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Planning and preparation are key elements in helping ensure the success of a prairie planting. Unfortunately planting natives is not as easy as throwing the seeds on the ground and watching them bloom. Many native plantings have failed because of competition from existing, unwanted vegetation on the site. Not only the plants that you can see, but also the seeds from these plants already existing in the soil must be dealt with. They germinate along with the natives, and many times they are the aggressive agricultural perennials which crowd out the native seedlings. The following process may seem a bit arduous and it is certainly not foolproof, but it will greatly increase your chances for success. We realize that you may not have the time or resources to follow all the steps to the letter, but the closer you stick to our plan, the better off you will be. Wildflower Planting Guide Rid the site of unwanted vegetation Spray area with an appropriate herbicide, following label instructions. In two to three weeks check for any missed areas and respray as necessary. Roundup is a good choice, keep in mind it should be used on actively growing plants. The ideal time for the first spraying is in the fall, over one year before winter planting! This long period before planting may not be needed if the area has been an annual crop field, or a maintained lawn where weed control has been routinely performed. In perennial grasslands or any area with legumes (clovers, lespedezas, vetches) time is needed to allow dormant seeds to germinate so the resulting seedlings can be killed. For small areas or if the use of herbicides is not desired, most species can be killed with repeated tillage or by covering the soil with black plastic for an entire growing season. It is difficult to cover all the problems of killing unwanted plants within the scope of this guide, however, we welcome your calls or you may want to call your local Natural Resources Conservation Service or County Extension Service office for plant identification and technical assistance. Once the sprayed area is brown, excess plant residue should be burned or mowed. This allows sunlight to penetrate to the ground encouraging weed seeds in the soil to germinate. Thus you are cleaning the weed seed out of the soil. Throughout the growing season, check every two weeks for seed head development of any plants on the site. Once noticed, within a week mow, till, or spray the area. Steepness or rockiness may make mowing or tilling impractical, leaving repeated applications of herbicide as your only option. Once the fall rains start in Sept. or early Oct. and plants begin greening up, spray the area again. Be sure you have actively growing plants (not freshly mowed or drought stressed) before you spray. This should kill any perennial seedlings that have germinated as well as other plants not killed by the first application of herbicide. Seedbed preparation Lightly till or disk the surface of the ground (no more than 1" deep). Do not turn the soil over since this may bring up new weed seeds. If tillage is not possible, at least rake off any remaining thatch and scratch the soil surface with a rake to allow the seed to come in contact with the soil. It is best to till immediately before planting in Dec. through mid Feb., however weather conditions may not permit this, so till at least two weeks after the final herbicide application. If possible, till again before planting (except on steep, erosive sites). Planting and covering Make your selection of native flowers and grasses described in our catalog based on their color, height, bloom time, and adaptability. One of the easiest ways to obtain a variety of flowers is to start with one of our prairie mixes. You can add additional species to make your planting unique or you can develop a custom mix of your own by using our Seed Rate Table. While planning your mix keep in mind that some wildflowers grow quite tall and may fall over when in bloom if planted alone. Native grasses support the flowers, add color during the winter, provide fuel for burning and help keep out invasive weeds. For these reasons, we suggest that you use a mixture of native grasses and wildflowers. Broadcast the seeds on top of the ground, ideally from Dec. 1 through Feb. 1. iIf planting is not possible at this time then cold moist stratify seed. See guide below. You can mix the seed with sawdust, kitty litter, no-nitrogen fertilizer or pelleted lime as a carrier to facilitate more even planting. Lightly rake seeds into the soil, or better still, use a heavy roller to press the seeds into the soil. Seed to soil contact is important. Freezing and thawing will work the seeds into the ground. A light mulching is beneficial, especially on steep sites. A 50% covering of weed-free mulch will reduce seed and soil movement, and still allow the seedlings to emerge. Wildflower Management Guide First through third year management During the establishment year whenever any fast growing annual weeds get 12" tall, it is beneficial to mow the site 6" to 8" high, usually 3 times the first year. This will prevent the weeds from going to seed and will allow sunlight to reach the slow growing perennial native seedlings. The second growing season, if weeds are thick and shade the developing plants, mow the weeds 8" high immediately after seed head development is noticed. This may prevent or push back the bloom time of some desired species. Few perennial plants will bloom the second year. The third year hand weeding may be needed, however many of your prairie's wildflowers will be in bloom. Maintenance For centuries maintenance of the prairie has been by fire, preventing encroachment of brush and non-native species. Winter winds carried fire through the grasses of the prairie, and life started anew each year. Today, controlled fire can gradually replace herbicides or handwork, and helps the native plants flourish. This tool can aid your prairie planting or landscaped bed. Fire is a useful tool but caution should be used on controlled burns. Have enough help, make sure water is available and obtain the appropriate permits if required. Do not burn in high winds or low humidity! Cold Moist Stratification Many wildflower seeds have a dormancy built into them which prevents germination. In Nature this dormancy protects seeds from germinating as soon as they fall on the ground. For example, if they were to germinate in September, the seedlings would not be big enough to make it through the winter. There are two ways to achieve cold moist stratification. Method 1: The best method for breaking dormancy is to plant the seed between December and January. A benefit of winter planting is freezing and thawing, and rain works the seeds into the soil, establishing seed to soil contact. This causes the seeds to imbibe water and germinate when the temperature is warm enough. Method 2: The following process will help to break dormancy in wildflower seeds when planting later in spring is the only option. 1. Place seeds in a plastic bag & label the outside with the date and species name. Use a nylon weave bag for larger quantities, leave room for swelling. 2. Cover with water. Let soak for 4 hours. 3. Poke pin holes in the bottom of plastic bag to drain excess water. Be careful not to lose small seeds, but there should be no visible water in the bottom of the bag. 4. Mix seed with an equal amount of pearlite, in plastic bag. 5. Store in the refrigerator 4 to 5 weeks, then plant. 6. Check weekly for germination or molding, if either occurs, plant as soon as possible. Also check the moisture, if dry, add a small amount of water. 7. If possible, after planting, water area twice a week for two weeks then once a week for a month if no rain falls. For the remainder of the growing season, water when it is unseasonably dry. Method 2 is not foolproof. Method 1, Mother Nature's way of breaking dormancy, is more reliable than anything we can do. February or early March plantings, do steps 1, 2, and 3 asap. Store seeds in refrigerator and try to plant within a couple of weeks, roll or rake, mulch and water or ideally plant before a rain. Critical Area Treatment Guide Many times after construction of a pond, home, road etc. the soil has been disturbed and there is no topsoil. This is a very droughty inhospitable condition for plant growth. An addition of top soil would help, however it is quite expensive and many times contains an abundance of weed seeds. These weed seeds in the soil can cause problems in the planting at a later date. A solution to the problems is to plant drought tolerant plants and to apply lime and fertilizer. The organic matter in topsoil acts like a sponge and holds water for plant growth, without this sponge water runs off, thus the dry loving plants are adapted. Some of Missouri's most beautiful wildflowers grow in dry soils. Once final construction is completed, lime and fertilizer should be applied uniformly and worked into the entire area to be seeded, in amounts according to soil test or as a minimum, the amounts listed below: Limestone: 1500 lb. ENM per Acre Nitrogen: 30 lb. per Acre Phosphorus 90 lb. per Acre Potash 90 lb. per Acre The soil is in its best condition for seeding immediately after construction, however sometimes it is not the best time for the native seeds to be planted in the ground. If
planting Wildflowers and Native Grasses and the site is final finished
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