Planting Window is Still Wide
December 7, 2009 by Bob
Filed under Customer FAQ's, How to Guides, Prairie Moon Happenings, Seasonal Reminders, Species and Product Overview
Don’t think that the blanket of snow that has transformed your landscape from brown to white has also slammed shut your window of opportunity for putting down some native seeds this fall. Resist the urge to beat yourself up for failing to follow through with your planting plans while the temperate autumn lingered. You still have plenty of time to procrastinate.
We consider the optimal time for a dormant seeding in our Upper Midwest region to extend through February. Any day from late October through February on which you can walk around your planting site with relative ease and comfort is potentially a great day to broadcast seeds.
An ideal scenario might feature you sowing seed right before the next gentle snowfall tucks it in for the winter. That sounds great, but the true ideal timing is whenever you can get the job done effectively.
The benefits of fall or winter dormant seedings are well documented. The weathering actions of those seasons work broadcast seeds into optimal contact with the soil. Rain, snow and ice provide the months of moist, cold stratification that most native flowering species (forbs) require to break germination inhibitors.
Snow cover melts both from below and from the surface, so seeds that may start out suspended inches above ground level will eventually work their way down to the soil. Sunshine will “burn” dark seeds into snow even on days when the air temperature remains quite cold.
As you sow, the contrast of your dark seeds and filler material on ground covered by snow or ice will display your “spray” patterns, giving you instant feedback on how well you are covering your planting area. “But what about birds eating all my seed?” Our customers love to ask that question. Although some studies have noted significant impact of predation on broadcast seedings, the odds of small mammals or birds finding and consuming enough of your seeds to spoil your planting are remote. The large migrating flocks should have passed by now and by the time you finish tromping about your planting site, your seeds will no longer lie temptingly on a pristine white blanket.
Common sense, prudent planning and a judicious sense of timing still are essential for a successful dormant planting. For example, if the wind is gusting to 30 m.p.h. or higher and your snow cover has a coating of glazed ice, you could stand and toss fistfuls from a sack of dollar bills and have results nearly equal to sowing your seed mix under those conditions.
So, if your site has been prepared, don’t put off your planting plans until next year. Get out there and get your dormant seeding down so that Nature can start working her magic. What a great excuse to play outside!
Here on Leopold Wetland Management District in Wisconsin we have switched almost exclusively to broadcast plantings over the snow versus other methods and timeframes with our plantings generally occurring late January into February. The reasons are 1) Saved transport and personnel time/costs – in the past we had to haul the tractor to the site and have a second vehicle tow the drill to the site (max. speed 30-35 mph), hook up, plant the site, un-hook, and repeat for each site. With this set up we only need one vehicle and operator. 2) Speed – we are generally planting larger acreages (20-45 acres or more per site). Broadcasting over the snow with a tractor and hopper greatly reduces the time it takes to plant vs. with a drill. 3) – Better seed dispersion and metering – there are no rows with this method and an experienced operator and actually meter the seeding rate very accurately resulting in better coverage. 4) – Accessibility – So far (knock on wood) due to frozen ground conditions we have been able to access wet sites where, in spring plantings would have not been able to pull a drill. 5) Results – I have been VERY happy with the results of our snow plantings. Generally forbs tend to do better than with a traditional spring planting and the grasses fill in well after a couple of years. All in all this is a great time/method for establishing your prairie!!
Thanks a lot for your feedback, Jim. You paint a very vivid picture of your projects and strategies there.
Keep up the good work!
I have about 30 acres of pasture and would like to frost seed some native grasses into them. I do rotational grazing and take hay off twice, in the 1st half of July and in September. I know this is not your normal goals, but I would like to provide some native grasses and maybe eventually some forbs for the grassland birds. Is this feasible, and if so which grasses would perform the best.
Thanks
Doug
If you would like to add native diversity to an existing field that is hayed I would try a diversity of species, but interseeding is difficult. Imagine you are the seed. If there is a grassy field and you are thrown out there, your first goal is to get to the ground. With time I believe this can happen in even the thickest of situations. With rain and snow and wind and freeze/thaw, a broadcast seed should hit soil within several months. There are things you can do to make sure that the seed does indeed make it to the ground. Burning and mowing before the seed goes down can help. But getting the seed down there is just the beginning.
