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Re: planting preparation

We have two plantings. One was broadcast sown, when seed was available,
directly over a dense stand of fescue (we knew virtually nothing on this
early attempt). We burned each spring. It took awhile, but the fescue is
nearly gone along with most other non-native weed species. The second
planting was also fescue (CRP). It was sprayed with what turned out to be a
weak tank mix of Round Up (there was no complete kill of anything). We
drilled a mix of grasses and forbs and just let it go. The following spring
we missed the burn window. We burned this year in early March and right now
it looks GREAT. Far less fescue than I would have imagined and far more
forbs than I hoped for.

It seems the natives are pretty tough. Why do we only see them where they
have been re-established by people? Are natives so fire dependant that they
cannot even exist without it?

Ed Cook
Southern IL

-----Original Message-----
From: James C. Trager <jtrager@ridgway.mobot.org>
To: prairie@mallorn.com <prairie@mallorn.com>
Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 1:51 PM
Subject: Re: planting preparation



My favorite prairie planting, because it has spring flora
(Pedicularis, Dodecatheon, Zizia, Camassia, Baptisia bracteata
a.k.a. leucophaea) and conservative things like Melanthium and
Gentiana, as well as a fine matrix of more common stuff, was
established as follows:

Mowed late August, 1993.

Sprayed with Roundup at recommneded rate in late September, 1993

Sowed with a mix of about 100 species of mesic and moist mesic
prairie species and a separate mix of wetland species at
waters edge, mid-December, 1993

---sowed on top of snow
---this on top of residue of mowed-sprayed vegetation, NO soil prep
---more snow fell on top of seeding the next day

Mowed to prevent fruiting of abundant Eupatorium serotinum (not
killed by herbicide treatment), August 1994

Very patchy burn February 1995

Mowed to limit fruit set of abundant Cirsium discolor which
germinated previous summer, July 1995

First successful burn February 1996, again in February or March of
1998,1999, 2000.

Has been a valuable source of seed of Aster laevis, Gentiana alba,
Solidago speciosa and several wetland species since 1996.

The key points here are:
Only one spraying of Glyphosate was used.
No soil preparation or removal of vegeatation residue.
Late autumn sowing. Mowing to manage early successional weeds.
IMPORTANT, among major perennial weeds, only fescue present in any
     amount, and though still present, it is diminishing under
     competition from abundant prairie vegetation.

COMMENTS?
James C. Trager, Ph. D.
Shaw Arboretum
P.O. Box 38
Gray Summit MO 63039
PH# 636-451-3512
FAX 636-451-5583
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