Meadow management: where can I get advice?

[jeffinsgf]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...My problem is I can never find that ideal time you mention - either everything appears dormant or everything appears active. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ...)</font>

Know what you mean. I planted my yard in zoysia late last summer. The fescue that I thought I had eradicated came back in clumps along with a grand crop of dandelion and other weedies. I planned on hitting it with glysophate -- trusting what I have been taught about dormant plant survival. Went out Saturday with that plan in mind, looked at the ground and saw some tiny little sprigs of green in the brown zoysia areas. I chickened out and used a selective broadleaf control and some pre-emergent crabgrass preventer. The fescue gets to live until the zoysia goes dormant this fall.

 

[SGBotsford]

Mow. Set the mower at around 4 inches. The grass and clover will close in, and in 4 years most of the weeds will be gone. You may need to spot spray some of the creepers.

Depending on your rainfall patterns twice a month is likely too much. Typically I find I have to do it every two weeks during late May and June, then maybe once more in late July, early August, then sometimes once in late fall.

Don't cut it too short. That makes it easy for weeds to start in the bare patches.

If the grass is really thin, you can overseed addtional seed, then roll it to press the seed into contact with the soil. Ideal time for this is in the fall after it gets cool. Do it after a moderate rain (1/4 to 1/2 inch) so the soil is both damp, and will allow the seed to be pressed into it. Don't do it after a really heavy rain, as you will compact the soil with your tractor. Wait until the tractor leaves no dents, then one day more.

 

[IslandTractor]

Mow. Set the mower at around 4 inches. The grass and clover will close in, and in 4 years most of the weeds will be gone. You may need to spot spray some of the creepers.

Depending on your rainfall patterns twice a month is likely too much. Typically I find I have to do it every two weeks during late May and June, then maybe once more in late July, early August, then sometimes once in late fall.

Don't cut it too short. That makes it easy for weeds to start in the bare patches.

If the grass is really thin, you can overseed addtional seed, then roll it to press the seed into contact with the soil. Ideal time for this is in the fall after it gets cool. Do it after a moderate rain (1/4 to 1/2 inch) so the soil is both damp, and will allow the seed to be pressed into it. Don't do it after a really heavy rain, as you will compact the soil with your tractor. Wait until the tractor leaves no dents, then one day more.

Old thread but the advice is correct and I can confirm that it worked. I started clearing the land about six years ago and have simply mowed once or twice a year ever since. We now have a beautiful meadow with wild flowers, various grasses and relatively few weed bushes which get knocked back every year before they get taller than the grasses. Only real problems are the continuing crops of rocks that pop up in different spots each year and the bittersweet and poison ivy that continue to infiltrate the scattered blueberry bushes I mow around. We've never sprayed anything and never seeded either (including blueberries). Birds and the wind seem to bring all the seed we need.

Here are the before, during and after photos taken from approximately the same place.