When a seed hits the ground it needs moisture and often the right temperature at ground level. Some seed needs time to take up water slowly, which is called stratification. The sun will warm up the soil to the right temperature. If there is a thick thatch of vegetation detritus or duff, the soil might not get much warm-up from the sun. Often agricultural fields will have a good share of cool-season species that grow fast right away in the spring. This further smothers out seed and seedlings. So it can be difficult to “interseed.”
Mowing on a regular basis during the first growing season can help assure that light is getting down to ground level. When the seed germinates, and that can be over the next several years, it can help to have as much light as possible down at ground level to encourage the seedling to put on enough growth to make it to maturity. Burning over the first several years can also help seedlings get more light. Burning is probably not an option if you are haying.
I would encourage you to interseed a good diverse seed mix. The more species you put out there the better the chances that you will hit some of the species that might do well. The likely suspects are the typical grasses and forbs of a native prairie. You can look at the mixes in our catalog for inspiration. The likely grasses are: Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Indian Grass, Canada Wild Rye, Sideoats Grama and Northern Dropseed. Consider the forbs from the beginning, especially the legumes such as Purple Prairie Clover, Tick Trefoils, Bundle Flower, Milkvetch, Senna, Lead Plant, Bush Clover and all of the other native legumes. See page 70 in the catalog for a list of legumes. We list the legume species there in the list of inoculum for the legumes. Forbs are very important to grassland bird habitat. I would argue that the forbs are even more imortant than the grassses. The flowers of the forbs provide food to the grassland birds by attracting high protein, nutritious insects and by producing seed food.
There are many reasonably priced forbs. You will see the common prairie species listed on the seed mixes in the catalog, but also notice the prices in the catalog. Budget can dictate a project like this, but when you see how inexpensive so many species are on a per-ounce or, in the case of grasses, per-pound, basis, you can see how easily you could add several species.
Remember, prairie establishment is a three-to-five-year process in the best of conditions. With the competition from the existing vegetation it may take longer in an interseed situation.
Is the frost interseed method the best thing for you? Maybe not. I can’t judge how seed would compete with your existing vegetation. You have some divergent goals. I think a lightly pastured or infrequently hayed field can become important habitat for species that really need it. The agricultural species that were developed to grow robustly will offer competition and will always compromise good habitat.
Maybe you could set aside one or a few of those acres for a good diverse native planting. If, after it is properly established you want to allow a little grazing or you need to hay it infrequently it should perform well. We can put together good diverse mixes for any budget and for any soil or site conditions. Hedgerow-type plantings and habitat blocks will take from your profitable acreage but serve as an important oasis in a landscape that is losing acreage with natural integrity steadily. Look over the catalog and give me a call if you would like to investigate your options further.
Hello,
I was wondering if Mr.Lutes (Leopold Wetland Management District in Wisconsin) used any site preparation in the fall before broadcast seeding in late January into February. What is make and model of the broadcast seeder that can be regulated to accurately meter forb seed of various sizes ?
Thanks for the information.
Bob Leliaert
Habitat chair
Northern Indiana Quail Unlimited
Bob –
Sorry for not getting to you sooner…I had not been following the blog but fortunately the folks at Prairie Moon dropped me a line (THANKS Becky!!).
We try our best to always have the last crop prior to planting be soybeans so we don’t have to do any field prep at all. It is just my opintion but it seems that even moderate amounts of trash remaining after harvesting don’t have a real negative impact on the seed getting to the soil as the snowmelt really works it down to the soil. In well drained soils it may actually help by allowing the soil to hold some additional moisture into the spring. However the main reasons for me are 1) a nice flat seedbed that takes the broadcast seed well and 2) less cultivation means less issues with weeds (even though there will most likely always be some need for weed control in the first couple of years or so.)
