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From the President----------
How bout the weather? Native Texas plants have got to be the toughest plant in the world to take the changes in weather we have here.
Welcome to our new members, please come in, sit down and learn with the rest of us.
At our last meeting two members volunteered to be on our board. Jan Daniel's is the vice president, Kate Measures is the secretary. Thanks for taking on the challenge.
The state board meeting held in Jan. was our official starting date. we were accepted as chapter. I asked to be placed on a committee to help retain membership. this could be fun.
We had a chapter board meeting to get local stuff going. Jan Daniels is very interested in forming a native plant rescue group. anyone interested in helping along that line please contact Jan.
The other item of interest is the members helping a member.We want to be able to help each other establish native plants. We are working on a plan to make these things come about. If you have ideas on this matter give me or a board member a call.
See you at the meeting on mar 8th.
Duane
SPEAKERS ------
Next meeting: March 8, 2007.
Speaker-Larry Schaapveld will give a talk on Native Trees. Larry isRetired from the Texas Forest Service after 30 years. He has been very active in urban forestry and land stewardship in the Dallas Fort Worth area. He taught horticulture/arboriculture at T.C.J.C. and does presentations, workshops and seminars. He is an
Urban Forestry Consultant with a B.S. in forestry at Oklahoma State University. If anyone
has a question about trees in this area don't miss this March meeting.
Meeting Minutes for Feb. 8, 2007------
Program: Native Plants for Parker County presented by Nicole Hecht and Judy Cain, Stuart Nursery, Weatherford, Texas. Meeting started promptly at 7pm with the program being first. Landscape design,
planting, mulch, and water retention were discussed. Questions followed. Plants donated by the nursery and members were then raffled off. Announcements:
We have been accepted as a NPSOT chapter.New officers: Vice president-Jan Daniels Secretary-Kate Measures. Jerry Reedy will do the Newsletter and Homer Babbitt will do Publicity Neil Sperry Home and Garden Show needs volunteers February 23, 24, 25. See Duane Smith for details.There will be a State Symposium on October 18, 19, 20 in Georgetown, Texas. Details at a later date.Duane and Joy Smith will have a picnic at their place on May 19, from 10am-2pm.Jan Daniels will have a brown bag lunch at her home on June 2, 10am-2pm. Next meeting: March 8, 2007.Speaker-Larry Schopfeld will give a talk on Native Trees. Meeting adjourned at 8pm
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT: Duane Smith 817-220-8668
VICE PRESIDENT:Jan Daniels
SECRETARY: Kate Measures
TREASURER: Linda Morgan
PUBLIC RELATIONS: Homer Babbitt
HOSPITALITY PERSON: open
EDITOR: Jerry Reedy
CROSS TIMBERS MEETINGS
March Meeting on 3-8-07
We will meet at the Harberger Hill
Community Building 701 Narrow St. in
Weatherford, Texas 6:30 P.M.-Social
Come to Order at 7:00 P.M.
Second Thursday of the Month
except July-Aug & Dec.
FUTURE EVENTS ------
Jan Daniels invited us out to her property in June.
FROM THE STATE------
NPSOT annual symposium, in Georgetown,
on Oct 18 thru 21 2007
To retrieve the Newsletter from the State website at map of the Chapters. Select @ open with MS Word
OUR STATE GRASS: SIDEOATS GRAMA
is the common name. The scientific name is BOUTELOUA curtipendula and is the most widespread of the grama grasses.It is long-lived and tolerant to drought, grazing,insects, cold, low fertility, salinity and is excellent for erodible areas and reclaiming disturbed sites..This grass is often used in prairie restorations from which it occasionally escapes into adjacent areas, as a result, side oats grama is becoming more common
DESCRIPTION:
This native perennial grass is about 2–2½' tall and unbranched, dense stand-forming, tufted bunchgrass. It is a medium sized warm-season grass.
It often forms tight bunches of culms from its rhizomes and may form a dense sod. The roots will go down at least 12 in. and is soil binding and deep rooted.
The color of the grass is bluish-green and cures to a reddish-brown color in the fall
It flowers fromJune thru Sept. with blooms along one side of the seed stalk and are bright red in color.
The seeds mature from July thru Sept.They droop from this one edge thus attributing to the name side oats grama
WHERE IT LIKES TO GROW
It prefers well-drained soil, full sun and dry conditions. This grass grows readily in various kinds of soil and adapts well to gentle or moderate slopes.
It is common on sunny dry upland prairie habitats, thinly wooded areas and forest openings. It prefers a slightly alkaline to neutral ph. Soil.
HOW IT LIKES TO GROW
It begins growth in early spring and will continue to grow up until the first killing frost.
The most successful way to propagate is by seeding from local wild seeds in this area but seeds are readily available from local seed companies and growers.
The seeds are relatively inexpensive. The preferred planting time is in the spring before June 30. Plant about 6-8 pounds per acre for pure stands.
It takes about 2 to 3 years to get a colony established. It is adapted to calcareous and moderately alkaline soils.
Like other grama grasses, sideoats has a C4 metabolism which enables it to tolerate the hot dry summers of the midwest and other areas further to the west.
VARIETIES OR CULTIVARS:
"Haskell" is the most common variety
recommended for this area and is adapted to most of Texas. it will reproduce by its rhizomes as well as byseeding which is uncommon for the species. Field planting data showed the Haskell variety to be the best and most consistent forage producing variety of side-oats grama for centralTexas. Haskell is limited only by rain requiring at least 18" annually. Further west "Premier",
"Niner' and "vaughn" varieties are used.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Some variety of sideoats is found throughout most of the U.S. all the way up to 7,000 ft.
By the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service "Fact Sheet" and what I have seen out in
Palo Pinto Co. it will nearly grow on top of a rock.
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