Q. What's in the Quail Unlimited Nesting and Brood Cover Mix?
A. There are actually two mixes available—please refer to the specifications sheet. One is designed for dry sites or areas with less than 30 - 35 inches of rainfall per year, known as the "Western" mix. The other mix for areas of over 35 inches of rainfall per year, called the "Eastern" mix.

Q. How do I know if this mix is adapted to my area?
A. These native grasses and forbs (and many more for that matter) grew historically in the prairies and savannahs from Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas to the Atlantic Ocean. The species we chose for this mix are widely adapted to most sites in the eastern U.S.

Q. How is this native grass mix beneficial to quail?
A. Numerous scientific studies and observations by wildlife managers have shown that the preferred nesting cover for bobwhites are the low-growing native bunch grasses such as little bluestem, broom sedge, sideoats grama, and grasses with similar growth forms. When planted at the seeding rates we recommend here, the established stand will provide ideal nesting cover for quail and other ground-nesting birds.

Q. Why are there forbs (wildflowers and alfalfa) in the mix?
A. The forbs are beneficial in a number of ways. They help attract insects, which are the exclusive diet of quail chicks. They provide a canopy plant structure to protect the birds from view by avian predators. They provide seeds as an additional food source. Moreover, three of the four are legumes that fix nitrogen and help keep the grass stand healthy.

Q. When do I plant this mix?
A. Native warm season grasses need soil temperatures over 50 degrees to germinate. Therefore, planting should take place in mid-spring when temperatures and soil moisture are optimal for germination. In the Midwest, this is usually in April. In areas of low summer rainfall, it is recommended to plant as early as possible to give the new plants a good start prior to summer drought. Dormant season seeding is possible after the soil temperature has dropped below 50 degrees. Generally, anytime after Thanksgiving it is safe to dormant seed native warm season grasses.

Q. What kind of soil preparation is required?
A. The ideal soil conditions would be to have a clean-tilled (no weeds or grasses) milo or other sorghum field the year prior to planting, allow the site to sit idle over the winter and then, with no tillage at all, plant directly into the firm, clean seedbed the next spring. Native grasses should be planted very shallow, a quarter inch or less. In fact, when you are done, if half of the seed is sitting on top of the bare ground you know you did it right. If tillage is required to control competition or get an exposed mineral soil condition, then till the site in the fall, allow it to winter mellow and drill into the site the nest spring with no additional tillage. If spring tillage is required, disk the site several times, then cultipack or drag and allow to settle and hopefully get rained on a time or two prior to planting. The most important consideration is DO NOT plant or cover the seed more than 1/4-inch deep.

Q. How much seed should I plant?
A. Quail Unlimited is selling this mix by the acre to be planted. Therefore, if you determine how many acres you have to plant we will send you the right amount of seed for your site. For good quail cover, you will want the stand to be thinner than a cattleman might want for grazing. These mixes are designed to plant 4.5 pounds per acre of pure live seed.

Q. How do I determine the number of acres I'll be planting?
A. Visually estimating acres is difficult unless you spend you life doing this as a farmer might. It is relatively easy to calculate the acres in a site. There are 43,560 square feet per acre. A block of land 208.7 ft square is one acre. To estimate the number of acres in a site multiply the length times the width (in feet) and divide by 43,560. For example, you are planting a 45-foot wide strip around a field. You have driven around the field (or measured from your aerial photo or paced the field boundary) and determined it is 7/10 of a mile around or about 3700 feet (5280 X 0.7 = 3696). Multiply length (3700 ft) times width (45 ft) and divide the result by 43,560. You will be planting about 3.8 acres of native grass & forbs.

Q. What lime and fertilization is required for this mix?
A. It is generally recommended not to fertilize native grasses in the planting year because this tends to increase competition from annual grasses. Lime should be applied prior to planting based upon soil tests to bring the pH to at least 5.5 or 6.0. It will take several months for an application of lime to raise the soil pH.

Q. I have a forested site. Will these grasses grow in a shaded site?
A. Native grasses and forbs are adapted to grow in full sun. They will not grow well in shade. Native grasses may be planted in woodlands where at least 50% of the ground is in full sun at midday.

Q. Can I use chemical weed control during the planting year?
A. Glyphosate herbicide may be used as a burn down prior to planting. This does not provide residual weed control. For residual control of competing vegetation, Journey (BASF Corp.), a chemical containing imazapic and glyphosate, may be used as a preemergence herbicide. Always read and follow the label when using herbicides. The label for Journey can be found at www.vmanswers.com/products.aspx?pid=7.

Q. How long will it take these native grasses to establish and become quail cover?
A. After the first growing season if small plants 4 - 8 inches tall and about the diameter of a pencil are seen every couple feet or so, you know you will have great stand for quail. If the new plants are spaced closer than a foot apart, it may end up being too thick. If there is a new grass plant less than every couple feet, you're probably still OK. Each one of those little grass plants will end up being a foot in diameter when mature. Native grasses and forbs do not grow or establish in the same way as farm crops or even many other grasses for a number of reasons. These grasses are adapted to living and propagating in prairie situations and dealing with the vagaries of weather and climate. Once established and properly managed they can persist for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. However, it may take them 2-3 growing seasons to become fully established. Since about 60% of the volume of a native grass plant is underground, a great deal of the plantÕs energy is put to developing a strong root system. Initial top growth may seem slow. Do not get discouraged. Give the planting at least three growing seasons to fully establish.

Q. Whom do I contact to order the seed? A. Quail Unlimited, National Habitat Office, 868 Road 290, Americus, KS 66835; 620-443-5834, (Fax) 620-443-5817; Email: qukansas@bluestemtelco.com

Resources for more information: Sharp Bros. Seed Co. General Instructions for Planting Native Grasses www.sharpbro.com.