Hey everyone! I'm trying to keep my meadow thriving and could use some advice. When I moved into my home, I killed off all the grass during winter by covering it with cardboard. I then turned the soil and sowed a bunch of wildflower seeds. The first summer was amazing, but by the second, grass started creeping back in. Now, as winter ends for the third year, it's mostly grass again.
I'm planning to turn it all over and cover it again to control the grass before I sow new seeds next month. Is there a more effective method to maintain my meadow? Throughout the winter, I've been leaving the growth intact for sheltering pollinators, but should I be clearing it all out and starting fresh each year to prevent it from reverting to a lawn?
2 Answers
I mixed a lot of native wildflowers along with some annuals like cornflowers, which did fine at first. I had red clover as a cover crop in the beginning, but when it died off, the grass came back hard! This time, I'm thinking of going heavier on the perennials. It seems like that's key to keeping the grass at bay and allowing the wildflowers to shine.
It's great that you're trying to establish a meadow! When you say you sowed wildflowers, it's important to make sure you’re using local native plants. Many mixes on the market include non-natives that die off quickly. Try looking for seeds from places like Prairie Nursery or Prairie Moon Nursery that specialize in local plants. They'll be suited for your area and will establish better over time. Plus, early on, you might consider adding an annual cover crop like annual rye grass or red clover to prevent erosion while your natives get settled in.