dracowildlife's Journal
Today, and Saturday, September 15, Patrick continued to prepare the soil in Acre 17 North as well as the area to the west of the residence. He used the disk harrow to loosen the soil before our broadcast seeding panned for September 21 and 22. We plan to see Acre 17 North with little bluestem and a mixture of native wildflowers and the area west of the residence with flowers.
Summing up the rest of the month.
On September 20, Shannon also spread wildflower seeds over the area near the sceptic field (about a quarter acre). These seeds included mostly seeds she had gathered from plants that had bloomed in Draco: American basketflower (from Acre 16), prairie paintbrush, prairie parsley, golden prairie flax, blacked-eyed Susan, and standing cypress). She also planted 10 packages of white rosinweed purchased from Native American Seed.
On September 21, after preparing the soil in Acre 2017 North, Shannon sowed, by hand, seeds, including the remaining little bluestem and wildflower mix seed obtained from Turner Seed Company in February and the remainder of the "Timeless Turf Blend (buffalo grass, blue grama, curly mesquite)." Shannon also applied Microlife Multipurpose 6-2-4 fertilizer. Patrick then used the chain harrow (flat side down) and the ATV to go over the area to improve soil contact.
By good fortune, we received a total accumulation of 1.64" of rain during the period 9/26-9/30.
On 9/22, as Patrick was walking near the Northeast Fence and Short North Fence, an animal, believed to be a Gray Fox (one was seen in the area on 8/7) appeared to rise up from the long grass and head north and disappeared.
On 9/26, following a suggestion he had heard from a representative of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Patrick mowed two 6-8' wide swaths in a North-South direction in Acre 2018. This was to see what would develop in the disturbed soil of the otherwise unchanged acre.
The attempt to kill the bull nettle with glyphosate seems to have been successful, as the plants turned brown through the stems down to the ground. We plan to do more.
