| Seed Installation Once
the area to be planted has been properly
prepared, seeding can commence. On small areas,
less than an acre or two, seed can be planted by
hand broadcasting. Broadcast seeding a wildflower
meadow is very similar to planting a lawn.
Instead of using a seeder, the seed can be mixed
in a larger volume of a lightweight, inert
material such as sawdust, peat moss, or
vermiculite, that has been slightly dampened so
that the seed will stick to it. For a 1000 square
foot planting, one bushel basket of inert
material is plenty. For a tenth acre planting
(4400 square feet), four bushel baskets is
sufficient. Mix the seed evenly into the inert
material. Take one-half of the total mix and
spread it across the area. In the event that you
run out before covering the entire area, you
still have the other half. Once you have covered
the area with the first half of the seed mix,
take the second half and spread it evenly across
the same area, walking perpendicular to your
first pass. Now rake or drag the seed in so that
it is lightly covered with soil, one eighth to
one quarter inch deep. Roll the site with a
roller, or drive across it with truck or tractor
tires to firm the seed into the soil. Do not roll
the site if the soil is wet. Wait until the soil
is dry to avoid soil compaction.
For larger
areas, mechanical planters can be used. Specific
models that can successfully plant native grasses
and flowers include the Tye drill, Truax drill,
John Deere Rangeland drill, and properly
outfitted Brillion seeders. It is important to
know the capabilities and limitations of each
seeder in order to select the one that will best
suit your needs. The Tye, Truax, and John Deere
seeders plant the seed in rows by opening slits
in the soil into which the seed falls. Seed
drills can open up the surface soil to seat the
seed properly without working the soil just prior
to planting. The Brillion seeder broadcasts seed
rather than drilling it, creating a more natural
effect (no rows). The Brillion seeder requires a
well-prepared seedbed with a loose surface soil
in order to plant the seed properly.
Most wildflower
and native grass seeds require firm seed-to-soil
contact to promote good germination and survival.
Rolling the seeded area after planting is very
important to success, especially on light, sandy
soils. This procedure firms the soil around the
seed and reduces moisture loss during the
germination period.
Hydro-seeding does not ensure firm
seed-to-soil contact. For this reason,
hydro-seeding is not recommended for wildflower
and native grass seedings.
Most wildflower
seed germinates better after exposure to a period
of cold temperature, called stratification. This
is a natural protective mechanism that prevents
the seed from germinating at the wrong time of
year.
Mulching
A light
covering of clean, weed-free straw or marsh hay
after seeding helps to hold in moisture and
increase germination. This is particularly
helpful on dry sandy soils and heavy clay soils.
Straw should just cover the soil surface, but not
bury it. Some soil should be visible through the
straw. Chopping and blowing the straw onto the
area is the best method, as chopped straw is less
susceptible to being blown away by the wind. On
steep slopes, hold the straw in place by staking
down a jute or plastic mesh over it. Never use
field hay, as it invariably contains innumerable
weed seeds.
Watering Spring and summer
seedings will benefit greatly from regular
watering during the first four to six weeks after
planting. This encourages higher germination and
seedling survival. Water after six weeks only if
prolonged dry periods occur. Always water in the
early morning. Watering during the day is often
ineffective and wasteful. Watering in the
afternoon and evening encourages high moisture
levels at the soil surface and can lead to
seedling loss due to fungal attack. Water every
other day for 15 minutes to half an hour, or just
enough to keep the soil moist. Overwatering can
be harmful, especially on heavy clay soils that
retain moisture.
Nurse
Crops such as annual rye can help suppress weed growth without
harming desirable seedlings. These annual "nurse
plants" grow rapidly without competing with
the wildflowers and grasses and occupy
the "ecological niche" that would
otherwise be taken by annual weeds, thus reducing
weed growth. Nurse crops generally do not re-seed
themselves. All of our wildflower seed mixes contain an annual rye "nurse crop" and are ready to plant.
