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​Seeds

First you pick seed. Then you dry the seed, Then you put the seeds in appropriate mixtures. Then you put the seeds on the ground. And then you wait.

​Here is an overview table of seed added to Big Woods.

​Planting Plans - Overview (All weights are in pounds.)
Single Mix Years
2001                  10.00 lbs
2002                 30.11 lbs
2003                 127.75 lbs

                           2004    2005    2006    2007     2008    2009    
Savanna Dry     57.40   108.55  147.05   66.72     181.88  264.20  
Prairie Dry        45.85     89.25  151.95   165.97  200.76   160.10  
Savanna Wet   28.25     36.90  25.35     18.91      33.62    20.50  
Prairie Wet       22.30     36.10   54.15     78.20      19.37    27.00  
Mix Totals        153.80  270.80  378.50 329.80  435.63  471.80
   
Non Mixture (Non Mixture seeds were planted in specific locations rather than included in a seed mix.)
Total                  36.85   37.86     66.63   45.00     15.54     14.70
Total Weight  190.65 308.66   445.13  374.80   451.17   486.50

Overall Total Seed = 2423.76

Species Count  2004    2005    2006    2007     2008    2009
                              84        121        149        157         190       205

Seed must be dried after picking so that it does not mold or rot. A re-purposed furnace fan pumps air into newly picked seed placed in barrels.

​Prior to 2001, we have seed records only for 1999 when Susan Kleiman picked and planted some seed on Big Woods.​

1999 Dry Savanna Mix — Susan Kleiman
Scientific Name                      Common Name
Agastache nepetoides           Giant Hyssop Yellow
Anemone cylindrica               Thimbleweed
Aster sp                                    Doug mix: sky blue,
                                                   sily, stiff
Astragalus canadensis           Canada Milk Vetch
Baptisia leucantha                  White Wild indigo
Baptisia leucophaea               Cream Wild Indigo
Coreopsis palmata                 Coreopsis prairie
Dodecatheon meadia            Shooting star
Eupatorium purpureum         Purple Joe Pye Weed
Festuca obtusa                        Nodding Fescue
Lonicera prolifera                   Honeysuckle
Lupinus perennis                     Lupine
Parthenium integrifolium       Quinine
Petalostemum candidum      White Prairie Clover
Rosa carolina                           Rose
Rudbeckia hirta                       Blackeyed Susan
Scrophularia marilandica      Late Figwort
Silphium integrifolium            Rosin weed
Solidago speciosa                   Showy Goldenrod
Tradescantia ohioensus          Spiderwort
Zizia aptera                               Heart Leaved Alexander

Corylus americana                  Hazelnut
                                                  (packaged separately)

Species Picked                22​

Woodland Seed Mix - Susan Kleiman
Somewhat more mesic than the dry savanna mix
Scientific Name                      Common Name​
Actinomeris alternifolia         Wingstem
Agastache nepetoides           Giant Hyssop Yellow
Allium cernuum                       Onion, Nodding
Angelica atropurpurea           Great Angelica
Elymus canadensis                 Canada Rye
Elymus villosus                        Silky Rye
Elymus virginicus                    Virginia Wild Rye
Festuca obtusa                        Nodding Fescue
Hypericum pyramidatum      St. John's wort Great
Hystrix patula                          Bottle Brush Grass
Penstemon digitalis                Foxglove Beard Tongue
Tradescantia ohioensus         Spiderwort
Verbena hastata                     Blue Vervain
Veronicastrum virginicum    Culvers Root
Zizia aptera                             Heart Leaved Alexander
Zizia aurea                              Golden Alexander

Corylus americana                Hazelnut
​                                                (packaged separately)

Species Picked              17

Total Species Picked    35

​Seed may also be placed on wire racks in order to dry. If seed is picked early in the morning, it may quite wet from dew.

