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FOR-69: Field Guide to Best Management Practices for Timber Harvesting in Kentucky

BMP No. 2: Vegetative Establishment of Silviculturally Disturbed Areas

Minimum Requirement:

Revegetate erodible or severely eroded areas, such as logging roads, skid trails, and log landings, as soon as possible. Revegetation should be sufficient to adequately control or significantly abate erosion from the site.

This BMP uses both temporary cover species and a mixture of permanent species to revegetate disturbed areas.

• Temporary cover species are those that come up quickly and vigorously and act to provide a rooting mass until the permanent mixtures take hold.
• Permanent mixes are a combination of compatible grass and legume species that will become established and grow for a number of years on a site until natural seeding can occur.

Prepare for Seeding

Using the Seeding Tables

Use the following tables to help determine what temporary species (Table 2-1) and permanent mixes (Tables 2-2 to 2-5) to use. In all cases, a temporary species is to be used with a permanent mix. Each species or mix has a specific seeding date.

• Species: The species or mixes in bold are generally the most effective.
• Seeding dates: For permanent mixtures, seeding dates are for the entire mixture. For example, the seeding dates in Table 2-2 recommend that mixture “a” be seeded between February 1 and May 1, or between August 1 and October 15.
• When seeding must be accomplished outside of the recommended seeding windows, it is recommended that seeding rates be increased by 50 percent and mulch be used.
• Seeding rates: lbs/ac/pls. refers to pounds of pure live seed per treated acre (see Determining Pure Live Seed section). Some species come with germination or purity information. Make the appropriate adjustment in seeding rates (see information in Mulching, Fertilizer, and Seeding Section of this BMP).
• Special considerations: Some mixes have special light requirements or restricted seeding dates. Consider these special needs when selecting a mix.

Table 2-2--Mixtures for Slopes Less than 10 Percent
Species Mixture		Seeding Rates (lbs/ac/pls1)	Seeding Dates for Mixture2	Special Considerations
a.	orchard grass3	8	Feb. 1 - May 1 Aug. 1 - Oct. 15
	red clover	6
b.	orchard grass	8	Feb. 1 - May 1 Aug. 1 - Oct. 15
	ladino clover	2
c.	timothy	4	Feb. 1 - May 1 Aug. 1 - Oct. 15
	ladino clover	2
d.	orchard grass	10	Feb. 1 - May 1	No fall planting due to lespedesa
	Kobe or Korean lespedesa	10
e.	switch grass	1	May 1 - June 30	For open canopy conditions only. A good seed bed is required. No fall planting due to lespedesa.
	big bluestem	2
	indiangrass	2
	red clover	4
	Korean lespedesa	5
f.	little bluestem	3	May 1 - June 30	No fall planting due to lespedesa
	side-oats gramma	3
	Korean lespedesa	5

¹pls: pure live seed (see Appendix 1).
²The seeding dates were developed for the mixture and not the individual species. For example, it is recommended that mixture "a" be seeded between February 1 and May 1 or between August 1 and October 15.
³Mixtures in boldface type are primary recommendations.

Table 2-3--Mixtures for Highly Erodible Areas (Areas Exceeding 10 Percent Slope)
Species Mixture		Seeding Rates (lbs/ac/pls)1	Seeding Dates2 for Mixture	Special Considerations
a.	Kentucky 31 fescue	30	Feb. 1 - May 15 Aug. 1 - Oct. 15	High seedling and plant vigor on droughty, exposed sites. The endophyte-free fescue is more valuable for wildlife and is acceptable on lesser slopes.
	flatpea3	30
b.	Kentucky 31 fescue	30	Feb. 1 - May 15 Aug. 1 - Oct. 15	High seedling and plant vigor on droughty, exposed sites. The endophyte-free fescue is more valuable for wildlife and is acceptable on lesser slopes.
	birdsfoot trefoil	10
c.	creeping red fescue	20	Feb. 1 - May 15 Aug. 1 - Oct. 15	For use in shaded areas.
	white clover	2
d.	switch grass	8	May 1 - June 30	For open canopy conditions only. Switch grass is a native.
	partridge pea	5

¹ pls: pure live seed (see Appendix 1).
² The seeding dates were developed for the mixture and not the individual species. For example, it is recommended that mixture "a" be seeded between February 1 and May 1, or between August 1 and October 15.
³ Mixtures in boldface type are primary recommendations.

