Management Guide

After I complete a garden installation I give my customers a PDF that explains how to care for their new native garden. I thought I'd make it public for everyone to reference, as well as have a permanent online spot for it in case the PDF was misplaced.

Disclaimer: Because of the nature of nature (and anthropogenic factors), plants are not guaranteed after installation

Gardening requires patience. Some plants take a few years to establish and others do not emerge from dormancy until almost June

Short Term Management

(the first growing season after install)

Watering

When it comes to watering in the early stages of development of your garden, the middle path is the way forward - not too much, not too little…juuuuust right! A lot of the species that were selected for your dry, well-drained soil conditions can handle a little stress but cannot survive excessive irrigation because it will rot their roots. The aim is to encourage plants to root deeply in search of underground water sources. If we water frequently and shallowly, their roots will stay near the surface, making it more difficult for them to weather periods of drought. The following instructions assume a lack of significant natural rainfall: 3-5 days after installation water 1”- 1.5" (use a rain gauge) with an oscillating sprinkler. Continue with this 3-5 day interval schedule for 5-7 weeks and then you can cut back to 1” every 5-7 days. Continue the infrequent but deep watering through the summer heat. Once fall arrives, you should be able to stop watering all together. Following the establishment phase (year two), watering should only happen in the event of significant droughts lasting longer than four weeks. Always water in the morning between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m.

Small Mammals, Rodents, etc.

Your new planting may be enjoyed and explored by more than just humans, insects and birds in the first season of planting. Rabbits, chipmunks and squirrels, etc. have a radar for freshly planted, freshly dug earth. This nibbling by wildlife maybe frustrating but it will not necessarily kill the plant. In some cases (warm-season plants) it will encourage the plants to put more energy into growing roots and keeping a bushier form. That said, while some nibbling on the leaves by wildlife will not kill the plant, keep an eye out for plugs pulled out of the ground completely. Check for this every morning for at least two to three weeks after installation. If this happens immediately put the plug back in the hole and give it a quick soaking of water. If the rabbit and/or groundhog herbivory is intense you may want to cage off the species that are getting chomped until they get established and can defend themselves. Sometimes voles will eat roots during the winter months but unfortunately, there’s nothing to defend against that (I lost all of my Liatris in my yard last winter to these little buggers!). 

Deer

Because of our overpopulated deer herd in and around town, I was very conservative with my plant selections for your yard. I chose species that deer typically do not prefer to eat (sedges and grasses, anything with a strong odor, or high toxicity level). However, when a plant is young and/or when the deer are young they will experiment with all sorts of plants, at least once. To be safe, I recommend spraying all of the plants weekly for the first month and then once a month (or more if you notice frequent browsing) for the first year with a deer repellant (I prefer this one https://www.deerout.com). After a year, or sooner, the plants will mature beyond their fresh, young appeal to our deer. For trees and shrubs, depending on the species, they may need to be caged for several years until they grow beyond the browse line. Definitely protect all trunks of trees from buck rubs in fall and winter!!

Weeding

There may be some early colonizing annual weeds in the beginning of your new installation because of the disturbance to the soil. The most common weed I see on full sun sites is annual crabgrass which is a fast-growing, aggressive weed. Try and keep an eye out for this weed and deadhead if you see it. If you have questions about certain weeds, there is a great app called ‘iNaturalist’ which does a decent job of identifying plants and is free. You can also email me a picture. Staying on top of weeds in the first year, specifically annuals, by deadheading or cutting the plant at the soil so they cannot go to seed, will be a very important part of ensuring the landscape is successful. I don’t recommend pulling (most) weeds because more soil disturbance leads to more weeds - a vicious cycle.  Weed growth is triggered when light reaches the soil surface. Your landscape is designed for total soil coverage to reduce weed pressures. In essence, plants will create their own “green mulch” as they knit together over time. I do recommend pulling any tree seedlings that you do not want in the garden (I’m looking at you, Maples and Redbuds!). 

Tidying Up (Fall/Spring)

With the exception of fire, it’s important to remember there is no natural mechanism which “cleans out” a garden or landscape in autumn. Most plants are adapted and prefer to grow through their own debris from previous years (with exceptions). This “duff” will decompose quickly, typically with a single season, nurturing the soil and sequestering carbon in the process. The exception being some short, dry habitat species (Wild Lupine, Bird’s Foot Violet, etc.) that do not like competition or smothering. Best practice would be to remove duff from species with large amounts of decayed biomass in early spring (tall grasses, Silphiums, etc.). Most, if not all plants in this design have some degree of four-season interest and winter architecture, and you’ll be able to enjoy your landscape through winter by leaving material standing until early spring. In late April, once we have a couple days of temperatures above 50 degrees, it is optional to cut back the landscape using loppers, clippers, hedge trimmers or weed whackers and varying the cutback height between 6” and 18” for flowering plants, leaving the debris where it falls on the ground (the exception being the examples mentioned above). Cut sedges and grasses a little shorter but don’t scalp the crowns. Giving the graminoids and flowers a cut back encourages fresh growth in spring. Secondly, it allows the cut material to become the year’s mulch which retains moisture and suppresses weeds. Leaving the leaves is generally a good idea unless the layer gets too thick. This might be the case if your overstory has mature oaks, in which case it’s a good idea to gently rake some leaves away because the heavy buildup will smother the young plantings. Also, I don’t recommend participating in “No Mow May” because most of the growth that happens in lawns are simply weeds that will self sow into your garden beds. Keep your lawn borders tidy. 

Year 1 Establishment

Potential weed pressure will be most intense during the establishment phase as new plantings won’t fully shade the soil surface from light. Vigilance is key throughout this first year to ensure desirable plantings are able to be established. Plan to spend approximately 30 minutes every 3-4 weeks monitoring for and controlling weeds as necessary during the establishment phase. 

