Colfax Village Board learns prairie plantings need different maintenance
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Although it may seem like a small distinction, mowing prairie plantings at the wrong time of year is not especially helpful.
When Eighteen Mile Creek was restored in the late 1990s, the state Department of Natural Resources paid to have two one-acre prairie plantings installed, said Mark Mosey, Colfax High School biology teacher, at the Colfax Village Board’s August 14 meeting.
One of the one-acre plots has always been mowed, but the other prairie plot along Eighteen Mile Creek by the Colfax Fairgrounds should be mowed later in the fall or burned early in the spring to be maintained, Mosey explained.
The prairie plot by the fairgrounds was mowed the week prior to the village board meeting, he noted.
The plot was at “peak bloom,” so now that it has been mowed, no pollination can take place in order for seeds to develop. If the plot is burned in the spring, the undesirable woody growth is removed, and the seeds can germinate and the prairie plants can grow, Mosey said.
Burning the plot in the spring would provide a “practice burn” for the Colfax Community Fire Department. Prairie plots need to be burned or mowed once every three years, he said.
Mark Halpin, village trustee, asked about the best time to mow.
If the prairie plot is going to be mowed, it should be cut in October, Mosey said.
Gary Stene, village president, asked whether it is better to burn or to mow.
Burning is better because it kills off the woody growth instead of only cutting it back, Mosey said.
Mosey told the board he would be willing to coordinate with the fire department to do a controlled burn of the prairie plot and to establish a schedule.
Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer, suggested Mosey also coordinate with Rand Bates, director of public works, so Bates also will know the specifications and the schedule.
Since the plot was mowed this year, it will not need to be burned for another two years, Mosey noted.