Table 2-4--Mixtures for Wet or Poorly Drained Areas
Species Mixture		Seeding Rates (lbs/ac/pls)1	Seeding Dates2	Special Considerations
a.	redtop	7	Feb. 15 - June 30 Aug. 1 - Oct. 1
	alsike clover or birdsfoot trefoil3	6
b.	switch grass	8	May 1 - June 30 Aug. 1 - Oct. 1	For open canopy conditions only.
	alsike clover or birdsfoot trefoil	6

¹pls: pure live seed (see Appendix 1).
² The seeding dates were developed for the mixture and not the individual species. For example, it is recommended that mixture "a" be seeded between February 15 and June 30, or between August 1 and October 1.
³ Mixtures in bold face type are primary recommendations.

Table 2-5--Mixtures for Establishing Native Species
Species Mixture		Seeding Rates (lbs/ac/pls)1	Seeding Dates2	Special Considerations
a.	switch grass	2.0	May 1 - June 30	For open canopy conditions only.
	indiangrass	2.0
	big bluestem	1.5
	little bluestem	1.5
	partridge pea	5.0

¹pls: pure live seed (see Appendix 1).
²The seeding dates were developed for the mixture and not the individual species. For example, it is recommended that mixture "a" be seeded between February 1 and May 1, or between August 1 and October 15.

Mulching, Fertilizing, Liming, and Seeding

• General fertilization at a rate of 70 to 80 pounds of nitrogen (N), 120 pounds of phosphorus (P2O5), and 120 pounds of potassium (K2O) per acre is normally adequate.
• For native grasses, no more than 40 to 50 pounds of nitrogen should be applied at planting to avoid excessive competition. Two to three tons of agricultural ground limestone per acre are generally adequate where liming is indicated.
• Work the fertilizer and lime into the soil with a harrow, disk, or rake operated across the slope.
• Mulch will aid in most situations. Table 2-6 provides information on amounts and coverage of mulch. It is particularly important in the following situations:
  • Areas which are steep, eroding, or are difficult to revegetate.
  • Seeding outside the seeding dates.

Determining Ground Area and Pure Live Seed

Determining Acreage for Irregularly Shaped Areas

To determine acreage and pounds of seed for other areas, such as log landings or denuded areas, use the following procedure:

1. Measure the width across the area in several locations and determine the average width.
2. Measure the length of the area in several locations and determine the average length.
3. Multiply the average width by the average length to get the square feet of disturbed area.
4. Divide the square feet of disturbed area by 43, 560 feet per acre to get the acreage.
5. Multiply the acreage of the area by the recommended amount of seed per acre to determine the amount of seed required.

Determining Pure Live Seed

Pure Live Seed is determined by multiplying percent germination by percent purity. Divide result into recommended pounds of seed per acre which gives the bulk seed needed. Example: fescue may have 98 percent purity and 80 percent germination. If you need to seed 40 pounds per acre of pure live seed, the procedure would be:

0.98 purity x 0.80 germination = 0.784

40 lb/ac / 0.784 = 51 lb of seed needed

Regulatory Requirements for BMP No. 2

• All silvicultural operations: (410 KAR 5:026, 5:029, 5:030, and 5:031)
• Activities near high-quality waters and outstanding national resource waters: (401 KAR 5:029, 5:030, and 5:031)
• Activities near wild rivers: (KRS 146.200 et seq. and 401 KAR 4:100-140)