http://www.sharpseed.com/ Sharp Brothers Seed Company

Order Grasses and Wildflowers through the Franklin County Conservation District; visit our Grass        Seed page for more information.

Looking for a drill to plant native grass seed with?                                                                                           The Franklin County Conservation District owns a 10 foot Great Plains No-till drill which is available for rent to Franklin County landowners.  The drill is not to be taken outside of Franklin County. The drill has the capability to seed native grass, forbs, legumes, brome, fescue, oats, beans, wheat, and many other crops.  The drill rents for $10.00 per acre, with a $100.00 minimum and a $100.00 deposit. When renting the drill landowner must supply a tractor, minimum of 60 hp manufacturer recommends 75 hp, with hydraulic hookups.  We allow one-day use for every 30 acres, this includes time to pick up and return the drill. Call the Conservation District Office at 785-242-1109 extension 3 to rent the drill.  

The four Noxious Weed in Franklin County are:

     Musk Thistle (Picture)  The leaves of the musk thistle are deeply segmented, hairless, and are dark green with a light green mid-rib.  A silver gray leaf margin is characteristic of each spine tipped lobe.  The leaf base extends down the stem to give the plant a winged appearance.  Flowering begins in mid-May and continues through early July.*

     Field Bindweed (Picture) Flowers are white, pink, or white with pink.  Funnel shaped, they are about 1 inch across and usually borne singly in the axis of leaves.  Heavy infestations of field bindweed reduces land value as well as crop yields.* 

     Johnson Grass (Picture) Johnson Grass is an upright perennial grass.  Stems are 6 to 8 feet or higher from a freely branching stout, rhizome-possessing, fibrous root system.  Leaves are alternate, simple, relatively wide and long.  Johnson Grass flowers from May until frost and seeds to frost.*

     Sericea Lespedeza (Picture) Sericea lespedeza is a perennial with erect stems up to 5ft tall and small hairs laying flat along the ridges on the stem. Flowering occurs from mid or late July to October and may be tinged with purple but always dry to yellow.  

*Information provided by County Weed Directors Association of Kansas

For information on the control of noxious weeds landowners should contact the Franklin County Noxious Weed Department at 785-229-8470, or visit the County website at: http://www.franklincoks.org/noxiousweed/noxiousweed_page.htm