Scorched Earth Recovery Mix

43 species - ecosystem in a bag! Help jumpstart the healing of your land after stricken by drought, wildfire, cedar and right-of-way clearing. This mix was first assembled to address steep, rocky hills west of IH 35. A diversity of native warm season, cool season, annuals, perennials, wildflowers and native grasses is useful in reducing erosion and providing wildlife habitat. Because of the large variety of native species, this mix can be planted in spring or fall. Seeding rates are calculated to provide 40 live seeds per square foot. Reseeding should be used as a tool in combination with other erosion control methods.

Wildfire Recovery: A couple million acres have burned in Texas. Not all these areas require reseeding. Focus on identifying erosion prone areas that burned so hot where dormant seeds in the soil have been scorched. Aid in reducing erosion on steep slopes once covered in juniper/cedar/mesquite Evaluations conducted by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) indicate steep rocky slopes in recent wildfires, once covered with juniper / cedar breaks, burned so hot that dormant seeds in the soil may be sterilized. Some burned areas received significant rainfall, but resprouting is 80% below established standard for adequacy. Other areas indicated near 100% mortality of the perennial grasses.

After heavy rains, soil erosion may produce devastating long term impacts to the watershed and the sustainability of the land resource. Landowners impacted by these wildfires will benefit by protecting their resource. Reseeding with diverse mixtures of native rangeland species, including fall sprouting annual forbs, wildflowers and warm season perennial grasses, can help jumpstart healing of damaged lands. For fall plantings, a cool season nurse crop of Cereal Rye Grain added at 20 lbs / acre will improve erosion control while perennial natives become established.

For more information visit: Wildfire Reference Guide