FAQ's & How To's

A good target mowing height for young prairie is often eight to ten inches when equipment allows it. That height reduces weed shade while leaving enough leaf area for the native seedlings to keep growing. If you cut too short, you remove too much of the plant’s ability to gather sunlight. If you never mow and annual weeds get tall and dense, the native seedlings may struggle under the shade. In the first year, plan on mowing at least twice, and possibly three times if annual weeds are heavy. A common schedule is late spring, mid-summer, and then one final late-summer mowing if needed. In Iowa terms, that last first-year mowing often lands around state fair time. The goal is to prevent big annual weeds like amaranth from getting too tall and dropping a heavy seed crop while still allowing the prairie seedlings to keep building roots. In the second year, mowing usually drops back. Many plantings need one mowing, sometimes two. A good rule is to make the last second-year mowing by around the Fourth of July, then let the prairie grow. By late summer of the second year, some native plants are beginning to express themselves, and continued mowing can set back flowers that are trying to bloom or build strength. That said, mowing is not all-or-nothing. If your mower only reaches five inches, use common sense and avoid scalping the ground. If weed pressure is light, you may not need to mow as aggressively. If weed pressure is heavy, mowing may be necessary more often. By year three, a well-established prairie should be much more capable of taking care of itself, though spot management will still be needed.