May 8, 2008
Many of the species planted in this small area have never appeared, and that is most likely due to the fact that the site receives a significant amount of shade, being in the border between the prairie and the woodland. Also, vegetation has been too sparse to sustain a fire, which would probably help. Spiderwort and Bottlebrush Grass are two species still growing here in the more shaded areas, and several mesic prairie species have established in the sunnier areas.
December 25, 2005
The Purple Poppy Mallows showed up this year. The site has some weeds including burdock, which I attacked several times with my giant dandelion-killing type of tool. There is less burdock than there used to be! Bottlebrush Grass has appeared since the 2004 growing season, with Sideoats Grama showing up this season. We haven't seem many of the species we planted, but have noticed some Stiff Goldenrod, Black-Eyed Susans, etc. moving in as pioneers from the adjacent main mesic plot. I have mowed the site off each spring with a weedwhacker. The site hasn't been burned yet, and if Prairie Restorations doesn't include it when they burn the main field, I will probably attempt it if conditions permit.
May 29, 2004
The Burdock and another unknown weed are very robust. I weedwhacked them back, but tried not to do too much damage, as there is a lot of vegetation growing. The live plants from Prairie Moon which we planted last year are all doing well except for the two Leadplants, which appear to be gone.
July 15, 2003
I have weedwhacked the site several times. We planted a number of live plants from Prairie Moon nursery, and these are doing well. There is not yet much evidence of the seeds we planted last fall. I watered the area heavily with a sprinkler during the driest periods. For the most part, moisture has been abundant this summer.
April 27, 2003
Winter was very dry. There was a gentle 3 inch rain in mid-April. There is very little vegetation so far.
October-November, 2002
We formed the dirt excavated from our small prairie swale test site into a berm. We added a small amount of sand (800 lbs) to improve drainage. The area is adjacent to the swale area and also joins the large (2.7 acre) mesic reconstruction. There are trees east of the site. Our observations are that the eastern half of this drier area will have shade about half of the day, while the western parts will have full sun from mid-morning to dusk.
The plot was raked and seeded on November 9, 2002. The entire area was compacted after seeding by walking on it.
| Species | Name | Amount | Seed Source | Anemone patens wolfgangiana | Pasque Flower | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antennaria plantaginifolia | Pussytoes | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Asclepias tuberosa | Butterfly Milkweed | 100 seeds | Gustavus Prairie area |
| Astragalus crassicarpus | Ground Plum | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Callirhoe involucrata | Purple Poppy Mallow | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Campanula rotundifolia | Harebell | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Cassia fasciculata | Partridge Pea | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Castilleja coccinea | Indian Paintbrush | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Delphinium virescens | Prairie Larkspur | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Gentiana crinita | Fringed Gentian | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Geum triflorum | Prairie Smoke | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Liatris aspera | Rough Blazing Star | 0.08 oz. | Prairie Land Management |
| Liatris punctata | Dotted Blazing Star | 0.08 oz. | Kasota Prairie |
| Potentilla arguta | Prairie Cinquefoil | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Ranunculus fascicularis | Early Buttercup | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Scutellaria leonardii | Small Skullcap | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Species | Name | Amount | Seed Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bouteloua curtipendula | Side Oats Grama | 1/2 cup | Feder's Prairie Seed |
| Bromus kalmii | Prairie Brome | 2 tablespoons | Feder's Prairie Seed |
| Hystrix patula | Bottlebrush Grass | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Keoleria cristata | June Grass | 1 teaspoon | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem | 1/2 cup | Feder's Prairie Seed |
| Sporobolus asper | Rough Dropseed | 2 tablespoons | Feder's Prairie Seed |
| Sporobolus heterolepsis | Northern Dropseed | 1 teaspoon | Prairie Moon Nursery |
The grasses from Feder's are supplied as a deluxe prairie grass mixture. The exact proportions are 43.75% Little Bluestem, 43.75% Side Oats Grama, 6.25% Prairie Brome and 6.25% Rough Dropseed. The packets of forb seed from Prairie Moon Nursery contain an unknown amount of seed. I would guess they contain 1/2 teaspoon each, but that's a very rough guess. The nice thing about them is that you can get a packet for $2.00 and give a species a try that you haven't gotten as part of a designed mix. We chose additional species that should do well in a slightly wet area.
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