ECOLOGIAL RESTORATION
ER
AT CEDAR LAKE POINT BEACH (AND BEYOND)
On the fist day of spring, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Natural Resources ad Volunteer Coordinator staff delivered on our request for some signs me me to place in "Demonstration Area C", the area just down from the parking lot where last autumn we planted native seeds. We want to protect an area where seeds were laid on top of the first fall of snow on November 14, 2022. The seeds cover the almost acre area and include native rye, grasses and sedge from rural Minnesota and Iowa counties. The 3-Year Plan Following this past winter's process where the seeds slowly settled into the prepared soils, we will follow 3-year information and instructions. They read as follows. What to expect: First year of growth of native vegetation is minimal. Routine cutting (to a height of 6-8 inches) of the site helps to provide light to the soil surface and young native seedlings. The provided cover crop will offer much of the above ground growth of year 1. Consider cutting with a weed whip once vegetation is 2 feet tall or if small flowering plants appear in the weeks following the seeding.
During the second year of establishment, native species tend to appear slowly and may remain small in stature. Vegetation maintenance is crucial during these early years to outcompete weedy vegetation, keep watching for undesirable weeds.
By the third growing season, most native species are maturing and can begin to compete with non-desirable, weedy, vegetation. It is during the third year that the true diversity of the planting area will become obvious, and various blooms can be noted throughout the growing season.
Just transcribing the information gives me a spring in my step! Hope it lifts your spirits too!
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March 2024
AuthorI'm Steve Kotvis, volunteer Park Steward for the Minneapolis Cedar Lake Point Beach peninsula who has a newfound love of restoring this natural area and more. I'm learning as I go, and enjoy sharing that with those who have an interest. I'm also a photographer, so the photos in this blog are mine unless otherwise labeled. |