Planting Techniques
·
Inter-planting
- Inter-planting is simply
planting vegetation directly into the existing turf, without any soil
preparation. This works well when planting native shrubs, trees, and
small but concentrated patches of ground cover. You may have to
wait for the tree and shrub plantings to become established and
partially shade the area (1+ years) before planting native flowers that
do not tolerate full sun conditions.
Mulch around each plant to reduce competition from the turf.
These native seedlings should gradually spread to fill the entire
area beneath the trees and shrubs.
You can hasten the process by adding to and expanding your
patches of native ground cover, year after year.
Gradually, over time, you will be replacing the turf with native
plants.
·
Replacing Turf
– After removing the existing turf through one of the methods
described above (smothering, herbicide) you can sow seeds of native
species. In general,
seeding is not the most effective method to restore shoreland areas, as
it takes awhile for seeds to germinate and grow, and seeds of nearby
weeds may blow into the seeded area and compete with your native
species. Best results are
obtained when seeds are spread directly on bare soil. Following removal
of non-native ground cover plants, rake the area to expose bare soil.
Leave the dead roots in place to reduce the risk or erosion.
If the soils are thin, adding some topsoil and working it in will
give seeds a good start. After
seeding, bare soil areas should be covered with mulch (leaves, marsh
hay, or straw) to discourage weeds and alien grasses while the seeds
take hold.
Do not attempt to use seeds in the wet
shoreline or active wave zone because they are likely to be washed away
before they become established.
In addition to seeding, or as an
alternative to seeding, you can plant seedlings into the prepared area
after you have applied mulch. Simply
move the mulch aside (or cut an ‘x’ into the fiber blanket), dig a
hole slightly larger than the root ball, place root ball in the hole so
as to match the surrounding ground level, fill with soil, and water.
Using native seedlings in the plantings will give quicker
results, but will be more costly than seeding alone.
It is important to remember that raking leaves is not necessary and
is discouraged in a restored area. A leaf layer left in place helps
secure soils, acts as compost adding nutrients to the soil and conserves
the moisture content of the soil. Under
a leaf layer the activity of worms and microorganisms enriches and
aerates the soil.
Plant Sources
Many catalogues and local nurseries
carry native seeds and plants that are appropriate for sites in
Wisconsin. Pay attention to the Latin names for the plants you
choose because common names may vary from one nursery to another, and
common names may refer to cultivars rather than the native
species. Some exotic plant species are invasive and in time
eliminate plants native to the area. Avoid planting non-native
plant species.
Species that are native to the area
can be obtained as seeds, potted plants, bare-root stock or transplants.
A list of commercial
businesses that sell plant and seed sources is available on this
website and also from local WI-DNR offices and UW-Extension offices.
Where and how nurseries acquire plants and seeds is important:
· Purchase from local
nurseries that sell plants coming from a seed source no farther than 200
miles from your site in order to have a genotype adapted to your area.
· Be sure nursery
plants are not dug from natural areas. Inquire about their source.
· Generic wildflower seed
packages usually contain species from distant areas.
These species may wither, die out, or become weeds, and are not
recommended. Buy seeds from
local native plant sources.
Additional options for acquiring plants include:
· If you own a large
enough parcel of land, you may have plants that can be transplanted into
your shoreland buffer. Wildflower
and tree/shrub field guides or a local expert can help you identify
plants. Young plants are
easily transplanted, since their root structures are small.
Do not remove all the plants of one type.
Select only a few for transplanting, while leaving others to
mature and re-seed the area. Gathering
seeds and acorns from your property is fun and a great source of
planting material. Some shoreland plants, such as willows and red-osier
dogwood, grow easily from cuttings. Young twigs can be cut in spring,
prior to leafing out, and simply planted firmly into moist soil.
· Check with your county
or town to see if brush will be cut along roadways, and if they will
permit transplanting of native plants prior to cutting. A problem with this source is the potential presence of seeds
and roots of non-native plant species, which often grow along roadsides.
· Ask your local
power company if they will be clearing brush under power lines in your
area and if there are areas where they will allow you to retrieve native
plants.
· Nearby construction
sites may offer potential sources of native plants. Local zoning offices can help you identify sites where
construction is planned. These
sites may contain native plants that can be transplanted, if the
landowner and/or contractor allows.
Planting Time
Optimum planting conditions for ground
cover plants, shrubs or trees vary with daytime temperatures and soil
moisture conditions. Guidelines
for planting times can be obtained from local nurseries that sell plants
native to your area and grown for your particular hardiness zone.
A general rule of thumb is to plant in spring, after frost is out
of the ground and nighttime temperatures are above freezing.
High daytime temperatures that stress young plants can hamper
successful planting in summer unless extra precautions are taken with
mulch, temporary shade, and watering.
A fall planting should be done well in advance of killing frosts.
|
