Any landscape pros? acres of prairie grass question?

I have about 10 acres of field and I'm not looking to cut that much grass and want to tie in several acres of a prairie grass type stuff with maybe some wild flowers as well to frame it all in.

What would I be looking for? In Michigan on pretty heavy soil. Is there anything out there that I can plant and it will grow a few feet high and look nice? I've searched but cant seem to find anything for my application, just a lot of pampas grass stuff - which looks good but not sure if I can get it in seed form and economical for 4 or 5 acres.

 

Find some one to make hay out of it?

My uncle does several fields like that for people here in the SW corner of MI

 

Thought about that and planting alfalfa or a hay mix. It wont be a square run though. I was going to shape it to provide some definition. I do have access to the equipment so I may go that route if I can't find a zero maintenance solution that looks nice.

 

If you google bulk prairie grass seed a lot of options show up.

This stuff? Grows 8-10 inches..

https://hancockseed.com/products/bu...RqBfl5lcMNURYz2takLy5Yn45MYUDdYUaAv2nEALw_wcB

This site is interesting. Might be able to contact them for advice....

https://www.michigandnr.com/publica...bitat_Mgmt/Grassland/Prairie_Restorations.htm

 

I bushhog our field but the neighbor "sells" theirs for hay. Only downside is the neighbor's field looks like shit because the people let it get out of hand before they get it done. Beware if you decide to let someone harvest it that way.

 

When you hog your field do you just leave it lay or bale it?

 

Also for what its worth the field has been primarily soy beans for the last decade plus.

 

Find out what the local grasses and flowers are and seed that.

 

He’s around Detroit. I’m guessing he doesn’t want to grow meth, juggalos, despair and weed cowboy. Cause that’s what’s native to that area.

 

I have 20 acres in Fenton and just brush hogged 10 acres of it last weekend. If you hog it a few times a year you won't have to worry about baling it.

 

How's the farmhouse coming along?

 

Check with your county ag extension program. It’s probably a MSU Extension. The DNR also might have info or some grants available. My friends parents here in WI got the DNR to plant native prairie grass and partially covered the costs to dig a pond on their small farmette.

 

Also, depending on location the local pheasant forever or DU might be of some help.

 

Normal home ownership for a 100 year old farm house and barn (money pit), but loving the property.

 

So....about like this????

 

Did you let it get long in the fall? I didn't think much was growing yet! What is it? Just weeds or some type of hay?

My concern with Hay is if I don't cut it enough and it gets long the clippings will rot if I don't bale it.

 

You have to be careful with hay. Especially if you sell it to horse people. There are certain wild flowers (some white variety) that are toxic to them.
My neighbor had no clue and had to take back around 100 round bales. Thankfully cows can eat anything.

 

Hemp




make oil, clothing, toilet paper and hemp race fairings from it.

 

It's not alfalfa and basically a mixture of grass and weeds. One pasture had not been cut in over a year and I just went slow. Another field that was brush hogged last spring, but had goats and horses on it last summer, only needed the star thistle cut back.

If you don't cut things back at least once a year the Autumn Olives will start to take over (there were quite a few starting in the field not cut for a year).

 

Yeah pretty much. When the furnace guy came out out he gave me the same quote he gave the previous owner in 2015.