Julie Pastore wrote:What meadow plants will grow from seed and penetrate compacted soils? Burdock? Yes/no? What else? I ask because I may be rehabilitating a parking lot this year! I want plant pioneers to do the work of loosening things up.
Thanks!
Fortunately many meadow plants can penetrate compacted or heavy clay soils once they establish. The trick is to pick the right species that can do this and to create short-term conditions conducive to their establishing. The latter involves loosening the surface of any soil that's compacted so seeds that sprout have an easier time getting their roots started. Rototilling or harrowing is usually the best way to make that happen. A nurse crop also help with establishment. A nurse crop is basically a cover crop that will
shelter the newly planted seeds without impairing their ability to grow by being too dense. I usually use an annual rye but there are many species that can fit this bill.
And as for matching plants with heavy clay soil, species that are
native to most midwestern prairies are adept at handling those sort of conditions with relative ease. Part of the genius of meadow plants is that once they're established they can even thrive in difficult soils. Echinacea purpurea, Heliopsis helianthoides, most Asclepias, Baptisia, Amsonia, Pycnanthemum, Silphium and Verbena, are some examples that pull this off with aplomb. Yarrow is definitely one such plant as well. I generally steer clear of burdock in meadows because of it's coarse appearance (I usually shoot for airier forms in meadow plants) and clingy burrs, but it is a very valuable plant – a delicious edible (gobo), a helpful
medicinal, and birds love its seeds.