Our broadcaster isn’t anything fancy just a run of the mill hopper type that we bought at the local farm supply store. It attaches to the three-point and runs off the PTO. Ours also has a wheel that rolls around the inside of the hopper to keep the seed moving. Our unit has a handle that controls the seed openers (3) at the bottom of the hopper and that is how you meter he seed output.
We use pretty clean seed….our grasses are generally down to the kernel and metering forbs can be an issue as you point out. It is a bit more work on the front end of the process but we will get our seed un-mixed and seperate the larger flatter (silphiums mainly) and fluffy forb seeds from the more “flowable” forb seeds then mix the large/fluffy seeds with the grasses keeping the “flowables” seperate. I have our guys load it is so that the hopper is about half full with the grass and large/fluffy forb mix, sprinkle in a layer of “flowable” forbs, then fill the hopper the rest of the way with the grasses and another layer of forbs. As we get into seeding we will periodically stop and add forbs. As we continue on we will monitor how much seed we are going through vs. our estimate of how many acreas we have seeded to get an idea of the rate we are putting out while also paying particular attention to our spacing so we don’t get too much overlap or gaps. I started off using a 1′ x 1′ square made out of PVC that I would periodically throw out on the ground and count the seeds within that square and compare that with the calculated seeds/sq. ft. that I have on my planting form (I know pretty picky huh?) however after a while an experienced operator can do a pretty good job of metering just by eyeball. One more thing I would mention is that as you empty the hopper your output may drop so you either want to keep it full as much as you can, adjust seed openers, and/or go slower. Finally, I know several of the stations in MN are using Vicon spreaders but I don’t have any experience with them.
Hope this answers you questions!! If not drop me a line at jim_lutes@fws.gov.
Jim L.
Thanks for the information. Broadcst seeding is a great strategy for seeding wet areas, when the ground is frozen, that we usually cannot access.
Bob L.
Thank you!
I heard a women from Winona area call in on Wisconsin Public Radio.
What a relief to find out we had time yet and that this process works!
I would appreciate your help with what type of seeds to broadcast.
Our area was excavated and reshaped after removing alot of old no good trees. We did replant a few oaks and maples. What we call landmark trees not a woods with overgrown brambles as before. With that said, here are some other items to consider -
I am sure not all the brambles are erradicated.
I love the idea of wild flower field but the area is close to my mother’s lane and she does not really appreciate the “messy” look that it has at certain times.
I really like fields of Little Blue Stem, also.
I have tried a little patch of this at the beginning of our lane and it is coming VERY slowly.(that is where I learned of the “messy” look.
We have burned the above patch once.
I am not sure if a burn would affect the trees at their size, branches start at about 4 – 5 feet.
It could be mowed at times but hopefully not “have to” so lower may be nice.
We have sheep that “may” graze on it once and a while.
Your help on seed selection would be so greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Hi Rocky. Good questions. Let me try to answer them individually:
“I am sure not all the brambles are erradicated”: Good site preparation before seeding is very important. If it means you spend one more season removing unwanted weeds and their seed bank, or in your case, woody brush, then we would suggest you delay the planting. Seeding prematurely will only cause the native planting to suffer if you have to battle extra weeds/brush within the new native planting. Take this Spring-Fall to remove any unwanted vegetation with an herbicide. DO NOT disturb the soil anymore however. Tilling or roughing up the soil any more than what has already occured with the excavation will only bring up more weed seeds. Kill the vegetation – possibly many times over the course of Spring-Fall – and seed on bare ground in the late Fall. The # of times you kill off the existing vegetation depends on how severe your weed/brush problem is. The goal is to not let any new weeds set seed on your site.
“I love the idea of wild flower field but the area is close to my mother’s lane and she does not really appreciate the “messy” look that it has at certain times.”: You may be better off choosing a ‘short’ mix then. The max height of some of the species in our ‘Tallgrass’ mixes is 7-8 feet, whereas the max height of some of the species in our ‘Shortgrass’ mixes is 4 feet. 4 feet would be the height of some of the grasses and wildflowers when they are mature (3-5 years after seeding) AND at the height of the summer. The ‘messy’ look is really a matter of taste. Some see a native wildflower/grass field and think it is beautiful, others see it as messy. We advise customers to leave the vegetation in the Fall/Winter for the birds, etc. to eat the seeds for migration and for winter cover for small animals.
