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response to L. Sullivan

This memo is in response to an inquiry by L. Sullivan.  Congrats on putting
in a prairie.  We are restoring a 26 acre corn/soybean field in south
central Michigan, 3 to 4 acres at a time.  We started 6 years ago.  This
land is in CRP; we do not have to plant it all at one time (too expensive).
Our strategy is to mow in August, use Roundup in September and plant the
following May with warm season (C4) grasses.  We then mow 2 to 3 times in
the summer.  This acreage is then treated with Roundup again the following
April (will not damage the yet to emerge C4 grasses), no mowing is
necessary in summer (2nd summer).  In October, we lightly disc then plant
our forbs.  Subsequently, this acreage is maintained by annual burning
(April) and occasional spot spraying with Roundup.  Spot spraying is the
only effective way in which we can eliminate our Canada Thistle.  We pull
some unwanted weeds, i.e., Queen Anns Lace, Horsetail, etc.  This strategy
has worked extremely well; at the end of the second growing year the tall
grasses (Big Bluestem, Indian Grass and Switch Grass) are 4 to 6 ft tall,
the short grasses (Little Bluestem, Side-Oats Grama, Prairie Dropseed) 1 to
3 ft tall; the forbs are noticeably abundant at the end of the second
growing season.  Some suggestions: in your area you should plant tall
grasses (C4) (as above) as well as short grasses (C4) (as above).  We plant
these short grasses in our more sandy soils and the tall grasses in our
heavier clay soils; the short grasses will not do well in clay.  Also, the
major grazing animals that we have are the Meadow Voles.  We would like to
transplant Prairie Voles but such are now only present in the very SW part
of our state.  The Meadow Voles are abundant; raptor abundance has
increased substantially as well.  We have no intentions of having other
grazing animals.  Hope this info will be helpful to you in your important
restoration efforts.
Sincerely, Cliff Welsch


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