Seeding
Sac County uses a combination of mixes and tries to customize each mix to the site that it will be planted in. The use of native vegetation has expanded tremendously in the last 40 years to help with weed control as well as making the right of ways more aesthetically pleasing. Prairie grasses and forbs (warm season vegetation) are used to diversify the mixes because they are found to be competitive with weeds, are more adapted to Iowa’s climate, and are deep-rooted to help with stabilizing the soil and keeping erosion at a minimum. These native plants grow vigorously during the hot summers of Iowa when much of the cool-season species vegetation, such as brome and perennial rye, goes dormant, allowing weeds to thrive. The roadside program seeds ditch cleanouts, field driveways, box culverts, or any other area that might be disturbed from work done within the right of way. A lot of these plantings are done by hydroseeding the area that was worked. This is accomplished by mixing the seed with water and a special mulch that is sprayed onto the site. Once applied, the seed germinates within the mulch matrix to help to stabilize the site and keep weeds from germinating. The mulch will also hold moisture and prevent the seed from drying out, thus allowing the planting to thrive.