​001 Seed List
Scientific Name                       Common Name
Amorpha canescens               Lead Plant
Arisaema triphyllum                Jack in the Pulpit
Baptisia leucantha                   White Wild indigo
Bouteloua curtipendula          Side Oats
Coreopsis palmata                  Coreopsis prairie
Elymus canadensis                  Canada Rye
Elymus villosus                        Silky Rye
Gentiana crinita                        Fringed Gentian
Lespedeza capitata                  Round Headed Bush Clover
Liatris aspera                            Rough Blazing Star
Parthenium integrifolium        Quinine
Polygonatum canaliculatum   Solomon Seal
Tephrosia virginiana                 Goats Rue
Tradescantia ohiensis              Spiderwort
 ----                                           Dry Mix
Total weight                              10 pounds
​
Species Picked                14

2002 Seed List
Scientific Name                       Common Name                      Pounds
Amorpha canescens               Lead Plant                               0.125
Anemone canadensis             Canada Anemone                  0.063
Anemone cylindrica               Thimbleweed                          0.125
Anemone patens                    Pasque Flower                         0.016
Angelica atropurpurea           Great Angelica                         0.125
Baptisia leucantha                  White Wild indigo                   2.000
Bouteloua curtipendula         Side Oats                                  0.500
Cacalia atriplicifolia                Pale Indian Plaintain                0.125
Ceanothus americanus          New Jersey Tea                        0.031
Chrysopsis camporum          Golden Aster                            0.031
Coreopsis lanceolata             Coreopsis Lance-leaved         0.125
Coreopsis palmata                 Coreopsis prairie                      2.000
Dodecatheon meadia            Shooting star                             0.063
Echinacea pallida                   Pale Purple Coneflower           4.000
Elymus canadensis                Canada Rye                               5.000
Elymus villosus                       Silky Rye                                    0.063
Eryngium yuccifolium            Rattlesnake Master                  0.625
Euphorbia corollata                Flowering Spurge                    0.250
Gentiana andrewsii                Bottle Gentian                           0.016
Helianthus occidentalis         Western Sunflower                  0.500
Heliopsis helianthoides          False Sunflower                        0.125
Hieracium gronovii                 Hairy Hawkweed                     0.016
Hystrix patula                          Bottle Brush Grass                   0.063
Koeleria cristata                      June Grass                                  1.250
Liatris aspera                           Rough Blazing Star                    0.375
Monarda fistulosa                   Bee Balm - Wild Bergamot     0.313
Parthenium integrifolium       Quinine                                      2.000
Penstamen digitalis                 Foxglove Beard Tongue          0.500
Petalostemum purpureum     Purple Prairie Clover              0.500
Potentilla arguta                       Prairie Cinquefoil                    0.188
Ratibida pinnata                       Yellow Coneflower                 1.000
Rudbeckia hirta                        Blackeyed Susan                     2.000
Rudbeckia subtomentosa       Sweet Blackeyed Susan         0.063
Silphium lanciatum                  Compass Plant                         2.000
Silphium perfoliatum               Cup Plant                                  0.313
Silphium terebinthinaceum    Prairie Dock                              0.250
Solidago ulmifolia                    Elm Leaved Goldenrod            0.125
Sporobolis heterolepis            Drop Seed                                 0.063
Tephrosia virginiana                Goats Rue                                  0.063
Thaspium trifoliatum               Meadow Parsnip                      0.063
Tradescantia ohiensis              Spiderwort                               0.500
Zizia aptera                               Heart Leaved Alexander         0.063
Zizia aurea                                Golden Alexander                     0.500
Dry mix                                                                                         2.000
Total weight                                                                               30.109

Species Picked                                                                           43

​The hammer mill is used to break up seed pods and release the seed before mixing. There is no attempt to “clean” the seed. All
weights shown in the tables include any chaff, i.e. stems or seed pod material that fed into the hammer mill along with the seed.

