Sideoats GramaSideoats Grama
(Bouteloua curtipendula)

Common Name: Prairie Grama

General Information:

Sideoats Grama is a medium sized, warm-season native bunchgrass. It is the largest species of the grama grasses, reaching up to three feet in height. The color of the grass is bluish-green and cures to a reddish-brown color in the fall. The leaves are fairly coarse and stiff. Blooms occur along one side of the seed stalk and are bright red in color. The mature seeds droop from this one edge, thus attributing to the name.

Sideoats Grama germinates rapidly when conditions are favorable, which is usually a fairly long wet period. However, the seedlings will not develop sufficiently to withstand a significant drought, so early continued moisture is important.

Despite the early need for water, developed plants do not handle abundant moisture well and can easily drown out. Their long root system will penetrate deeply into the underlying areas of drier, subsurface soil, which then reduces the plants dependency on the changeable moisture levels of the topsoil. Sideoats grama does not persist on many sites. The roots lessen in number after the first year of growth and the plant will often disappear completely after five years. It does, however, reseed fairly easily if the site is favorable. The best growing sites are those with shallow soil, a fairly low moisture level and good drainage. Because it is so drought tolerant it often becomes abundant following prolonged dry periods.

Sideoats Grama is not as palatable as some of the other short prairie species, but it produces a greater volume of forage, which tends to make up for its lower palatability. It also stays greener longer that other gramas which allows for longer grazing. However, overgrazing is very harmful to the species. Typically, Sideoats Grama grows in tufts or small bunches and is interspersed with Bluestems, Western Wheatgrass, Prairie Junegrass and Blue Grama. Look for best stands of Side-Oats on rocky open slopes, shallow woodlands and forest openings up to an elevation of 7,000 feet.

Modern day application of Sideoats Grama is in CRP plantings, wildlife habitat re-establishment, re-seeding of abandoned sites and eroding fields and in mixtures of native grasses for forage.

Establishment:

  1. Sideoats Grama is one of the native grass species that does not require a special seeder. The oat shaped seeds feed easily through conventional seeders.
  2. Plant 8-10 PLS pounds per acre when establishing a pure stand. In a mixture the percentage of the mix should be about 25%-30% depending on the geographic location.
  3. Plant the seed no more than ½ inch deep. Emerging seedlings lack the strength to push through too much overlying soil. More seed has been lost to poor planting practices than anything else; this is especially true of seed depth.
  4. If weeds are a problem or a potential problem, consider using a herbicide recommended for warm season grasses. WE MAKE NO RECOMMENDATIONS. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY. DO NOT TANK MIX A PESTICIDE WITH A HERBICIDE. REMEMBER MORE IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER.
  5. You can broadcast the seed onto a prepared seedbed. Roll Lightly. You will probably need a carrier. Some people use a 0-13-13 fertilizer.

Management:

  1. We do not recommend the use of fertilizer the first year, at least not nitrogen. Moderate levels of phosphorus and potassium are beneficial, especially for root establishment, which is the primary activity of the plant the first year. Use a soil test to help you decide the rate. Fertilizer may be applied the second year to enhance vigor and production of forage. It is not necessary to fertilize at all, but stand strength may be compromised without it.

  2. We recommend a controlled burn every 1-3 years if possible. If not, then a mowing pattern should be established in order to control woody species invasion and prevent thatch build up. If you mow, mow no lower than 8 inches and no later than August 1.

  3. Rotational grazing or flash grazing is another good management tool. Care should be taken to prevent the livestock from grazing the warm season grass to a level that would not rebound after grazing. Use 6 inches as your stopping point and a regrowth of 12 inches before grazing begins again. This remaining stubble will assist your stand in withstanding the cold, harsh conditions of winter.


Varieties or cultivars (improved releases):

  1. Butte is a winter hardy, long lived, relatively early maturing variety. Its best growth is during the long days of summer and the seed mature as early as mid-August.
  2. El Reno produces strong leafy plants that are excellent for forage. It grows rapidly and is noted for its disease resistance and winter hardiness.
  3. Haskell is adapted to most of Texas. It reproduces by rhizomes as well as seed, is drought tolerant, shows good vigor, and is resistant to seed shattering. Field planting data showed Haskell to be the best and most consistent forage producing variety of Side-Oats Grama for central and southern Texas. Haskell is limited only by moisture, requiring at least 18" annually.
  4. Kildeer is recommended for use in pasture and range seedings in the Northern Great Plains. It was released by the SCS in Bismarck, N.D., and it grows best on well-drained uplands, shallow ridges and rocky areas of varying soil types.
  5. Niner is one of the most important varieties of Side-Oats Grama of the southwestern U.S. due to its high palatability and vigorous growth. It is recommended for use in seed mixes with other species for range reseeding, roadside plantings or mined-land reclamation. Best performance comes on medium to heavy textured soils.
  6. Pierre is an upright, leafy type of Side-Oats Grama. It shows considerable drought tolerance and good forage production. It is recommended for planting in west-central United States.
  7. Trailway is a winter hardy, long-lived, late maturing variety. It requires most of a growing season to produce mature seeds and may fail to produce seed crops in regions with shorter seasons. It is recommended for upland planting in eastern and southern Nebraska and eastward.
  8. Vaughn plants are recognized by an upright leaf structure and its bunch-type growth pattern. It is easily established, has good seeding vigor, and is highly drought tolerant. Vaughn is used in eastern Colorado and New Mexico, and areas of higher elevations.

Preferred planting time:

  1. Preferred in the spring before June 30.
  2. Dormant planting in December through February.
  3. Planting rate is 6-8 PLS pounds per acre in pure stand. In a mixture is should represent 10-30% of the seeds used, dependent on geographic location.

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