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fire and forbs

Title: fire and forbs
Regarding the comment about fire possibly harming winter rosettes like bluebonnets,  I'm under the impression that fires are much cooler close to the ground and generally leave winter rosettes unharmed.  

lee stone
Bastrop

on 6/8/01 2:01 PM, slenhart@texas.net at slenhart@texas.net wrote:

Harold, I'm assuming you're working with these in Texas (area code 940).  On a
general note, you have to be careful with info from further North as our
conditions here are different.  At this point in time (early June), both
species of brome have set seed and died.  If you mow now you'll only distribute
the seeds.  Argentine brome (unioloides) is well adapted to grazing/mowing
anyway - it will produce seed laterally at ground level.

I've observed both species to be killed only by very hot fires.  It's important
to note that many of the warm-season grasses are usually in some stage of green
Feb to Dec here in Texas, leaving January as the "preferred" burn month for
promoting warm-season grasses.  Of course, there are dozens of plants that
actively grow through the winter - bluebonnets (Lupinis texensis) being an
obvious example - and fire will kill or injure them.  

Since fire isn't an option for you, though, here's my experience:  on a small
scale, hand pulling in January and February (just before bloom) works very well
(no suprise, but what an effort!).  On a large scale, try increasing
competition by planting native winter grasses.  Our choices include Texas
wintergrass (Nasella leucotricha), Texas bluegrass (Poa arachnifera), both
native ryes (Elymus canadensis and virginicus), and Ozark grass (Limnodea
arkansana).

Scott Lenharth
Native Prairies Association of TX

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