Native Meadows
It takes patience to grow a Meadow by seed. The first year is spent eliminating all the cool (spring) and warm (summer) weeds and vegetation.
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The second summer is spent cutting all the sprouting seeds to about six inches. This mowing or brush cutting helps prevent any re-seeding of weeds that may still be in your meadow, and your natives don't mind being cut; they are not trying to bloom the first year anyway; they spend their first warm season growing their roots.
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After the second summer of mowing, we often seed in some annual flowers in the fall to provide some color for the third summer, when some of your native flowers are starting to bloom, but your meadow is really just getting started.
During your third season, there is no more cutting. At this point in the cycle, we are looking for invasive weeds to be removed while your natives continue to cover the ground with roots, choking out future weeds.
It's not until the fourth season that your meadow will start hopping!
Preparing the Meadow for Seeding
Detail-Oriented
Once all the vegetation has been eliminated, you are ready to seed!
Hydro Seeding
Attentive
We hydro-seeded all the warm-season grasses that typically sprout in the summer, along with annual ryegrass as a cover crop for this meadow.
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The annual rye in this meadow will start to germinate as the weather gets cooler and will actually come back in the spring.
Snow Seeding
Lake Effect
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I love to seed (grasses and forbs) when snow is on the ground. It's very easy to see where you have seeded. In this meadow, In West Michigan, there is always another fresh lake-effect snow event around the corner, so I seed just before the next snow to prevent the birds from eating the seed.
Plugs vs Seeds
Opposites
The picture to the right shows the second year of growth when starting a native garden or meadow by plugs.
It's more expensive, but it gives you a big boost in second-year growth that you won't have from seeds.