Four Easy Tools for Wildflower Restoration, Marin Chapter CNPS Chapter Meeting (Zoom)

[EBCNPS News List]

Four Easy Tools for Wildflower Restoration
Speaker: Craig Carlton Dremann

Zoom Registration Link

Craig will talk about four easy methods invented 30 years ago to restore California native grasslands and wildflower meadows back to 95% or better native cover and used to restore 800 acres of grasslands so far. Start with small-scale test plots, get rid of the weeds, add fertilizers and mulch, and open up a treasure-chest of wildflower seeds, which are waiting for us to unearth so they can grow again.

Mowing weed grasses monthly from February to June at 8-12 inches high gets rid of the weeds and unearths buried dormant native seeds in the soil.

1. Monthly mowing at 8-12 inches high from February to June–stops weeds from producing more viable seeds to add to the soil seed bank. When the weed seedbank all sprouts and is then depleted, dormant native seeds can grow again. Start with small-scale test plots, get rid of the weeds, add fertilizers and mulch, and open up a treasure-chest of wildflower seeds, which are waiting for us to unearth so they can grow again.
2. Waypoint Lab A-01 and Organic Matter soil tests, from the top two inches, checks the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter. If below the threshold levels needed for native seedling survival, add fertilizers and mulch. At Kite Hill we fertilized a barren serpentine slope and unearthed a 99% weed-free wildflower meadow. Also, adding fertilizers and mulch to yellow star thistle, can get rid of that weed in 90 days, as we did at Kite Hill.
3. Learning to use the native plant allelochemicals–let them do the weeding for you.
4. Summertime Low-Mow, Blow and Go. Cut and remove straw and their allelochemicals, so they will not interfere with native seeds sprouting in the future.

Craig Carlton Dremann is an Ecological Restoration professional and co-owner of The Reveg Edge in San Mateo County. Craig’s Native heritage is from the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina and has been a “Grassland Land Doctor” since 1992. Craig has several nicknames—the local Ohlone-Muwekma elders call him the “Seed Guy”. At Kite Hill where he works, the locals call him “The Wildflower Whisperer”. His own personal Native Names are “Walking Flowers Blooming” and “Cold Feet Dancing”.

Note: See Craig’s entire ZOOM presentation. Anyone can view the PowerPoint presentation now and then email Craig your list of questions before or after the ZOOM meeting. He will email answers to your questions directly.