June 2020
Last fall we seeded native forbs as cover crops in hazelnut orchards managed by the family of recent grad, Marissa. We are investigating whether native prairie plants can survive in a managed orchard context, and provide services such as soil moisture retention and pollinator resources. After a great growing season during which we repeatedly monitored soil moisture, the flowers are up and we are recording community composition and pollinator visits by host plant species.
Next steps are mechanical flailing and scraping treatments to see which of our native species survive!