[To see photos and stories of this prairie in other years, go to the links on the main Western Prairie page.]
We mowed two areas this year.
We mowed along the edge of the woods between Western Prairie and Big View Prairie. This is a weedy spot – the worst weeds are Garlic Mustard and a thick growth of Burdock. I pull and spray the Garlic Mustard every spring, and mowing the Burdock seems to reduce its numbers. I also planted prairie/savanna plants in the mowed area.
The second mowing project was to see if we can reduce the amount of grass in the middle section of the prairie. For the last few years the amount of Big Bluestem has been increasing. Now the Bluestem is taller than we are, and very thick. So we thought we’d see if mowing it at its peak flowering time would help. We mowed one small section to test it.
1/3/2015
6/16/2015
6/18/2015
6/18/2015
7/2/2015 This is the first time I’ve found Prairie Larkspur in any of our planted prairies. I planted seeds, but have never found it growing.
7/11/2015
7/11/2015
7/11/2015
7/11/2015
7/15/2015 Mowing under the Burr Oaks that separate Western Prairie from Big View Prairie
7/24/2015
7/24/2015
7/24/2015
7/24/2015
9/21/2015
10/2/2015 Some of the very grassy places in the middle section of the prairie
10/2/2015 New England Aster