I really like fields of Little Blue Stem, also.: yes I love Little Bluestem too. I has that great coppery, pink color that will last all winter. All our shortgrass prairie and savanna mixes will have Little Blue in it as one of the grasses.
“We have burned the above patch once. I am not sure if a burn would affect the trees at their size, branches start at about 4 – 5 feet.” - no, the burn in the early spring should race across the dead vegetation so quickly that it won’t harm the trees. Ask for professional help if you need. The Prairie Enthusiasts http://www.theprairieenthusiasts.org/ have local chapters here in MN and WI and offer volunteers to help people w/ burns.
Burn the area in the Spring AFTER the site is semi-established; year 2 or 3 at the earliest? Mow it down if you can’t burn some years. The mini prairie or savanna will thrive with frequent burns or mowings.
“It could be mowed at times but hopefully not “have to” so lower may be nice”: even the shorter prairies should be burned or mowed to keep weeds at bay.
“We have sheep that “may” graze on it once and a while.”: we don’t have a lot of expereince w/ animals grazing in prairies – although some states and counties actually encourage it as a management technique, others say it is very harmful to a prairie. I would suggest doing your own research. Here’s a good article to start with: http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1733410591/Critics-fear-MDC-practices-damaging-native-prairies-agency-said-it-is-using-best-available-approach
So, in summary, I would suggest you get a shortgrass mix for prairie (sun) or savanna (shade) and sow the seed this Fall after 1 more year of site prep. Match your soil type as well: Wet-Mesic-Dry
Here is a subcategoryhttp://www.prairiemoon.com/seed-mixes/shorter-species/” rel=”nofollow”>
Good luck!
-Becky
I’m am planning a prairie planting in a 7 1/2 acre overgrown agricultural field. There are now 10 years of weeds and costs are going to be an issue. I was thinking of allowing the adjacent farmer to plant the field with soybeans for a year or two and then dormate season seed the area after his harvest. Will I need to do any other preperation to eliminate weeds?
This field also has a two acre wet corner that seems to have some low numbers of “remnant” plants (praire rose, michigan lilies, & +-15 others) but LOTS of weeds. Would you try to save the existing plants or wipe it out & start over?
HI Mike. An agricultural field that is still in production can be ideal for the transition to prairie. Presumably it has been kept relatively weed free for quite some time and after one last season of soybeans it can be planted to prairie. A fallow field that has not been plowed for ten years could possibly be a very different situation. The fact that you have remnant populations is also a complicating factor.
The expense and fuss of the herbicide treatments would be a good reason to suggest getting into an agreement with a farmer to plant and keep the weeds down. It would be good to understand what weed are growing out in the field. There are many weeds that can persist after a year or even two of agricultural weed suppression. Some of the tough rhizomatous weeds such as Canada Thistle could potentially take several years to completely eradicate.
You will want to cordon off the areas with the remnant populations and make sure the farmer knows not only not to spray those areas but also to be careful when spraying near them. Often times a few native plants that have come up in an old field is not a big deal. It is not uncommon to see some Wild Bergamot or maybe some of the common grasses or Asters. Michigan Lily and Prairie Rose with a diverse group of other plants I would consider an important remnant. You may want to take it upon yourself to spray the edges of the fields which can often become weedy while in regular row crop rotations. This would also allow you to carefully spray the areas surrounding the remnant populations. With burning and interseeding of some of the other appropriate species, with time you may get ahead of the weeds
in this remnant.
There may be value in not disturbing the soil and concentrating on careful site preparation. Pernicious weeds such as Canada Thistle or Canada Goldenrod may respond best to herbicides which a farmer may not use in regular production. Every time the soil is disturbed a fresh batch of weed seeds are brought to the surface. This will probably be a budget consideration for how you deal with this. If you do not mind waiting several years before planting it could save you some of the site preparation
expenses