Installing Prairie Strips: Frequently Asked Questions
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FAQ: How do I find more information about prairie strips?
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How do I find more information about prairie strips?
There are many ways to get more information about prairie strips. This website, www.prairiestrips.org, is a good place to start for these items: Read more about FAQ: How do I find more information about prairie strips?
FAQ: When is the best time of year to plant prairie strips?
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When is the best time of year to plant prairie strips?
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FAQ: Can I plant a less diverse mix?
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Can I plant a less diverse mix? Can I plant only grasses?
The number of types of prairie plants sown (“species richness”) and the amount of each type that is present in seed mixes is a management decision. How the plants will function and the seed mix costs are two primary considerations.
FAQ: How does the placement of prairie strips affect water quality gains?
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How does the placement of prairie strips affect water quality gains?
While this is still an active area of research, there are a few guiding principles we can draw upon to try to maximize water quality gains.
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FAQ: How long will the prairie strips work?
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How long will the prairie strips work? Won't dirt pile up quickly above the prairie strip?
As water moves downslope in a field and encounters the prairie strips, there will be greater resistance to flow and the surface runoff water will slow down. When this water slows, some of the material it is carrying will be deposited. This generally occurs a few feet into the leading edge of the strip or immediately upslope of the strip.
FAQ: How do the prairie strips treat sub-surface water flow?
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How do the prairie strips treat sub-surface water flow?
Research as part of our project and other research on buffers and riparian buffers has found that when shallow subsurface flow interacts with the root zone under the prairie strip or other buffers, we can see significant reductions in the concentration of nitrate-nitrogen.
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FAQ: How do I take care of my prairie strips?
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How do I take care of my prairie strips? Do I have to burn the strips? How do I control weeds and invasive species within the strips?
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FAQ: Will the prairie strips make my crops more weedy?
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Will the prairie strips make my crops more weedy?
Most prairie plants will not become weeds in crop fields where annual crops are grown and subjected to conventional weed management practices.
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FAQ: Will crop spray drift kill the plants in the prairie strips?
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Will crop spray drift kill the plants in the prairie strips?
Spray drift definitely can harm the prairie strips in the first several years as the young plants are establishing, but mature prairie plants are more resilient. Mature perennial plants have deep root systems with substantial stored energy reserves, which tend to allow them to bounce back from incidental drift.
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