Frequently Asked Questions

SEED:
How to Hand Sow a Seed Mix
Seed Starting Basics and Artificial Stratification Tutorial

PLANTS:
How to Install Bare Root Plants
Planting and Care of Potted Plants
Planting Layout Suggestions for Potted Plant Garden Kits

PRAIRIE GROWING, SITE PREP, AND PRAIRIE MAINTENANCE:
How to Grow a Prairie
How to Prep your Site for a Native Seed Mix
How to Burn a Prairie
How to Smother or Solarize a Site
Establishing a Native Seed Mix (3 year plan)

FORMS:
Sales Tax Exempt Form
Order Form

CATALOG & RETAIL RACK:
Prairie Moon Nursery Catalog
Cultural Guide – Excel Download
Retail Seed Rack Program

INSECTS:
How to Install our Native Bee Nesting Shelter
Native Plant-Insect Interactions Chart

We ship based on product type. Your order could be split into multiple shipments. Any time a portion of your order ships you will receive an email notification with tracking information.

Bare Root Plants: Email is our primary method of communication. Expect an email with an estimated arrival window shortly after placing your order. Shortly before we start the shipping season, expect an email with more arrival information

We ship first come, first serve. Each order is placed in a different shipping wave based on order date. We ship 1 wave/week. Shipping start time is determined by weather and is unpredictable.

Spring – We begin in April and ship through mid-late May going by order date (first come, first serve). Nature sets the schedule each year as to when our season will begin and end. We fill all orders to the best of our ability depending on weather conditions beyond our control (like Midwest snowstorms!). Start date has varied from April 1st to April 22nd.

Summer – We ship in late July/early August for a small group of dormant ephemerals.

Fall – We ship throughout October, sometimes early-November, going by order date (first come, first serve).

You are likely seeing an authorization for your original order total and an actual charge for a portion of your order that has recently shipped. 

The original full authorization amount may show on your bank account for a few days or a few weeks, depending on your bank. It will drop off.

*See also: When is my credit card processed/authorized?

When you place an order, your card is pre-authorized for the order total. Pre-authorizations drop off your account record within a few days, depending on your bank.  When your order ships, your card will be officially charged.

When you place an order, your card is authorized for the order total.  It is not charged until your order ships.  If your order has been split into multiple parts with different shipping times (for example, roots and potted plants), your card will be charged for each portion as it ships.

The authorization may show on your bank account for a few days or a few weeks- how long depends on your bank.  It will eventually drop off.

*PLEASE NOTE: For large root and potted plant orders, we may ask for 50% payment to reserve these plants for you.

No, we are a retail nursery. We don’t have a wholesale price or availability list.  Our website offers the most up-to-date pricing and availability. If you have a very large project, we can take inquiries by email or phone. [email protected] | 507-452-1362

• We ship orders by USPS (mail), UPS, and Speedee depending on destination and package weight.

• Expedited options are available upon request. Please call us during business hours…
Mon-Fri 8am – 5pm CST
507-452-1362

• We re-purpose boxes and newspaper as shipping materials whenever possible and much of our new boxes and envelopes are made from recycled paper. We hope you can also re-purpose or recycle the packaging.

The most accurate and detailed plant ID is accomplished with a flowering or fruiting structure present and a plant specimen in hand. Become familiar with key features that are used in plant identification and terminology to help you describe plant morphology. There are numerous online native plant resources. Some of our go-tos are:

Illinois wildflowers
Minnesota wildflowers (has an advanced plant search)

Once you are familiar with common plant terms, botanical manuals, and regional field guides are a perfect way to start identifying. We have many of our favorite ID guides listed HERE. There are also many Facebook groups dedicated to helping you ID your plant(s).

Every plant shipment includes an Instructional/Plant Care pamphlet. It is best to plant your roots or pots as soon as you get them, and in their final garden space, and NOT in containers.  Some native plants may do fine in containers for a short time, but the deep root systems of most natives does call for outdoor, ground space.

• How to Install Bare Roots: Bare roots should be planted as soon as possible. Unlike greenhouse-grown plants, bare-root plants can be planted during cold weather or any time the soil is not frozen.

• Planting & Care of Potted Plants: A little extra care and attention should be given during their first year/establishment phase. Over-watering is possible though, so allow appropriate wet/dry cycles for the species you received.

Prairie Moon is committed to providing you the highest quality seed and plants. We want you to succeed in establishing natives! We guarantee species to be true to name and that plants and seeds arrive in good condition. If losses occur due to delay in delivery or unfavorable weather conditions in transit, contact us immediately.

We cannot guarantee successful growth after planting, but please let us know about any disappointments you experience; we may be able to help. In any case, liability is limited to the cost of seed or plants purchased. No other guarantee is expressed or implied. Prices are subject to change without notice.

• See our full Guarantee & Cancellation Policy HERE

• From plant: Maybe. We sell perennial native plants in root and pot form. Roots are typically 1-2 years old and pots are usually 4-6 months old. We can never guarantee a bloom the year of transplant but many species will bloom the 2nd year if their environment is right..

• From seed: Not likely. Most of the natives we sell are perennials. After receiving the proper seed pre-treatment, blooms can be expected from 2 to 5+ years after germination, largely depending on the individual species and surrounding environment. We do have a few annuals available; if they receive the proper seed pre-treatment, they should bloom the first year.

