So while it may just seem like to some we’re talking about growing weeds…..there’s much deeper concepts and principles at the heart of it.



Another aspect of this mulching and recycling process that can be manipulated is the “timing” that you choose to use when resetting the vegetation. You can have an impact on several variables just by your timing…… I purposely chose to knock back and reset some areas a few weeks ago knowing that most things will be maturing and going to seed come August………





So now I have fresh new growth emerging as July ends…The main species are blackberry, dewberry, pokeweed, prickly lettuce, vervain, and goldenrod…….Focus on the concept here and picture if this were on a bigger scale of 100 acres instead of 0.1…….I’m just keeping my resident does happy with these little spots …..However, ramp up the scale of this idea and you’re gonna start having a much bigger impact……How many people have lush new growth coming up in August when most of the natural browse is maturing and hardening off???



Other ways you can have an impact is by resetting succession and/or stimulating the seed bank during the dormant season …..”Frequency” of resetting can also have an impact on the balance of grasses to broadleafs/forbs…..Frequent mowing during the growing season will start favoring grasses over broadleafs……Dormant season mowing/resetting seems to favor the broadleafs unless fire is used……Dormant season fire seems to favor the grasses while growing season burns seem to favor broadleafs…..Take that with a grain of salt as its still something I’m tinkering with to figure out better…..All of these things can be used as tools though to manipulate the habitat to produce a well-balanced system of grasses, forbs, legumes and the subsequent food chains that follow……But you need to know “Why” you’re doing them in order to apply them correctly or you’ll just be randomly mowing and throwing down matches in Feb because that’s what so and so down the road did instead of applying specifically what you’re situation is needing at the time. I actually think we need to take a hard look at our reasons for burning and apply our prescriptions for fire more effectively than everyone just lighting a match the day after hunting season ends and that being the extent of the “why”…….