April Issue Extra: Prairie Maintenance

Your biggest task in the first few years of a prairie planting is weed control. Weeding, burning and mowing are the most effective ways to control weeds.
In small areas, removing and cutting back weeds are the most efficient methods. The most challenging aspect of these tasks is distinguishing between prairie plants and weeds. If you aren’t sure what a seedling is, wait a week and look again, but be sure to remove the suspected weeds before they flower and set seed.

The best way to manage a large prairie is with controlled burns. Fire promotes plant growth by keeping down competition from trees and weeds and by recycling nutrients.

Burning is not practical or possible in all situations, as in small lots or within the city limits. Check with your local fire department to see if burning is allowed and to get the required permits.

Burning in April or early May is most advantageous to warm-season prairie plants because it reduces competition with weeds and the soil heats up more quickly. Most prairies have only portions burned yearly in a cycle, and this partial burning fosters survival of insects that are lying dormant, and it leaves food and shelter for birds. Though burning is quite effective, it is not recommended until at least the third year after planting.

Mowing and removing clippings is a good substitute for burning, particularly on smaller sites. If you start a prairie from seed, mowing is recommended during the first year to control weeds that grow more quickly than prairie plants. For the first few years, set the mower higher (4 to 8 inches) to avoid cutting desirable prairie plants. After four or five years, mow once a year after the seeds have fallen, preferably in early spring, and remove clippings to expose crowns for regrowth.

Prairie usually needs no herbicides, insecticides or fertilizers. Dense prairie vegetation will discourage invading weeds, although perennial grasses from adjacent turf can invade along the edges of the planting. The wildflowers will provide food for beneficial insects, which will aid in controlling pest insect populations.

The author is Contributing Editor for Lawn & Landscape magazine.