Site Preparation

Arguably the most important step in establishing a successful planting is proper site preparation. You may feel hesitant about delaying the installation, but the site preparation is critical for achieving a successful planting. Many people underestimate the amount of weeds in the seed bank. Eradicating the existing non-native and/or invasive species is vital before installation of the native seeds.

You should plan on preparing your site at least one full growing season before installation, and depending on the species on the site, it may require up to two years of preparation. If this process is not done thoroughly, aggressive non-native species will compete (and may ultimately win) against the native plants you wish to establish.

The appropriate site preparation techniques for your site will be dependent on the desirable and undesirable vegetation that already exist on the site. If you determine there is a significant amount of desirable plant life with relatively few non-native invasive species, you should consider restoring or enhancing the site. Remove unwanted species by pulling, spot herbiciding, or burning, and then inter-seed with native seed. If there is too much undesirable vegetation to make rehabilitation worthwhile, one should consider starting fresh. You will need to proceed by eliminating all existing vegetation by either applying herbicides, smothering, cultivating the area, or a combination of these methods.

Eradicating existing vegetation

• Herbiciding: If your site is quite large or if there is little or no native vegetation naturally occurring, careful application of herbicide treatments can be an effective tool for vegetation removal. The number of herbicide treatments will depend on the condition of the site. Agricultural fields of corn or soybeans may only require one or two treatments late-spring, prior to installation. Old fields (fallow or pasture fields) may require several treatments per year for one or two years before installation. All weed species should be eliminated before installation. Use a broad-spectrum, non-persistent glyphosate herbicide. If you have a problem with woody shrubs, vines, or perennial weeds such as Canada Thistle, you may consider adding a broad-leaf herbicide such as 2,4-D to the glyphosate. Always be certain to READ THE LABEL and follow the manufacture’s instructions when using herbicides.

Caution: Do not plant native seed in fields that have been treated with Atrazine within the last 2 years. Native warm season grasses such as the Bluestems, Indian Grass, and Switchgrass can tolerate Atrazine, however, most wildflower species will not survive. Read herbicide labels carefully to determine time limitations before reseeding after herbicide treatments.

• Smothering: On small areas, you can smother and kill the vegetation without the use of chemical herbicides. Cover the vegetation with black landscape fabric, leaf compost or grass clippings, and leave in place for an entire growing season.

• Cultivating: Cultivation is labor intensive, and often brings up weed seeds, but you can avoid the use of chemicals if you are willing to cultivate the field beginning in spring and continuing through fall. Cultivate every 2-3 weeks at a depth of 4-5 inches using a harrow, springtooth or rototiller to destroy the roots and kill the weeds. Waiting longer than 2-3 weeks will allow perennial weeds to resprout. Plants with deep rooted rhizomes, such as Canada Thistle and Quackgrass may not be completely eliminated using cultivation for a single season, and may require herbicide treatments in conjunction with the cultivation. After most weeds have been eliminated, the cultivation depth should be made shallow for several months prior to seeding, as a firm soil bed is necessary for native establishment.

Converting lawns

If you wish to convert a section of your lawn to prairie or native garden, you could smother the sod, cut the sod, or treat with herbicide. An effective and practical method for naturalizing a larger area of lawn is to treat with a glyphosate herbicide in mid-spring when the grass is actively growing. Repeat herbicide in summer when some grass reemerges and then introduce seed (in late-fall or the next spring) into the dead sod using a native no-till drill. You could hand broadcast the seed if you go over the dead sod with a dethatcher to bring up some loose soil. Be sure to set the dethatcher deep enough to bring up loose soil.

Preparing the seed bed

A level, firm seed bed that is relatively free of debris is recommended for proper installation. If your soil is soft and loose, it should be packed down with a heavy roller or culti-packer before and after installation. A good test method for adequate soil firmness is to walk over the seed bed and observe your footprints. If your print sinks in more than ¼ or ½ inch, the seed bed is too soft. If trees have been taken out, be sure to level the ruts and remove limbs and roots prior to seeding. This saves time during installation and prevents damage to equipment.

If the area to be seeded doesn’t have much vegetation or old crop debris, most native no-till drills can successfully operate without clogging. Old soybean stubble usually presents little problem, however old corn stalk debris can plug the drill.

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