I emailed to get an appointment with the DNR to check out our 3 acres. I had the appointment June 26th 2023. This is the follow up email I received.  If you live near Shelbyville, Indiana..You would probably get a similar report. 

Thanks for showing me your property on June 26th and for your interest in wildlife habitat!  A summary of what we discussed, and some recommendations follow.  Be sure to check out the attached factsheets for more information about establishing native plants and eradicating invasives.  Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns – I’m here to help!

 

 

 

I also mentioned potentially converting your backyard into a native prairie planting. An example establishment timeline for that would look like the following:

 

March – May 2024

 

 

September – October 2024:

 

 

December 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025:

 

 

Growing Seasons 2025-2026:

 

 

Routine maintenance is a key component of habitat management.  Your pollinator habitat is considered early successional, and thus requires frequent maintenance.  Maintenance needs will change as your habitat matures, but they never disappear.

 

 

 

If interested in a prairie planting, I can develop you a management plan to follow as well as a seed mix to purchase. I have attached a list of all suitable wildflowers for your soil types for you to reference.

 

 

If you decide to plant trees in your backyard instead, a good resource for native tree seedlings is the Indiana DNR Vallonia State Nursery. You can view more information about location, ordering instructions, and species offered on our website here: https://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/tree-seedling-nurseries/. Your soil is SPD (somewhat poorly drained) – MWD (moderately well drained), so any tree or shrub species you plant should be adapted to those soil types. Attached is a list of Indiana native shrubs with their soil drainage types.

 

A few others points we discussed:

Your shrubs and flowers you’ve planted in your yard are not flourishing like they could be because turf grasses are encroaching on them. I recommend you clear out at least a 2-foot diameter section around all planted species and keeping it clear to avoid competition from weeds and grasses.

 

This is a lot of information to digest, so no rush responding or making any decisions. Please reach out if you have any questions at all.

 

Thank you!