Elymus dahuricus seed

LATIN NAME: ELYMUS DAHURICUS

COMMON NAME: Dahurian Wild Rye

The Dahurian wild rye awns the upright, clumping stems with the long, arching, blue-green leaves and the dense, bristly spikes of the grass flowers that ripen through the summer, the whole clump carrying the soft, waving look of the meadow grasses. The spikes hold the many small grains, and they feed the birds and the small mammals through the late season. The grass grows fast, and it stands the cold, the wind, and the poor soil well. It likes the sun, and the light, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the grass family, the wild ryes have a long, practical record in the forage research, and the Dahurian species appears in the studies of the pasture quality and the erosion control. The work covers the forage value, the way the dense roots hold the soil and the seed biology, while the agronomists value the fast, hardy growth. The cover for the wildlife keeps the ecologists interested, and the growers of the hardy forage crops keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the open ground, the Dahurian wild rye feeds the herd and holds the soil both. The fast, clumping growth gives the good hay and the grazing through the season, the dense roots grip the slopes and the banks, and the bristly spikes feed the seed-eating birds. It stands the cold, the wind and the poor soil well. Tough, generous and dependable.

The Dahurian wild rye seeds germinate readily in the open, sandy drill kept moist. The grass shoots up fast, and it grows on into the dense, clumping tufts. Thin the seedlings out once they are big enough, and give them the sun and the light, well-drained ground. The bristly spikes come within the first summer, and the clumps feed the birds and the livestock through the late season.

To grow the Dahurian wild rye from seed, rake the seeds into the top inch of the open, sandy drill, then keep the drill moist, and the grass springs up fast. Plant the young clumps in the sunny, light ground, and the bristly spikes will awn the meadow over the summer.