The key is to tall weeds before they set seed, so I would recommend starting to mow sooner rather than later. And repeating as needed throughout the growing season.

April, patience is the key here. We have seeded four different areas at different times and I can tell you each time I saw little or no results the first year. The prairie plants are there and getting established but it will take them a year or two to put on any noticeable size.

You want to mow to control the weeds vs. yanking weeds because you could unwittingly be pulling your prairie seedlings along with the weeds.

And i will ditto john's comment. You want to keep those weeds from setting seed, so mow as soon as you have weeds starting to get over six inches.

V.

i do not have the patience of Job - that is why when i started my prairie planting i added a few plugs to get some quicker results. it costs more and you need to weed more. so level of effort and cost greatly increases grasshopper if you do not have patience.

This is my 1st year too..the area is small (12X60) and have been fighting weeds as well, mostly annuals like pineapple weed (a native but prolific re-seeder)and matting type crawlers?, Henbit, and a few others... I haven't mowed but take a hand clipper and lop them back even those that are not about to set seed but are rather tall and possibly shading potential seedlings. I am just now seeing seedlings of one of the Bluestems (not sure how to tell them apart at this stage) and a some others I have noticed look nothing like the surrounding weeds I've watched come up from seedlings....that and I can only say their growth rate is much slower than the weeds. I have some hope back again!!

Best luck,

Vera

Thanks for the replies. I do have some patience, LOL! But it's not infinite. Don't worry, I'm going to give it another year or two! Joe Pye, the other half of my prairie I'm doing with plugs. That is also slow! But, you're right, I'm definitely seeing quick results, that's for sure. I think this weekend I'm going to weedwack it back to about 2 inches. Or mow and bag the clippings.

Will the mowing hurt the little dock plants that are coming up? They put up pretty tall first leaves. Taller than I would mow.

I don't think there is much need to mow lower than six inches, and there is some danger of damaging desirable seedlings. I would recommend that you mow or weed whack more often, rather than to a lower height.

i was heartbroken when the gas locator man totally crushed and broke off all of the leaves my baby prairie dock plants last year. of course they survived, the hardy little fellows pushed up new leaves last year and this year the leaves are enormous. i hope he blooms this year - i am sure you can mow them and do no harm. i just seems weird mowing something that you are trying to grow.

I'm am cutting back the weeds to near 6" as well...one to keep seeds from forming and 2 it offers semi cover/shade for the tiny seedlings...slows the drying out of the soil also which I'm thankful for these past days in our 90+ degree weather :)

Vera

Hello all. I fall seeded the two corners of my back yard last fall with collected and purchased seed. I had obtained an inventory of plants from a virgin prairie about twenty miles from my home and used only plants on the list. I have been using hand clippers and hand pulling to keep the numerous weeds at bay. It is work but it is also enjoyable to watch the tiny natives grow as well. I would advise to stay away from pulling weeds as much as possible, I learned a little too late. I think it is beneficial to have some weeds growing in the beds to stabilize the soil as long as you don't allow them to seed.

I have one question that I hope you more experienced native growers can answer. There are several areas where I have 3-4 varieties of natives growing on top of each other. I hate to pull some of the seedlings but I think it may be necessary. Of the few seedlings I can identify is Monarda. I have tons of them coming up and have decided to thin some of those if they are growing on top of other species that didn't germinate in the numbers that the Monarda did. How have others dealt with this "problem"? Thanks in advance!!

I don't know if what I'm about to say is correct, but I would guess that if they are growing atop one of another and crowded that the stronger of the seedlings will survive and do a little self thinning of their own? That is my experience when being heavy handed in the sowing seed in container department anyways, but maybe in the ground its different?

Vera