Weed
Control -Very Important!
First
Year: Perennial wildflowers and grasses
grow slowly, and weeds will likely grow much
faster in the first two years. Weeds can be
controlled by keeping them mowed back to a height
of 4 - 6 inches the first year. Most native
wildflowers and grasses will not grow taller than
6 inches in their first year when seeded and will
not be damaged by mowing. Keeping weeds cut back
in the first year also prevents production of
more weed seeds that could cause problems in the
second year. Mowing back weeds on a regular basis
in the first year of establishment is one of the
most critical steps in the success of your
wildflower planting. Do not fail to keep weeds in
check! A flail-type mower works best, as it chops
up the weeds so they can dry out rapidly. Rotary
mowers and sickle bar mowers are not recommended:
they do not chop up the weeds and can smother
your seedlings. String trimmers or
"Weed-Eaters" are excellent for cutting
back weeds on smaller plantings of an acre or
less. These devices gently lay the cut material
down on top of the cut stems where it will dry
out rapidly and not smother your seedlings. Weeds
should be cut back in the first year when they
have reached a height of 8-12 inches. Do not
allow the weeds to get taller than this before
cutting. Tall weeds will shade out your
seedlings, and the large quantities of weedy
material that will eventually have to be cut back
can smother the small seedlings. Expect to mow
weeds about once a month in the first year. The
actual mowing frequency will depend upon rainfall
in any given year, and the actual weed density
and height. Nurse crops can often reduce or
eliminate the need for cutting back weeds in the
first year.
However, if
weeds become thick by mid-summer they should be
cut back, along with the nurse crop. If weeds are
thin, cut when in bloom, before they set seed.
At the end of
the first season, do not mow down the year's
growth. Leave it to help protect the young plants
over the winter. The plant litter and the snow
that it catches insulates the soil from rapid
changes in soil temperatures, which can cause
plant losses due to frost heaving.
Pulling
Weeds: Despite the temptation, pulling
weeds in a first year wildflower meadow seeding
is not generally recommended. Wildflower
seedlings remain very small the first year, and
can be easily pulled up right along with the
weeds! If you can identify weeds when they are
still young and small, it is safe to carefully
pull them, making sure you do not disturb
adjacent wildflower or native grass seedlings. If
you must pull a large weed, hold your feet
closely together on either side of the stem at
ground level, and pull straight up. This will
hold the surrounding soil and any nearby
wildflower seedlings in place as you extract the
weed. Firm any disturbed soil and seedlings by
tamping with your feet. If the soil is dry,
watering after pulling weeds is beneficial for
seedlings that may have been dislodged during the
process. Beware that pulling weeds creates soil
disturbance, which exposes new weed seeds and
encourages their germination. If you wish to
avoid this, or have large well established weeds
that cannot be easily pulled, you can cut weeds
off at the base using pruning shears. Remove any
seed bearing weeds from the site immediately
after cutting.
Second
Year: In spring of the second year, the
planting should be mowed right to the ground, and
the cuttings raked off, if possible. At this
stage, the plants are still small and have not
yet gained full control of the soil environment.
Burning in spring of the second year often
encourages germination of dormant wildflower
seed, but also exposes the surface soil, which
can cause increased weed growth. Mowing tends to
facilitate germination of dormant seed and
enhance the growth of wildflowers, without
potentially increasing weeds.
If weeds remain
a problem in the second year, they may have to be
mowed in late spring or early summer. Biennial
weeds can be very competitive in the second year.
Mowing them back to about one foot when they are
in full bloom will kill them or set them back
severely, with minimal damage to your plants.
A biennial weed
of particular concern is Sweet Clover (Melilotus
spp.). This must be controlled because the seeds
of Sweet Clover are stimulated to germinate by
fire and can become a long-term management
problem if not handled at the outset. Mowing in
mid-summer of the second year when in full bloom
will usually kill sweet clover plants and prevent
them from making seed to re-infest your planting.