​​In 2003 we again added seed to the same areas, the brome field and knobs on the northern half of the unit. And 2.5 pounds of
wet mix went on the sides of the Ditch. Any of this wet mix (and wet mix from 2004 and 2005) was almost certainly lost when the
Ditch was contoured in 2006. See Ditch Section for details.

2003 Seed List
Scientific Name                       Common Name                      Pounds
Agastache nepetoides            Hyssop Yellow Giant                0.50
Amorpha canescens               Lead Plant                                  2.88
Anemone cylindrica               Thimbleweed                            0.75
Baptisia leucantha                   White Wild indigo                   5.69
Baptisia leucophaea                Cream Wild Indigo                  2.00
Bouteloua curtipendula          Side Oats                                   1.25
Cacalia atriplicifolia                 Pale Indian Plaintain                 1.75
Carex muhlenbergia               Sand Bracted Sedge                0.25
Chrysopsis camporum           Golden Aster                            0.06
Coreopsis lanceolata              Coreopsis Lance-leaved         0.19
Coreopsis palmata                  Coreopsis prairie                      1.63
Desmodium illinoense            Illinois Tick Trefoil                    0.25
Dodecatheon meadia             Shooting star                            0.06
Echinacea pallida                    Pale Purple Coneflower         20.75
Elymus canadensis                 Canada Rye                               11.50
Elymus villosus                        Silky Rye                                    0.06
Eryngium yuccifolium             Rattlesnake Master                  0.88
Helianthus occidentalis          Western Sunflower                   1.19
Hieracium gronovii                 Hairy Hawkweed                       0.13
Hypericum pyramidatum      St. John's wort Great                  0.69
Hystrix patula                          Bottle Brush Grass                      0.06
Koeleria cristata                      June Grass                                     1.13
Kuhnia eupatorioides             False Boneset                               0.75
Lespedeza capitata                 Round Headed Bush Clover       7.75
Liatris aspera                           Rough Blazing Star                     18.50
Liatris pycnostachya              Prairie Blazing star                       11.13
Panicum oligosanthes            Scribner's Panic Grass                0.13
Panicum villosissimum          White Haired Panic Grass          0.13
Parthenium integrifolium       Quinine                                         5.69
Penstamen digitalis                 Foxglove Beard Tongue              4.50
Petalostemum purpureum     Purple Prairie Clover                   2.38
Physocarpus opulifolius         Ninebark                                       0.06
Potentilla arguta                      Prairie Cinquefoil                          1.13
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium  Slender Mountain Mint                1.81
Rudbeckia hirta                       Blackeyed Susan                          0.63
Rudbeckia subtomentosa      Sweet Blackeyed Susan               1.88
Silphium integrifolium            Rosin weed                                   0.63
Silphium lanciatum                 Compass Plant                              0.13
Silphium perfoliatum              Cup Plant                                        1.00
Silphium terebinthinaceum   Prairie Dock                                   0.25
Sisyrinchium albidum            Blue Eyed Grass                            0.06
Solidago speciosa                  Showy Goldenrod                        4.00
Tephrosia virginiana              Goats Rue                                       4.25
Teucrium canadense             Wood Sage Germander               2.38
Tradescantia ohiensus          Spiderwort                                      1.25
Wulfenia bullii                       Kitten Tails                                      0.19
Zizia aurea                             Golden Alexander                          0.50
                                                Dry mix                                           0.75
                                                Wet mix                                          2.31
Total Weight                                                                                 127.75

Species Picked                                                                               47

​After drying and processing, seed is stored in barrels until it can be mixed.

July 2004

2004 was the first year we created custom seed mixes for specific habitats. The seed tables include details of the mixes and where they were distributed. Also any special hand planting of seed or plugs is recorded. The seed lists for 2004 and following years are too extensive to list here but are captured on the following Excel spreadsheet.  After clicking the link, the spreadsheet will open in a separate window. Click on the 2004 sheet tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. 

