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Bluestem, Big
(Andropogon gerardi)
Big Bluestem is a native warm season pe- rennial tall grass. It spreads by underground stems and rhizomes. Big Bluestems dense root system saturates the top two feet of soil and may reach depths of up to twelve feet.
The most productive sites for Big Bluestem have been found on the medium to heavy soil in the Great Plains and Midwest.
Growth in Big Bluestem begins in early April, growing three to eight feet tall and grows to late October. Big Bluestem is a bunch grass and produces many leaves. The lower leaves are usually covered with a silky hair and curl when dry. Mature plants have a reddish color after frost.
Best plantings for Big Bluestem occur from late spring to mid-summer, allowing time for establishment before the first frost.
A planting rate of 5 to 6 pure live seed pounds at a depth of 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch is recom- mended, using a chaffy grass drill because of the chaffy nature of the seed.
Few grasses equal Big Bluestem in quantity and quality of palatable forage produced. Care should be taken to not over graze
to less than eight to ten inches, leaving enough green leaves for fast regrowth.