Establishment & Management
A native seeding takes several seasons to fill in. For the first two years, management is mostly about keeping weeds from shading out the slow-growing seedlings. After that, the focus shifts to keeping the planting healthy and diverse.
Sleep, creep, leapA common rule of thumb for perennial natives is that in their first year they “sleep,” putting their energy into roots with little top growth; in their second year they “creep” and begin to fill in; and by the third year they “leap” into full growth and bloom. A first-year seeding that looks mostly like weeds is completely normal, so keep mowing.
Mow to keep weeds down
In the first growing season, cut the vegetation back each time it reaches 12–18 inches. That can mean mowing every four to six weeks, or even more often, but it keeps fast-growing weeds from shading out the emerging natives while they establish. Set the mower no lower than 6–8 inches, since cutting lower can kill native seedlings or set them back. Stop mowing at the end of the season, or once growth slows around mid-September.
Avoid pulling weeds by hand in this first year, because it disturbs the delicate roots of the new seedlings.
Mow once, then spot-control
In late winter or early spring, before the growing season begins, mow the whole site. From then on, keep watching for invasive plants and weeds. As the natives continue to establish, control biennial and perennial weeds with spot herbicide treatments and hand weeding, and remove annual weeds before they flower and set seed. Common Meadow Weeds covers the species you’re most likely to see.
It’s often better to cut weeds off at the soil surface than to pull them out by the roots, since cutting avoids disturbing the soil and bringing more weed seed up to germinate. Plan to keep hand weeding or spot-treating for the life of the planting.
Manage for diversity
By the third season you’ll see more and more species in bloom, along with more pollinators and birds using the site. The planting will keep changing from year to year, and not every species will appear in the first year, or even in the first three, so it helps to set those expectations with owners and clients early on.
Once the planting is established, and depending on the mix, consider mowing or burning at least a quarter of the site each year. Rotate the sections you treat so that overwintering beneficial insects always have undisturbed shelter and forage, and mow or burn any one section no more than once every two years, in early spring before the desired plants emerge. When mowing sections, keep the cut at about 8 inches or higher.
Prescribed burning is regulated, so check your state’s permitting requirements before planning a burn.