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Re: Prairie Soil Fertility

Alan-I feel the fertility issue with the prairie is sort of a paradox.  

Prairie plants made the rich soils by root decomposition and subsequent
buildup of organic materials within the soil matrix.  However, they do well
in depleted soils because they are the survivors and most introduced exotic
plants cannot compete with them.  

We have planted in glacial till with zero organic matter.  The prairie
plants are the only survivors, but they do not do as well as the plants in
high organic soils where there is a better supply of water and nutrients. 
Because we produce seed the best production areas are where we have the
richest soil, but they are also the hardest plant communities to establish. 

The one situation where we have encountered problems is with a high nitrogen
content due to heavy  fertilization, it seems to cause serious problems with
prairie plant establishment.  This is partly due to increased weed pressure
and partly due to decreased germination of seed.  

It appears that prairies are nitrogen poor, but they also produce enough to
sustain themselves.  

Plant the prairie where you have available space and its height and vigor
will reflect the quality of the soil that it is planted on, and given time
the plant community will enrich the soil by adding pore space and organic
matter which holds water and nutrients.  The old saying is that 100 years
will build an inch of topsoil.  

Carl Kurtz

Central Iowa

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