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the subject of discing

Steve/Jay:

    In my 26 acre prairie restoration/reconstruction in south central
Michigan I often use discing of fields previously planted in native C4
grasses for the purpose of seeding of forbs.  I almost always disc these
fields in the late fall just prior to forb seeding.  This provides more
soil/seed contact thus enhancing seed germination (almost all forb seeds
require substantial soil contact, a few do not, e.g., Penstemon digatalis,
Monarda fistulosa, etc.).  I use a conventional farm vertical disc and
lightly disc.  Clearly, this does not damage the native grasses.  I have
also burned in the late fall, then disced and subsequently (immediately)
seeded the forbs.  This latter procedure appears (subjectively) to further
increase forb seed germination.  I mow these fields several times the
following year.  I have not yet compared the above with just late fall
burning alone then forb seeding.  I have not used a disc on fields
previously planted with forbs for the purpose of increasing forb diversity.
I would not hesitate to do this, albeit discing would be performed very
very lightly and in the very late fall.
   (Parenthetically, the previous comments by Steve were informative and,
in my opinion, "right on"!!)
Cliff
(Clifford W. Welsch)


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