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1 October 2014 Cheatgrass (Bromus Tectorum) Seeds are Still Viable after Laundry Cycle
Hugh Lefcort, Caleb Lefcort
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Bromus tectorum is expanding across western North America. This spread is due to its own competitive abilities, land management practices, and unintended transport by the public as the plant's spikelets often lodge in clothing. Many assume that washing in a laundry machine makes the seeds nonviable: we decided to test this assumption. We hypothesized that seeds would exhibit lower rates of germination and emergence after being laundered, and the effect would be stronger if bleach was used. We found that washing with detergent, followed by drying, had no effect on germination when seeds were allowed to sprout 20 days later. We also found that a 6.0% solution of sodium hypochlorite bleach reduced germination and growth if planting occurred 180 days after laundering.

Hugh Lefcort and Caleb Lefcort "Cheatgrass (Bromus Tectorum) Seeds are Still Viable after Laundry Cycle," Natural Areas Journal 34(4), 505-508, (1 October 2014). https://doi.org/10.3375/043.034.0413
Published: 1 October 2014
KEYWORDS
cheatgrass
exotics
invasive
weeds
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