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Re: Weed killing / wildflower questions

While it is sometimes possible to take divisions or cuttings off of 
plants in the field without killing them, one should use this 
procedure with great reluctance, since it may deplete energy 
resources of the plant and thus impair reproduction. Digging whole 
plants for relocation should, in my opinion, never be done unless the 
site is about to be destroyed by construction, agriculture, flooding 
behind a new dam, etc. In such cases, a park or forest preserve or 
private agency with ample land and strong conservation ethic may have 
a site suitable for transplantation of the entire vegetation, soil, 
microfauna, etc, which seems to me preferable than dividing up the 
plants, isolated from their ecological context, into several people's 
smaller plantings.

Another point is that there is substantial mortality among even the 
best-cared-for transplants. While it takes longer (2-5 or more years 
to really develop), there is great reward in sowing seeds on properly 
prepared and managed land. I highly recommend the chapters on 
prairies from seed in the "Tallgrass Restoration Handbook" edited by 
Packard and Mutel. I especially like the interseeding concept and 
have some wonderful results to show for it.


James C. Trager
Shaw Arboretum
P.O. Box 38
Gray Summit MO 63039
PH# 314-451-3512
FAX 314-451-5583
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