed. If it's in fall, the seeding must wait until spring when germination will be much better. When the grass seed goes down -- often using Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua gracilis, or Schizachyrium scoparium -- I'll also toss in some annual forb seed, as well. The benefit there is to increase first year color as clients impatiently wait the requisite 2-4 years until the plugs establish fully and get going.

That grass seed can often grow quite fast, depending on site and climatic conditions that first growing season. I've had projects where sideoats grama shot up in 2 months to full size, and others where it took a year. This is important to keep in mind as you make your forb plug selections and ensure they don't get outcompeted by grasses the first year. In other words, research forbs that compete well with shortgrasses.

In shade I prefer to use 100% plugs. You're always going to get more guaranteed results when you plant plugs compared to seeding, and in shade, I just don't have the confidence with establishing a seed mix. By no means does that mean seeding in shade can't be successful -- I'd probably do it at a double rate and make sure to get a straw erosion control blanket on it.

If you are concerned about cost above all else, and also as anxious as everyone else to see the garden establish faster than a 100% seeding (which can take 4-6 years), then here's a trick -- create some nice 4 foot wide paths meandering through the area. Obviously, scale down the width based on total bed square footage (sometimes 2 feet is enough). Putting some of the space into paths will cut down on how many plugs you need, and have the benefit of creating access to the space which also shows design intention. You can also do this with a seating area or water feature.

If you're going to go 100% seeding for your forbs, sedge, and grasses, consider doubling or tripling your rates, keeping in mind touch up seedings will likely be in order. Do the perennials, cool season grasses, and sedge in late fall or winter, followed by annuals and warm season grasses in spring. You can find more on seeding guidelines right here.

The below garden was installed employing the forb plug and grass seed strategy in spring all at once. While we did have LOTS of crabgrass the first year, the sideoats grama totally outcompeted it in the second year. Right now it's weed tree seedlings that cause the most issues, which is to be expected. The space is mowed down each March and could stand to have some forbs added in a few spots.

11 Comments
Mark
12/4/2021 01:25:25 pm

Good advice here. Do you recommend trying to grow forbs indoors under lights in the winter? I thought this would be a good winter project and would give them a small head start. Also, if one used plugs of grama, do you think they would reach maturity in one season?

Reply
Benjamin
12/4/2021 02:08:37 pm

Personally, I am SO for buying plugs and letting the pros grow them. There can be so much nuance to various species getting them to germinate and then take off -- it's not for me. If you grow your own plants do the research and make sure they are easy and simple. Warm season grasses grow at different rates. For example I can sow sideoats grama in May and it's usually pretty darn mature by fall, but little bluestem will take another summer.

Reply
Ben Hale
12/4/2021 08:16:37 pm

Benjamin, thanks for this post! This is super helpful info on getting the balance right between plugs and seeding. There's a lot of info on what plants people like to use, but not a whole lot on managing seed and plug installations, and when to do it. Keep up the great work!

Reply
Benjamin
12/4/2021 08:56:44 pm

Just wait until the next book comes out in fall 2022!

Reply
Steve Fester
12/7/2021 02:44:21 pm

What sort of tool or equipment do you use to mow down the dead material in March?

Reply
Benjamin
12/7/2021 02:48:30 pm

A lawn mower. Sometimes a hedge trimmer if leaving some stems for bees.

Reply
Martha
12/8/2021 11:06:05 am

<a href="https://www.thegardenstyle.com/">All about Gardening</a>

Reply
Brittany
12/9/2021 06:38:40 pm

This is really helpful! Are there any shade lovers you’ve found that compete well?

Reply
Benjamin
12/9/2021 07:06:49 pm

Use the search field at the bottom of the website for native shade plants. This blog goes back years upon years.

Reply
Grace
6/30/2022 11:31:44 pm

Hi. Thanks for this post. What do you like to use for grassy paths? I’m creating a very short “lawn” using in a pass through area in my back yard. I would like to create walking paths so the forbs don’t get trampled. Is there a native that tolerates foot traffic? I am in Madison, WI, and Buffalo grass is not native to here. It’s not far though, and I have thought about using it. Path rush is another one that has come up. Wondering if you like others for walking paths. I could also do a mulch path, but I like green paths too. Thanks in advance!

Reply
Nicole link
3/25/2023 11:29:10 am

Such a helpful post. Thanks for the update.

Reply



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    Benjamin Vogt's thoughts on prairie gardening in Nebraska. With a healthy dose of landscape ethics, ecophilosophy, climate change,  and social justice.

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