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New meadow
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Posted by Lesathummercrossing 7 (My Page) on Sun, Oct 24, 04 at 18:26
| Suggestions please. I have a field of about a third of an acre that was just dug up to re do a drain field. It is mostly clay and gravel. I want to wind up with a field of black eyed susans and daisies. I live in southern MD - zone 7. Can I go right to seed now or do I need to put a winter rye or something else on first. And where is a good place to get flower seed?
Les |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: New meadow
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| Well, Prairie Moon nursery (http://www.prairiemoon.com/) is a good starting point. So is Prairie nursery.(http://www.prairienursery.com/) The New England Wildflower Society (http://www.newfs.org/) You probably are going to have to plant native grasses in there, too....or within a year or two, all you will have is a weed bed. april |
RE: New meadow
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| Yes, foerget the daisies and black-eyed susans as a meadow concept. You've never seen such a thing, because it just doesn't exist (only on the covers of women's magazines). Neither speces can grow and maintain itself in pure or mixed stands that lack grasses. "Wildflower meadows" (except rarely in deserts) are always dominated by grasses. Grasses suppress weeds, and tend to support the wildflowers (properly called "forbs") that otherwise tend to flop on their own My recommendation? Start with establishing a little bluestem grass meadow. This can take up to two or three years, as the grass grows slowly. But once established, it will remain for ages, as long as you mow or burn everything once every year. And that's another meadow concept. Be prepared to mow or burn off the entire meadow every March. If you don't woody brush will soon overtake the whole area and you will have an inaccessible mess that only a bulldozer can take out. |
RE: New meadow
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| I have heard many times on this forum about how slow little blue stem grows. I was surprised to find that in the first year growing it, my experience contradicts that. I winter sowed some seeds in a container and I don't remember how many sprouted, but lets say 10. I planted them together in my meadow garden and I now have a good sized, thick clump about 1-2 feet tall that put out several seed stalks this 1st year. That's not my idea of slow growing. I haven't been gardening long so maybe my experience is not usual. I just wanted to let people know that little bluestem can be pretty easy to grow and is definitely a great grass. I love the color and will grow more of it. |
RE: New meadow
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| Winter seeding is best. I've noted that winter seeded plots (in areas of bare soil, with little or no early season growing competition) actually do put up a few seed stalks in the first year. Nonetheless, LBS is still slow-growing. If you don't think so, wait until you see the mature size of your plants in the third and fourth years. They will be not only 3'tall, but 6-18" in diameter. |
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