The Eastern Colorado Basic Grass / CRP Base Mix is a grass-dominant foundation blend designed for CRP enrollment, large-scale restorations, and budget-conscious projects where establishment reliability matters most. Built around hardy warm-season prairie grasses, this mix delivers durable ground cover, erosion control, and long-term habitat structure with minimal maintenance.
Primary Uses
- CRP base plantings
- Large-acreage grassland restoration
- Grazing deferment or rotational grazing setups
- Budget-focused conservation projects
- Fire recovery and soil stabilization
Mix Specifications
Forb:Grass Ratio: ~10% forbs / 90% grasses
Typical Seeding Rate: 7–10 lbs PLS per acre
Yarrow (0.05), Bluestem, Big (Bonilla) (1.5), Coreopsis, Plains (0.05), Needlegrass, green (1), Switchgrass (Blackwell) (0.7), Bluestem, Litte (Cimmaron) (1.2), Indiangrass (Cheyenne) (0.8). Updated January 2026.
NRCS Practice Compatibility
This mix is well suited for:
- CP2 – Native Grasses
- CP4D – Permanent Wildlife Habitat
- 327 – Conservation Cover
- 528 – Prescribed Grazing
Always confirm final specs with your local NRCS office.
This streamlined blend replaces multiple overlapping products. Some mixes listed previously were retired to lessen the complication of options. This mix can replace,
- CO PF CRP Basic 40 Point Eastern
- CO PF CRP Basic 50 Point Eastern
If you would like any of these previous mixes, please contact Brooke Morgan at bmorgan@pheasantsforever.org
Establishment Notes
- Best planted late spring through early summer when soil temps are warm
- Drill seeding preferred; broadcast requires good seed-to-soil contact
- Avoid over-fertilization — native grasses establish best on lean soils
Bottom line
If you want a dependable, no-frills native grass mix that works with NRCS programs and keeps per-acre costs down, the Eastern Colorado Basic Grass / CRP Base Mix is the go-to solution.