If it reappears in the third year, it will likely
be on a limited basis and can be hand-pulled. Do
not let sweet clover make seeds, as it can be a
most pernicious weed.
Long
Term Management:
Burning
or Mowing your wildflower meadow on a
regular basis helps ensure continued success.
Burning or mowing is usually, but not always,
conducted in mid-spring. The best time to burn is
generally when the buds of the Sugar Maple tree
are just opening. Burning removes the accumulated
plant litter from the previous year's growth and
exposes the soil surface to the warming rays of
the sun. Most wildflowers are "warm
season" plants and respond favorably to warm
soil temperatures. Burning encourages earlier
soil warming and typically increases growth,
flowering, and seed production of the native
flowers and grasses. A mid-spring fire also sets
back undesirable "cool-season" weeds
such as quackgrass, bluegrass, brome grass,
clover, etc., which come up earlier and get a
head-start on the wildflowers. By waiting until
these undesirable plants have initiated spring
growth before burning, the fire will destroy
their new growth and set them back, favoring the
warm season wildflowers, most of which remain
dormant under the soil and thus unharmed by the
fire.
Timing is
critical to success with burning. It is generally
recommended to burn in mid-spring rather than
early spring. However, this does not apply to dry
meadows with an abundance of early-blooming
flowers that would be harmed by a mid-or
late-spring fire. Dry meadows should be burned in
late fall after most of the native plants have
gone dormant, but the non-native cool season
grasses are still active. Burning in very early
spring can also be done successfully on dry
meadows.
In the event
that burning your wildflower meadow is not an
option, mowing can be substituted. Although not
quite as effective as burning, mowing and raking
off the mowed material is a good substitute.
Mowing simulates the effect of fire by removing
the previous year's vegetation, and cuts back
cool season weeds if mowed in mid-spring. It is
important to remove the mowed material to expose
the soil surface and encourage soil warming. Do
not mow or burn after new plant growth has
reached 1 foot or taller, as this could damage
some of your desirable plants. Many
ground-nesting birds also build their nests in
late spring and mowing or burning at this time
could destroy some nests. Mid-spring burning or
mowing maintenance leaves sufficient time for
birds to re-nest and successfully raise its
young.
Burning can
usually be instituted at the beginning of the
third growing season. At this point, sufficient
combustible plant matter is often available from
the previous year's growth to support a fire. If
there is insufficient fuel to carry a fire,
mowing and raking off the material should be
substituted.
Frequency
of Mowing or Burning: Most wildflower meadows
will respond positively to periodic burning or
mowing. Research indicates that annual spring
burning tends to favour the native grasses and
legumes over most of the other flowers. Studies
have shown that when one-half of the same
planting was burned in mid-spring and the other
was left unburned, the appearance of the
plantings were markedly different. In fall, the
burned half was dominated by native grasses,
while the unburned half exhibited fewer grasses,
but more asters and goldenrods. The structure of
the plantings, in terms of the actual numbers of
individual flowers and grasses, was very similar
between the plantings: however, the burning had
favored the development of the grasses in that
year, while the lack of burning had favoured the
late-blooming wildflowers.
Rotational
burning of one-half or one-third of your meadow
on an annual basis is generally recommended, for
a variety of reasons. First, the same planting,
with different management regimes, can present
very different aspects in the same year,
increasing the landscape interest and diversity
of habitat for wildlife. Second, leaving unburned
sections preserves overwintering butterfly, moth,
and other invertebrate pupae and eggs, that would
otherwise be destroyed by burning. Third,
variation in management prevents any given
species from gaining overall dominance in the
planting, thus maximizing species diversity. If
mowing management is to be used instead of
burning, rotational mowing is recommended for the
same reasons.
Once your
wildflower meadow has become well-established, it
will return year after year with just a minimum
of maintenance. Following these guidelines will
ensure that your planting will have the very best
chance of success, while providing you with a
maximum of landscape interest throughout the
year!
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