Planting Grass at Nix

Time to get 1,600 grass plants, propagated at the volunteer Nursery, into the ground at the Nix Center at Laguna Wilderness Park. Kimberly, Elliott (not pictured), Barbara and Francisco were the catalyst… with a prison crew from Casper’s coming to help over the next few days. The plot you see is about 400 square yards, or about 13 flats… we have 50, so there’s a lot of grass to go around the Nix Center. See slideshow for pictures. (Click any pic to enlarge)

Farewell to Native Grasses

We watered and fertilized 1,600 native grasses the week before they are due to be planted in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Nix Nature Center. Next year’s container plants are in either seed flats or containers. Each seed flat and post is has been inoculated with mycorrhizae.
See complete plant list. See slideshow for pictures. (Click any pic to enlarge)

Seed Flats & Oaks

Tom, David, Sarah and Nanci helped plan, prep, label and prepare seed flats for this year: 15 species in seed flats and 2 species of oaks. We topped the flats with vermiculite to deter fungal gnats. Each species was paired in the flat with a dissimilar plant.
The group also de-bugged oak acorns being stratified and “bumped up” the ones with tap roots into 4” tall square pots.
See complete plant list. See slideshow for pictures. (Click any pic to enlarge)

Starting Oak Trees

Ranger Barbara, Kimberly and Winter jointly collected acorns: Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia, and Scrub Oak, Quercus berberidifolia. Tom and David cleaned acorns, and placed them in polyethylene bags with moistened medium, germination mix. The bags, slightly open, were placed in dark container…. “stratification”. Once the acorns produce a tap root, in 4-6 weeks, we’ll put them in 4” tall pots. We’ll have to cage these pots after the first leaves show as rats will gnaw off the stalks.

Seed Collecting

Robert, David and Tom back from seed collecting CA Everlasting, Gnaphalium californicum (?), to be used for restoration seed mix. Seed collection is for both restoration by seed and for container plants. We’ll be starting seed flats at the end of September: 30th. Reviewed seed collecting by educational groups with Kimberly.

Fixing rain collection system

Today Nanci and I watered the 1,600+ grasses for the Nix center. The original delivery was for August 1, but the un-official reschedule date is November 4, which also appears unlikely. This is frustrating as the grasses are stressed and not in containers for prolonged care. We’ll just have to do our best.
Francisco, and new volunteer Paul, helped fix the rain collection system. The unique design by Ranger Larry, that combined the roof-end and the gutter got separated due to the screws snapping. This time heavy-duty screws were used... "screwed down for life".

Seed Collecting

Matt, Dale, Marilyn and Ranger Barbara helped collect seeds from Indian Tobacco, Nicotiana quadrivalvis, Bush sunflower, Encelia californica, and Hollyleaf Redberry, Rhamnus ilicifolia. We collected around Big Bend and worked our way back on a very hot day. The Bush Sunflower we will use for container plants and seed restoration. See slideshow for pictures. (Click any pic to enlarge)