MEADOWS 2013---OBSERVATIONS

I have been planting native grass and wildflower meadows for the past 12 years.  For health reasons, I can no longer do so.

iI would like to assist others with the same endeavor, if I can.

For the past two years I have been supervising meadow planting from my wheelchair---it has slowed me down, but did not stop me.

During the Summer and Fall of 2013, I visited various meadow sites to see how they were doing.

I was very pleased with how the meadows had  progressed.

 Landis Woods Meadow, Lancaster, PA, planted in 2012

Brown Meadow, Huntingdon Co., PA, planted 2007

Middle Creek Meadow, N. Lancaster Co, planted in 2009

SOME OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED---

 Humans like immediate gratification!!

Plant a lot of Black-Eyed Susan, Wild Bergamot, Brown-Eyed Susan  and Tickseed Sunflower seed to start. Black-Eyed Susan and Tickseed Sunflowers will bloom the first summer. and continue into the second season. Wild Bergamot, Wild Senna,White Beardtongue, and Brown-Eyed Susan will grow the first year and bloom the second giving you a colorful meadow two years in a row.  

If the conditions are right, you can get an amazing number of the grasses and  flowers to bloom the first and second years, with many continuing indefinitely.

Black-Eyed Susans and Brown-Eyed Susans bloom vigorously for 2 to 3 years and then usually fade to a few here and there in the meadow.

Tall plants  including Joe-Pye-Weed, Wingstem, Green-Headed Coneflower and Tall Sunflower are great wildflowers, but you must be mindful that they can get 8 to 10 feet  tall and they can dominate a site.

Little Bluestem, Purple Top and Broom Sedge are great grasses  for short meadows.

Big Bluestem and Indian Grass are great grasses for tall meadows, but Switch Grass should be avoided.

Planting a variety of native wildflowers and grasses gives you food sources for insects, birds, amphibians and mammals for the entire season, so as one flower fades, others take its place.  The mixes I have been using assure some blooms from June through November and the first Frost. 

The first plants to bloom in the summer are the White Beardtongue and Golden Alexanders in May/june.

Soon Black-Eyed Susan, Ox-Eye Sunflower, Wild Bergamot, Buttterflyweed and other  Milkweeds  show and can dominate.

In August the NY and Upland Ironweeds, Mist Flower, Brown-Eyed Susan, Green-Headed Coneflower, Joe-Pye-Weed, Wingstem, Great Blue Lobelia and various sunflowers take over.

Fall brings Asters, thoroughworts and the native Grasses with Big Bluestem blooming first, followed by Purple Top and Indian Grass.  Little Bluestem and Broom Sedge bloom later in the Fall.

Using Roundup on a site within 3 weeks after a SPRING  planting yields the best results, because none of the plants I use appear until 6 to 8 weeks. It sets the problem weeds back and then the site can be controlled  with mowing.

I strongly believe maintaining the meadow with an annual mowing on or about April first is the best approach to provide the highest quality wildlife habitat, control woody plants and provide the most visually appealing landscape.

Canada Thistle and Crown Vetch are the worst problem plants in most of the meadows I have worked on.