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now what?

Prairiefolk,

We are nearing year one with our new land.  We've been cleaning up the old
fence rows.  We plan to thin out the tree line to the south so we can see
through to the rest of our property.  That area will remain wild and serve as
a buffer against the development that is going up south of us.

We let the old hay fields grow.  It was wonderful to see how many flowers
there were without any help from us.  The grasses topped out at about 3-4
feet.  The last flowers are still blooming at about 4-5 feet.  I mowed a
walking path aroung the perimeter.  The only maintenance I have done with the
fields is to go after the thistle and anything unsightly.  Every farmer in
the area has stopped by and offered to cut our hay.  They look quite
bewildered when I tell them what I'm doing!  

I planted a southeastern wildflower mix around the house and have been
observing them and collecting the seeds.  In August I plan to cut a swath
around the two main field areas and throw the wildflower seeds there in
September.  My hope is that the flowers will eventually spread on their own.
 

Our main questions now are about the annual mowing.  We will probably have to
do it in January.  That would be just before the ground starts to warm up and
get mushy.  The birds here are already starting to pair up in February.  I've
read that some birds like to nest in newly mown fields while others prefer
areas that have not been mowed for 2-3 years.  So I plan for us to only mow
the outer one-third of the fields.  Then the following year we would mow
two-thirds, and then in the third year we would mow everything.  Does this
sound like a reasonable plan? 

I don't feel we are ready to try to conduct a burn.  So my main question is
what to do about the plant debris.  Do we have to remove the debris?  If
everything is dry and brittle when we mow won't the plant debris just mulch
into the ground?  Or does this change the ecology of the soil?  I understand
that if buffalo came through and grazed there would be no debris.  The same
if there were a spontaneous wildfire.  Won't mulching the debris enrich the
soil just like the buffalo droppings would?

What we have to do will determine what kind of equipment we have to buy or
rent. 
What equipment is essential for us to maintain a 10-acre prairie?  My husband
is itching to buy a monster machine.

Thank you all for your advice and guidance.

Carmen
Spring Hill, Tennessee
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