Prairie establishment

Seeding:
Seeding out a prairie is almost like seeding out a lawn. It can be done by hand (for small jobs 2 acres or less ) or by mechanical seeders (for larger jobs). We will consider the practice of seeding out by hand. Seeding should be done in mid to late spring, make sure your site has been properly prepped by removing all weed seed and vegetation.

Prairie seed needs to be mixed with an inert material in order to be seeded out properly. You can mix the seed with saw dust or peat moss (1 bushel/1000 sq. ft. of planting) (Diboll, 15).

Next the the seed mix should be pressed into the soil using a flat shovel or a water filled roller. Seed to soil contact is important for germination of prairie grasses and wildflowers.

Note:
Even common grasses used for the home lawn need this!. In most cases, Landscapers and Contractors do not implement this technique when seeding out regular grass for your front lawn!

After seeding and compacting, hay (free of weed seed!) can be spread over the area for moisture retention.

For the 1st year...
Weed control is vital! For the first year your prairie will look like a weed garden. Weeds grow much faster than the prairie grasses, so for the first year battling with weeds may be a weekly ritual. The weeds need to be mowed when they reach a height of 4-6 inches. The prairie grasses and wild flowers will only reach a maximum height of 6 inches in the first year (Diboll 16).

Theory:
Do not worry, the prairie wildflowers and grasses need a year to establish a proper root system before they can grow to a reasonable size. This is why the plants are low growing in the first year. They need to transfer all their carbohydrates from the top side to the root system underneath. Keeping the weeds cut back allows for sunlight to reach the prairie plants.

The Second Year
In the spring of the second year the prairie should be mowed to the ground and then left to grow. Weeds may still be an issue during the second year. If they are mowed back while they are in flower to about 1 foot, the weed problem will be minimized without harming the prairie (Diboll 17).

For the third year your prairie should be established. The practice of burning should then implemented.