​Almost all seed was hand broadcast as the  ground is too wet to drive a vehicle or inaccessible because of oak grubs or trees. The photo above is the June Grass seed planting in 2004.

By 2005, some of the Nachusa plantings were maturing so that we were able to begin picking larger quantities of seed. 

​Click here to open the Excel seed spreadsheet; then click on the 2005 sheet tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. 

At the end of seed picking, the bags of each type of seed are removed from the barrels. Then the seeds are portioned into the different mix barrels as indicated in the Planting Plan. Because Big Woods has so many different micro habitats, this is rather more complicated than for most other units.

​All the barrels containing the same mix are dumped out together and mixed well. No one actually enjoys mixing seed. The dust is really unpleasant.

After the Ditch was contoured in 2006 we began picking as much wet seed as possible. It has been challenging to find appropriate
seed for wet areas and even more difficult to find savanna appropriate seed.

Click here to open the Excel seed spreadsheet then click on the 2006 sheet tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. 

After seed is mixed it goes back into barrels so that it can be transported to the unit.

2007 was the first year we added seed to Wade Bottoms. 

Click here to open the Excel seed spreadsheet then click on the 2007 sheet tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. 

Kubota with pendulum seeder at northern edge of Wade Bottoms in 2008.

In 2008, we again added seed to Wade Bottoms as well as other areas. 

Click here to open the Excel seed spreadsheet then click on the 2008 sheet tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. 

The dry savanna areas still need massive amounts of savanna seed for which we do not have abundant picking sources.

In 2009, we were still trying to increase our wet seed quantities. Otherwise, we continue to distribute seed until we begin seeing plants of a particular species blooming. 

​Click here to open the Excel seed spreadsheet then click on the 2009 sheet tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. The 2010, 2011 and 2012 seed lists are also in this spreadsheet. just click on the appropriate tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. 

Shannon Godby and Hank are filling bags with combined seed to be used to overseed several areas.

As even more restoration areas have matured, there is seed available from the combine harvest. It is primarily late season seeds but valuable nevertheless. 

Once we establish flourishing colonies of various savanna species it will become much easier to over seed the entire dry savanna.
The following quote from Vegetation of Wisconsin, Curtis 1959 p. 282 explains our motivation for the hand planting which we do.
​

"This tendency for development of large societies or clans of one species separated by considerable distances from the next
assemblage of the same species was noted by many early observers of the original prairie. It must have been even more striking
on the broad expanses of undisturbed prairie than it is on the present tiny remnants. Short (1845) noted this gregarious habit on
the early prairies of Illinois:

​'Its leading feature is the unbounded profusion with which a few species occur, in certain localities, [rather] than the mixed variety of different species occurring everywhere. Thus from some elevated position in a large prairie the eyes take in at a glance thousands of acres literally empurpled with the flowering spikes of several species of Liatris, in other stations . . . a few species of yellow flowering Coreopsis occur in such profuse abundance as to tinge the entire surface with a golden burnish. This peculiarity of an aggregation of individuals of one or more species to something like an exclusive monopoly of certain localities obtains even in regard to those plants which are the rarest and least frequently met with; for wherever one specimen was found, there were generally many more in the same immediate neighborhood.' "
​​​

Seeds went out in the winter after the 2010 harvest. We both drove a vehicle so we could drive to different locations to put out seed.
​
Click here to open the Excel seed spreadsheet then click on the 2010 sheet tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

Ideal seeding conditions in 2011. We had a fall burn which let us put the seeds out on bare soil before the ground was frozen. 

​Click here to open the Excel seed spreadsheet then click on the 2011 sheet tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

Mixing seed mixture in 2012. My hair is really brown, it only looks gray because it is coated with seed dust from mixing seeds.

Life is easier now that the morton building has a solid floor. 

Click here to open the Excel seed spreadsheet then click on the 2012 sheet tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

​
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