i would probably mow it once a year and probably alternate a few years between early spring and late fall. and yes i would leave the cutting where they lay -

i would minimize the late fall mowing, because the standing growth through the winter provides great shelter and food for birds and critters.

i might vary the mowing schedule to control certain predominate weeds or aggressive species, too. Maybe mow in july and again in august, if i needed to keep goldenrod in check, for example. sometimes we will sacrifice a season of blooms of some good plants to keep aggressive ones in a check.

also consider that some birds will nest in spring and some will nest in fall and you may want to check with a local natural resources office and when ground birds are nesting in your area and avoid mowing during the nesting season.

although general burning is not allowed in many areas, often times there are exceptions issued for controlled burns done by professionals in accordance with established permit procedures. that might be something you may want to investigate. if possible an occaisional burn, maybe once every 5 years or so, could really have a significant positive impact on your wildflowers.

the reason u need to mow mostly is to keep out woody plants. mowing does nothing for duff removal or other benefits one gets in the meadow from burns.

if something is already established, a weedwacker taking out problem plants will be a sustitute. but make no mistake, its not the same as burning...

froggy