Do More Prairiewise
Prairies are YOUR heritage!
Why prairies?
- A prairie can be any size; a pocket prairie…a meadow…a ranch
- Less water, less work, MORE LIFE!
Steps for planting a prairie garden or restoring a prairie
- Prepare site
- Eradicate weeds or non-natives as much as possible; avoid herbicides
- Expose soil by close mowing (scalping) or burning if allowed
- Broadcast appropriate seed mixes by hand
- Establish seed to soil contact by walking, using a roller, or dragging a chain
- Wait for rain to germinate seeds; urban prairies can be irrigated
- Control weeds…and then ENJOY
Regional Native Seed Sources
Bamert Seed Company. https://bamertseed.com/
Douglas King Seeds. https://www.dkseeds.com/
Turner Seed. https://www.turnerseed.com/
James E. ‘Bud’ Smith Plant Materials Center. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/plantmaterials/pmc/central/txpmc/
Native American Seed. https://www.seedsource.com/
Texas Native Seeds Program. https://www.ckwri.tamuk.edu/research-programs/texas-native-seeds-programs-tns
Procopiou, Christina. 2015. Make a Pocket Prairie. https://www.wildflower.org/magazine/native-plants/make-pocket-prairie
Delcomyn, Fred and James Ellis. 2021. A Backyard Praire. The Hidden beauty of Tall grass and Wildflowers. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL. 110 p.
Wasowski, Sally. 2002. Gardening with Prairie Plants. U of Minnesota Press. Minneapolis, MN. 285 p.
LBJ Wildflower Center. Plant a Wildflower Meadow. https://www.wildflower.org/learn/plant-wildflower-meadow
Procopiou, Christina. 2015. Six Powerhouse Native Grasses. https://www.wildflower.org/magazine/native-plants/six-powerhouse-native-grasses
Native Prairies Association of Texas. Prairie Gardening. https://texasprairie.org/prairie-gardening/
Phillips-Mao, L. 2017. Restoring your Degraded Grassland to Conservation Prairie. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/fs_improving_urban_soils.pdf
Texas A&M Agrilife Extension. 2011. Restoring Native Grasslands. https://counties.agrilife.org/upshur/files/2011/03/Restoring-Native-Grasses.pdf
US Fish and Wildlife Service. 2015. How to restore a native grass meadow. https://www.fws.gov/raleigh/pdfs/NativeGrassFactsheet.pdf
Dillard, Jim. Texas Parks and Wildlife Guidelines for Native Grassland Restoration Projects. https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_w7000_1153.pdf