Question; E-Mail from Liz and Gary Ward to Margie and Edward Kayler. “Christine Ward would like to plant or seed wild flowers,” on the meadow rather than cutting a lot of grass. “Is there any advise you could give them as to what they should or could plant and how? They would appreciate any advise that you could provide.”
Christine & Chris Ward, Small Family Farm, Near Kingston, South Eastern, ON.
Reply; 2 Feb 12
A Dubious Approach To Splintering The Top Of The Branches From The Growing Healthy Hedge In A Precarious Method.
Option Not Recommended; A Large Area of Regularly Mowed Lawn Grass ?
This makes the growing of Lawn Grass from southern climatic zones for Cosmetic purposes beyond the immediate area around the house and swimming pool rather miss guided and not appropriate. There are problems with growing Lawn Grass from southern climates that are widely marketed and distributed in Canada.The Lawn Grasses are not hardy for the Northern Canadian winters and die off as “Winter Kill”. For example, Merlon & Kentucky Blue Grass that is used in Lawn Grass seed mixtures had trouble surviving the winter in Trials. Lawn Grass needs lots of water to grow. To water a Lawn with potable drinking water particularly using sprinklers that are left on for long periods of time and moved infrequently, is counter productive !
There Are Innocuous & Safe Alternatives To Cosmetic Use Pesticides On Lawns. Signs Don’t Have To Be Posted On The Lawn, SPRAYED KEEP OFF THE GRASS, POISONOUS. Yes, Is this Demonstrating ‘Think Safety First’ ?
What is the benefit of cutting a large amount of Lawn Grass on a farm or acreage each week especially on a riding lawn mower polluting the air with noise and Toxic Exhaust Emissions creating a huge Carbon Foot Print?! If the Lawn Grass is fertilized & watered to grow more so it can be cut more often, then this adds significantly to the treadmill of destruction.
Spraying Poisonous Cosmetic Use Pesticides to kill the “so called” Weeds and Insect Pests creates an unsustainable monoculture and contaminates the ground water, soil and air where children and pets are playing.
SPRAYED KEEP OFF THE GRASS !
Young children and pets are still developing and are very vulnerable to Poisonous Chemicals and their fumes.
Colourful Wild Yellow Snap Dragon Or Toadflax Seeded By Mother Nature On The Slope Is Doing A Excellent Job In Prevented & Controlling Soil Erosion In Central Newfoundland & Thus Are Not Weeds.
There is a very strong association with Cancer and the Poisonous Cosmetic Use Pesticides. Allergies in young people are on the rise. The rural atmosphere becomes no longer quiet, peaceful, pristine and safe! What are we as residents positively doing about the atmosphere and the environment in which we live to raise and protect our children and pets?
Option Not Recommended; Wild Flower Meadow Seeded or Planted
Fire Flower Seeded By Mother Nature With The Vibrant & Magnificent Bloom Flourishes Widely & Is Appreciated Across The Country For Its Premium Honey From The Yukon To Newfoundland & Labrador. The Beautiful Native Fire Flowers Are Actually A Food Producing Plant & Thus Are Not Weeds.
The planting or seeding of a Meadow to Wild Flowers is a move in the right direction because of the problem with the Toxic Exhaust Emissions or Carbon Foot Print and the bad effects from the Poisonous Cosmetic Use Pesticides associated with the growing of the Lawn Grass monoculture on an acreage or farm. The problem with Wild Flower Seed is that it contains contaminates, Foreign or Weed Seeds. The grades are not as good as that of Certified Crop Seed. It would take only a small percentage or a few Noxious Weed Seeds to infest the field and Farm. Consider that most of the Noxious or problem Weeds in Ontario have been imported indirectly from other places notably from Europe.
Phlox With The Mauve & White Blooms Plus The Yellow Hawk Plants Seeded By Mother Nature Provide A Colourful Addition To The Stream Banks & River Valley Plus Preventing Soil Erosion On The Slope, In Central Newfoundland & Thus Are Not Weeds.
The noteworthy examples are the Dandelion, Coltsfoot, Common Thistle, Quack Grass and Purple Loosestrife.
One Dandelion flower seed head produces 120 seeds and one healthy plant produces 40 flower stocks. It would take one viable healthy seed to produce many small seeds. That is, 120x 40= 4800 seeds from one good Dandelion plant could contaminate the field and Farm. Once the Imported Noxious Weed gets a foot hold, there is no looking back as the natural enemies are not here to keep them in balance. The buyer has no guarantee of what is being bought and the quality of the Wild Flower Seed in the package.
Lupins Being Legumes Enrich The Soil, Provide Nutrition & Increase Health To Neighbouring Plants Plus Making A Colourful Addition To The Meadow Seeded By Mother Nature, Central Newfoundland & Thus Are Not Weeds.
For these reasons it is not a good idea to plant Foreign Imported Wild Flower Seed on the Farm.
Option Adoptable; Wild Flower Meadow Seeded by Mother Nature On The Small Farm
To have Wild Flowers in a Meadow it is better to let Mother Nature do the seeding. It does a better job in the long run. The big advantage is that there are no Noxious Weeds introduced onto the Farm from other areas. There should be a good soil base for the indigenous and the well adapted desirable plants to grow and develop.
For example, the rocks and large stones should be removed from the soil surface before and in the initial stages of the regenerative plant growth period that would interfere with cutting the field with a forage / hay swather, cutter or mower to remove Dandelion seed heads and other Noxious Weed flower/seed heads before they mature and spread.
Native Orange & Yellow Hawk Plants In Full Bloom, Seeded By Mother Nature On The Meadow Providing A Very Beautiful, Colourful, Non Polluting, Low Maintenance & Natural Ground Cover In Central Newfoundland & Thus Are Not Weeds, .
Any imported Noxious or problem Weeds can be removed, pulled or dug out in the initial stages of the field developing into the Wild Flower Meadow. In subsequent growing seasons 1 or 2 cuts are needed in the summer to rejuvenate the desirable plants, remove undesirable flower/seed heads before they fully mature and shed the numerous seeds into the Wild Flower Meadow.
Ed Kayler, P.Ag.
The Sustainable Lawn 