Conservation district shares small acreage pollinator planting tips
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The Lake County Conservation district held a “How To” guest speaker series recently with Pheasants Forever on renovating land for planting flowering species. Establishing new plants on a small acreage ultimately boils down to a few simple steps.
Consider the land and seeds:
First and foremost, it is important to know about the land being worked before planting. What species of plants are already present? Is the land dry, or irrigated? What’s the precipitation zone? All these components are big factors in a successful seeding. Consider which plants could tolerate the challenges of the soil and weather before proceeding.
The time of year for planting is another important consideration. If planting in the fall, a plant that can survive the cold of the winter, like winter wheat, should be selected. If in the spring, plants such as barley or turnips are more likely to thrive.
“There’s a lot to be said about good quality seed,” presenter Liam O’Connor of Pheasants Forever added. While pollinator seeds can be expensive, he encouraged planters to avoid the urge to skimp out. Quality seed brings with it a better chance of germination.
Prepare the seed bed:
Limit the competition of other vegetation when planting.
Different plant species require different levels of moisture, but another factor to consider is which plants are already present. All vegetation in an area has to compete for water, nutrients, and sunlight. Water, O’Connor emphasized, is number one, and the most limiting factor when it comes to planting. The more existing competition in a seed bed, the harder it will be to establish new plants.
Another decision new planters must face when it comes to their soil health is whether or not they should spray or till their land.
“Quite honestly, trying to establish a good pollinator plot with the lifespan you want, and the plants you want to succeed, without using some chemicals initially in the seed bed prep is really, really hard to do,” Ben Montgomery with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) said. “Using chemicals in the very beginning while prepping the seed beds eliminates some of the need to use it in the future to stop aggressive plants from encroaching. Get a handle on it before you establish.”
A broad-spectrum herbicide kills plants that are actively growing through contact with the plant itself, and so are best to use before intentional plants are placed.
When it comes to tillage, soil types need different types. Light tillage is good for sandy soils or scraping the top, while heavy tillage is best to break up hard clay or acres of aggressive plants. Following that up with a chemical application can go a long way to eliminate competitive species.
While these methods aren’t something that should be done every year, they are diverse and valuable tools that should be utilized before the first seeding. Aggressive species like crab grass will take more than one shot of chemicals to be rid of, but using one type of management tool over and over is something to shy away from for the health of the soil.
Finally, when it comes to fertilizer, presenters said they’ve often found it wasn’t necessary. It’s possible its usefulness can vary from plant to plant, and individuals should always do their research before planting their seeds. They did mention, however, that weeds are quite fond of fertilizer.
Plant the seeds:
Once it comes time to plant the seeds, pay attention to what planting depth each species requires. A lot of native prairie seeds won’t grow if they’re planted too deep.
All seeds need a smooth seed bed without dirt clots to optimize their seed-to-soil contact, giving them the best chance to grow. When tilling, it’s best to go over the soil with some sort of compaction tool afterwards to firm up the seed bed and avoid fluffy soil. If the area is too small for a compaction tool, simply watering down the soil and leaving it alone for a couple of days will help the seed bed settle down before planting.
A lot of needed equipment for planting can either be rented, or created at home with a little imagination. Tilling can be achieved with a chain link fence dragged behind a four-wheeler, and a drum filled with water makes a great compression tool.
There are a few different methods for seeding: broadcast seeding, which involves scattering seed by hand or mechanically over a relatively large area; air seeding, which can handle many types of terrain and often eliminates the need for tillage; and conventional seeding, in which the soil is worked down to a fine tilth to prepare the ground for the seed. O’Connor shared that he himself prefers broadcast seeding as it lays the seed right out on the soil’s surface, which does well for the germination of native plants. However, if the seed bed has a thick layer of thatch or mulch, broadcast seeding is unlikely to take.
No-till drills are great for land over 10 acres, a useful way to get a spread of seeding established at multiple depths, but aren’t the most practical option for small lots.
Finally, don’t drown out the new seeds. Make sure they stay moist but missing an irrigation won’t be the end of the world, O’Connor said.
Maintain the land:
After the seeding is completed, weeds will still be an annoyance. Spot spraying and hand pulling weeds are great ways to mitigate the issue, and a few years after the planted seeds are established burning can be used as an option as well. Post-seed mowing will also mitigate the spread of weeds as long as the weeds are taller than the planted seedlings. The presenters emphasized that, after a year or two, mowers can take tops off seedlings without an issue. However, when they’re still close to their time of establishment, the plant has to work that much harder to come back from being cut down.
Don’t give up:
“I can’t tell you how many seedings I’ve been involved with where the first year the landowner’s like ‘I failed. It’s not going to work.’ You tell them ‘Just don’t look at it,’” Montgomery laughed.
It can take a few years for the seedlings to really begin to thrive, and in the first couple it may look like it failed while it establishes its root system below the surface. Keep maintaining the land, keep weeding, and sooner or later the new vegetation will be able to thrive.
