May 8, 2008
This experiment can be put into the Failure box. As with the small dry prairie area, there is just too much shade for sun loving prairie species. With the exception of Purple Coneflower, there is little sign of any of the species planted here. Despite two burns, a cool season grass and Giant Foxtail are the dominant species growing here. We are allowing the area to continue its evolution and will post new developments.
January 1, 2006
Annual weeds were greatly reduced this past growing season. Several rubust Purple Coneflower specimens bloomed. A fair amount of taller plants such as Stiff Goldenrod obviously self-seeded themselves into the area. Aside from Prairie Brome there was no sign yet of the prairie grasses or of most of the forb species planted. A couple of Lupines were seen. This spring the area will receive its first burn.
May 29, 2004
As you would expect, there is little in evidence so far except for annual weeds such as Lambsquarter and Dandelions. A few baby Yarrow plants are already thriving, even though we didn't plant any! The nursery will get it's first weedwhacking today.
November 16, 2003
Seeded. Area was tilled a second time in late October. Soil condition was slightly damp and very well tilled. We raked the area level and seeded the main mix of grasses and forbs. The Purple Coneflower was separately seeded to the northern third of the plot. We raked the seed in lightly and then seeded the Shooting Star, Stout Blue-eyed Grass and Dotted St. John's Wort, since these seeds need to be at or near the surface to germinate. We then packed the area by walking on it.
| Species | Name | Amount | Seed Source | Allium cernuum | Nodding Onion | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asclepias sullivanti* | Sullivant's Milkweed | 1/2 packet | Randy Schindle/Chisago County |
| Asclepias tuberosa | Butterfly Weed | 1/3 ounce | Prairie Moon Nursery, Gustavus Adolphus Prairie Area, Traverse des Sioux Prairie Area |
| Aster prenanthoides | Crooked-stemmed Aster | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Callirhoe involucrata | Purple Poppy Mallow | 1 tablespoon | Our Prairie |
| Cassia fasciculata | Partridge Pea | 1 ounce | Prairie Moon Nursery, Red Jacket Trail Prairie Area |
| Coreopsis palmata | Prairie Coreopsis | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Dodecatheon meadia | Midland Shooting Star | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Echinacea purpurea | Purple Coneflower | 1/3 ounce | Red Jacket Trail area, Our Prairie |
| Eryngium yuccifolium | Rattlesnake Master | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Galium boreale | Northern Bedstraw | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Gentiana flavida* | Cream Gentian | 1 packet | Randy Schindle/Chisago County |
| Heuchera richardsonii* | Prairie Alumroot | 1 packet | Randy Schindle |
| Hypericum punctatum | Dotted St. John's Wort | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Liatris punctata | Dotted Blazing Star | 1 ounce | Kasota Prairie |
| Liatris pycnostachya | Prairie Blazing Star | 1/10 oz | Our Prairie |
| Lupinus perennis* | Wild Lupine | 1 packet | Randy Schindle |
| Parthenium integrifolium | Wild Quinine | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Petalostemum candidum | White Prairie Clover | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Petalostemum purpureum | Purple Prairie Clover | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Penstemon grandiflorus | Large-flowered Beardtongue | 1/4 ounce | Our Prairie |
| Ruellia humilis | Wild Petunia | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Sisyrinchium angustifolium | Stout Blue-eyed Grass | 1 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Tradescantia ohiensis | Ohio Spiderwort | 1/2 packet | Prairie Moon Nursery |
NOTES:The combined weight of the forbs from the Prairie Moon packets was about 1 ounce. The total weight of all forbs was about 3.6 ounces. Species marked with an asterisk were seeded on 11.22.03. Sullivant's Milkweed, a taller species, was seeded adjacent to the tallgrass prairie area.
| Species | Name | Amount | Seed Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andropogon scoparius | Little Bluestem | 1 ounce | Prairie Moon Nursery, Kasota Prairie |
| Bouteloua curtipendula | Side-oats Grama | 1/2 ounce | Our Prairie, Kasota Prairie, LeHillier Prairie Area |
| Bouteloua gracilis | Blue Grama | 1/4 ounce | Prairie Moon Nursery |
| Bromus kalmii | Prairie Brome | 1/4 ounce | Prairie Moon Nursery |
September 1, 2003
We hope to sell seeds of certain prairie species, so we are adding a growing area to facilitate seed collection. This first area is about 700 square feet and is a triangular parcel due north of the 20' x 20' test plot.
Initial tilling was done today. Soil was very dry, so area was watered the previous evening. This is an area that was part of the lawn, adjacent to prairie plantings. Vegetation was bluegrass and weeds.
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