Water every 7 days without significant (greater than ½”) natural rainfall. Your watering should mimic a natural rain event, meaning we want to water deeply (½”-1”) and infrequently to encourage plants to put their roots deep in search of water. This will aid in long-term planting resiliency. 

Do not cut back or clean out any material from the garden this fall, including fallen leaves (with exceptions of thick layers mentioned above). Leave everything in place (but do not blow in additional leaves from elsewhere in the yard). Over time, this detritus becomes a vital habitat for overwintering insects and shelter for small critters. It also helps to cover the soil and prevent annual weeds from gaining a foothold. 

For Spring of 2026, once temperatures average 50 degrees for a couple days (to allow insects to come out of hibernation), a spring cutback can take place by using loppers, trimmers, weed whacker and varying the cut height of the plants between 6” and 18” to allow native bees a place to overwinter. You can leave chopped material in place (with exceptions mentioned above). This clean out process is optional. 

Continue to spray deer repellent on young trees and shrubs once or twice a month as needed, if they have not been caged. If you feel more comfortable having me weed and do spring clean up for you, I can do that in late April/early May for $65 per hour. 

Year 2 Maturation

Weed pressure will diminish significantly by this point, and you can begin to selectively edit weeds. Your focus will shift to deadheading flowering annual weeds (rather than dig or pull) to reduce soil disturbance. Tree seedlings and perennial weeds, those with hefty root systems, should still be pulled. Plan to spend approximately 15 minutes every 4-6 weeks monitoring for and controlling weeds. 

As planting matures, the need to water on a regular basis will diminish dramatically. Only irrigate if we have a significant drought (approximately 4 weeks without precipitation). These plants are deeply rooted and will survive prolonged dry spells. Any new spot plantings should receive targeted waterings with a hand nozzle or watering can until they’re established.

By this point, spring’s “duff” material is thicker, with the grasses producing the highest volume. The spring cutback of this dead material doubles as spring mulching, with the chopped material remaining in place (with exceptions mentioned above) to smother potential weed seeds until perennials emerge and fully cover the ground by early June. This clean out process is optional and depends on the homeowners aesthetic preferences. 

Year 3 > Management

The primary weeding season will be late April-early June. Following this, plants will establish a full groundcover. Plan to spend approximately 15 minutes 2-3 times per season monitoring weeds. 

Continue to operate on year two guidelines.

Long Term Management

Editing and Plant Changes

As plants grow and fill space, it’s natural that some may begin to overpower others. In this instance, a gentle editing and thinning of these robust plants could help the entire plant community remain stable and balanced in the long-run, but this is subjective. It’s also possible a particular plant just might not work as expected, either aesthetically or functionally, and needs to be removed and replaced. Barring any major surprises, the earliest we’ll know if this needs to happen would be year 3. 

Observing and Supporting Wildlife

You can expect to see new and diverse forms of life visiting your landscape, from insects to small mammals, birds, and amphibians. You’ll notice different plants attract different species such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. To support these creatures in a deeper way, you can consider adding water stations in the form of shallow (1-2” deep) pools of water in rocks or dishes. You could also construct and install pollinator “hotels” for additional habitat options. You can register your yard as a wildlife habitat at the following website https://map.homegrownnationalpark.org/

Continued Support

I hope you’ll be joyful and engaged participants in your new landscape, and I’m here to help you realize that vision. Your new landscape includes three garden coaching sessions which you can cash-in anytime in the next two years. In these sessions we can troubleshoot any challenges, answer questions, and provide management guidance as plantings evolve. We recommend the first session be scheduled around May-June 2025 as the first full growing season will be fully underway by this time. We’re happy to schedule a session sooner if desired. To schedule, please email me at dropseedgardens@gmail.com. 

Mulch

I like to use a thin layer of hardwood-shredded mulch on most projects before installation as a weed suppression and to retain moisture for the early developmental stages of growth for the young plants. However, I do not like to replenish mulch layers, which is the standard with most conventional garden maintenance plans. For me it’s a “one and done” application because by the time the installation mulch decomposes the plants will fill in and become their own “living mulch” layer. I’ve designed your garden for this succession. Adding mulch layers suppresses growth (it may actually smother and kill some delicate species), alters the composition of the soil and at times causes root rot. In short, do not add mulch to these gardens. 

Pesticides and Fertilizers

I think that it goes without saying that pesticides and fertilizers should not be used in these types of gardens. I know that some of my customers hire out regularly scheduled yard maintenance from conventional landscape companies, which is fine but make sure that these workers stay out of the native garden beds. They aren't trained on how to maintain these types of systems. Absolutely check to make sure that they are not using any pesticides because these chemicals will kill the pollinators (and birds) that the native plants are attracting. Also, make sure that they are not spraying any fertilizers in the native garden beds. Keep a vigilant eye on these guys!

Resources

Consider joining the local chapter of Wild Ones: https://kalamazoo.wildones.org/

Homegrown National Park: https://homegrownnationalpark.org/

Get on the map! https://map.homegrownnationalpark.org/

Nature’s Best Hope: https://www.prairiemoon.com/prairie-moon-nursery-books-natures-best-hope.html

The Nature of Oaks: https://www.prairiemoon.com/the-nature-of-oaks-by-doug-tallamy

Search for info on plants in the Michigan Natural Inventory database: https://michiganflora.net/

Michigan Vegetation Map Circa 1800 (this is amazing!): https://mnfi.maps.arcgis.com/apps/StorytellingSwipe/index.html?appid=c285e9eab9774c77a36d8726474fa408#

Wonderful plant identification book: https://www.prairienursery.com/resources-guides/the-gardeners-guide-to-prairie-plants/

Help save local wild lands: https://swmlc.org