What happens in winter on McDonald Farm? Prairie planting, of course!🌱
Our farm managers teamed up with Renae Frigo, TCF’s Land Stewardship Manager, and our Roving Stewards Restoration Crew to spread thousands of native plant seeds, including Canada Wild Rye, Prairie Dropseed, Common Milkweed, and a mix of sedges – to create a new natural area on our farm. But why in the middle of winter? It sounds unlikely, we know, but native plants are adapted to our cold winters, which means their seeds have evolved safety mechanisms that prevent them from sprouting at the wrong time of year. Brilliant! Right?
Imagine this: You are a little coneflower seedling who decides to emerge on a nice, sunny December day (“it’s warm, it’s sunny, so it must be time!”). Popping out of the soil to awaken to the sun on your leaves and warm soil on your roots feels just right, but that next freeze spoils all the fun. Because of this, seeds of native plants have adapted and go through a freezing and thawing process before they sprout which insures the seed sits tight – and survives – after falling from the mother plant in the fall. As the seed waits through winter, that freezing and thawing process weakens the seed coats and allows the seeds to sprout when the warmer temperatures arrive-more permanently-in the spring.
To prepare our planting bed, we placed a 100’ x 40’ black silage tarp over the planting area last winter, and allowed the warm, dark, and damp conditions beneath the tarp clear the way for us. By keeping it dark, any perennial
plants (thistle, crabgrass) are smothered from the lack of sunlight. In addition to eliminating perennial weeds, the tarp keeps conditions ideal for seed germination. This means any seeds lying waiting in the soil will be tricked into sprouting before they too are smothered by the lack of sunlight. Furthermore, the critters in the soil use this protected space to work their magic all year long, tilling the soil and eating up the left over vegetation, eventually leaving us with a clean and ready bed to seed without any soil disturbance.
plants (thistle, crabgrass) are smothered from the lack of sunlight. In addition to eliminating perennial weeds, the tarp keeps conditions ideal for seed germination. This means any seeds lying waiting in the soil will be tricked into sprouting before they too are smothered by the lack of sunlight. Furthermore, the critters in the soil use this protected space to work their magic all year long, tilling the soil and eating up the left over vegetation, eventually leaving us with a clean and ready bed to seed without any soil disturbance. Growing veggies is our thing at Green Earth Harvest, but by planting areas not suited for vegetable production with native, locally adapted plant species, we provide habitat and food for pollinators, other beneficial insects, birds and small mammals. Since these plants are long-lived native perennials, they will continue to provide that habitat and food, filter water, produce clean air, and sequester carbon for years to come!
Interested in winter sowing yourself? Seed swaps and collecting seeds from existing native plants are a great way to support nature – and your vegetable garden – at home.🏵🐝🦋
~Farmer Russ