Designed for Northern Idaho | Cool-Moist Mountain Valleys, Foothills & Meadow Floors
NRCS Fit:
- 327 Conservation Cover
- 645 Upland Wildlife Habitat
- 528 Grazing (deferment)
Instead of high-cost forbs that fade after year two, this base mix leans into durable native bunchgrasses that stand up to competition from annuals, provide nesting cover, and establish a stable plant community that quail, grouse, deer, and elk use for decades.
- Outcompetes cheatgrass & annual invasion pressure
- Provides long-term nesting + fawning cover
- Low-maintenance – no irrigation or reseeding required once established
- Perfect as a stand-alone grassland or foundation layer under targeted forb additions
Core Ecological Roles
- Big Bluegrass, Slender Wheatgrass, Bluebunch Wheatgrass — deep-rooted resilience, drought resistance, upright cover
- Sandberg & Junegrass — early green-up, brood insect-rearing support
- Idaho Fescue — classic mountain prairie character, structure & forage
Wheatgrass, Slender (1), Sunflower, woolly (0.3), Fescue, Idaho (0.7), Junegrass, Prairie (0.4), Biscuitroot, Nineleaf (0.15), Lupine, Silvery (0.3), Penstemon, Firecracker (0.15), Big Bluegrass (VNS) (0.3), Cinquefoil, prairie (potentilla) (0.2), Wheatgrass, Bluebunch (1), Bluestem, Little (VNS) (0.2). Created January 2026.
Installer Notes
- Planting window: Late fall dormant (best)
- Oct–Dec; Spring possible before soil temps exceed ~55°F
- Seeding method: No-till drill preferred; broadcast + press-wheel or cultipack for slopes
- Depth: Grass seed ⅛–¼ inch max
Site prep:
- Prior-season herbicide or solarization recommended where cheatgrass is present
- Delay first grazing until end of year 2
