Jumpstarting recovery of Wyoming big sagebrush and other native plants out on the range

View research brief.

Key findings of this research were:

• Burned low-elevation sagebrush sites can be seeded with mixes of native grasses, forbs and shrubs using rangeland drills adapted for seeding large and small seeds in separate rows.
• Seeding technique, timing of seed application, and seeding rate are important considerations when seeding Wyoming big sagebrush.
• The best techniques for establishing Wyoming big sagebrush are seeding at high rates via a drill in late fall.
• Success of seeding treatments on semiarid sites is ultimately dependent on weather conditions and competitive pressure from invasive weeds, and it may be best to delay treatments until conditions are predicted to be favorable, depending on the feasibility of weed control at the site.