FAQ's & How To's

Good prairie establishment starts before the seed ever touches the ground. The biggest threat to a new prairie planting is usually non-native cool-season grass such as brome, Kentucky bluegrass, turf grass, or pasture grass. These grasses form a tight sod, wake up early in the spring, and compete aggressively for light, moisture, and space. If they are not controlled before planting, they can overwhelm the native seedlings and make it look like the prairie seed never had a chance. The most reliable preparation method is to kill the existing vegetation in stages. For a site with established cool-season grass, one herbicide pass is not enough. A better plan is to spray during one active growing window, then come back during another season to catch regrowth and new seedlings from the seed bank. For example, a spring application followed by a fall application can be far more effective than two applications close together in the same month. In yard settings with crabgrass or other warm-season weeds, a summer control step may also be needed. For people who do not want to use herbicide, tarping can work, especially on smaller sites. Black silage tarp can kill vegetation by blocking light and heating the soil, but it is labor-intensive, expensive, hard to anchor in the wind, and usually requires repeated cycles over one or two growing seasons. Clear tarp can create a different environment and may favor certain warm-season weeds, so it should be avoided. Use black tarp. Another option is to use a crop rotation before prairie establishment. Corn and soybean years can help remove sod-forming grasses and reduce weed pressure before prairie seed is planted. This is a long-game approach, but it can create excellent establishment conditions. Whatever method you choose, the goal is the same: remove the existing competition, expose the seedbed, and give native seed the best possible opening. Once the vegetation is removed, you want to plant on a firm bed of dirt, so a light cultipacking before planting may be in order.