Late fall (after a hard frost) is the optimal time for outdoor seedings. Seed can be planted throughout the winter if conditions are right. Early spring is an acceptable time as well. You should not plant native seed in the summer.

Starting native plants by seed takes attention to detail and patience. Make sure you have followed pre-treatment guidelines to bring your seeds out of dormancy (listed on your seed packet, in our catalog, and on each species page on PrairieMoon.com). Keep a keen eye on temperatures and moisture levels. Remember, these are guidelines and some species may behave in an unpredictable manner; a few may even take multiple years before germinating.

After sowing native seed, it is normal to wait a few weeks before signs of germination. Also, each seed may have its own timeline for germination due to the genetic diversity within the seeds.

Prairie Moon Nursery, Seed Starting Basics

It’s a complicated question and you’ll get different answers depending on who you talk to.  Generally speaking, planting a North American native plant is better than planting an Asian or European plant even if that North American plant was only ever found two states away.  If you are adjacent to natural areas, particularly natural areas in good condition, sticking with natives of your area is more important than if you’re in a concrete jungle or deep in suburbia.  Plants native to your eco-region should perform the best and have the most benefits for local pollinators. How pure you decide to be with natives is up to you!

Most seeds can be stored in a sealed container in your home at room temperature until planting time. Seeds can remain viable for many years if stored in consistent and cool temps. If items have a pink note on the front of the seed packet, the item should be stored at 33-38 degrees Fahrenheit until planting or pre-germination treatment.

No. We do not pre-treat any germination code C (cold-moist stratification needed) seed before sale and we don’t know of any nurseries that do. Seeds need to be planted immediately once their artificial cold/moist period has ended. Since we don’t know when seeds will sell, we can’t have them ready.

The easiest approach for the individual grower is to follow the natural cycle of the plant. For most native wildflowers, that means sowing seeds outdoors in the late fall/winter/early-spring (sometimes), and let nature take its course by doing the cold/moist stratification for you. Every packet/bulk order of seed comes with a “Germination Codes & Instructions” sheet that gives helpful information for germinating seeds.

Your seed packet may say the seed is “scarified” which can be confused for “stratified”.  Scarification is the scratching of the seed coat.

No, we do not scarify seeds prior to sending them to you.  Most seeds do not need scarification. The ones that do are mostly legumes with hard seed coats. If seeds require scarification, it will be noted on the seed packet as Germination Code H. Follow the instructions on the enclosed germination sheet with your order; rub lightly between 2 pieces of medium-grit sandpaper.

Birds and other critters may consume a few seeds. Prairie Moon seed mixes have high seeding rates to compensate for some loss and will still grow well even if birds do eat a few seeds.

Sowing onto bare ground in late fall or winter: Ideally, your native seed is planted in the late fall and soon covered with snow.  Even if the snow doesn’t come, the repeated freeze-thaw cycles work the seeds into the ground, protecting them from birds.

Sowing onto snow: If you sow your seed onto fluffy snow, the dark seeds quickly melt their way into the snow soon followed by the lighter seeds.  Once under the snow, the seeds are safe from birds.

Sowing onto bare ground in late spring: Large seeds should be lightly raked into the soil. This protects them from predation. Small seeds are surface sown, but they are too small to be of interest to birds and other critters.

We sell source-identified ecotypes from our production fields and from a network of more than 70 seed producers located throughout the upper Midwest. Once collected, that foundation seed is grown out in production fields for seed harvest. Live plants are propagated from our seed sources by our local bare root producers, our greenhouse, and partner greenhouses.

While the experienced gardener may have success growing some species of native perennials in containers, we don’t recommend this for long term plantings since proper conditions (like moisture and nutrients) are harder to maintain, root health may suffer from being contained in a small area, and winter kill is much more likely in containers. In addition, container transplanting will void our Plant Guarantee.

Seeds that require refrigeration (we label them with a pink note) are species that we don’t dry down completely, so their seeds still contain some moisture.  Not drying them down completely helps maintain their viability, but it can also make them more prone to molding.  Storing them in the fridge helps prevent any mold.  Usually, their time out the fridge while in transit isn’t an issue, but you can check the seeds for any mold growth.  If you see mold, it can be rinsed off with a 5% bleach solution.

Fortunately jumping worms haven’t made it to our gardens yet. Luckily, we already follow best management practices for plant production that will prevent the spread of jumping worms and other soil-borne invasive species. These best management practices are outlined by the University of Minnesota Extension offices. At Prairie Moon, our dormant bare-root plants are grown in outdoor garden beds. When we dig these plants for sale, they are inspected and all the soil is washed off the bare roots. The clean roots are then packaged in a soil-less, peat-based medium for shipment.  Our greenhouse-grown potted plants are started from seed and grown in a soil-less growing mix that is sourced from a reputable distributor.

Most of our promos/sales are advertised through our email newsletters. You can sign up for it here. Many times our sales do not require a coupon code. The annual catalog you received may also have a coupon code.

Our website and internal ordering software are PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliant. This compliance is audited regularly and only given to software that adheres to strict standards set by major card brands to protect credit, debit and cash card transactions and prevent the misuse of cardholders’ personal information. Your online security is very important to us and are proud to say you can order from us with confidence!