A Good Start for Your Native Plants
Once you get your new plant home here are a few tips for giving it a good start:
1. Select a site that is appropriate for the needs of your plant. Does it need full sun; is it a shade loving plant, what are the plant's moisture requirements?
2. Get rid of weeds. Montana native plants will not be able to out compete invasive weeds. Even another “friendly” plant that is too close to your new native may crowd it and prevent maximum growth.
3. Most Montana native plants prefer well-drained soil. This means they do not like their roots sitting in soggy soil. The water needs to drain away from the roots, allowing some air-space in the soil.
If your soil is a good loamy soil (it holds together somewhat when you squeeze a damp clump of it and it has a dark, rich color) you won’t have to do anything to amend it.
Amending less desirable soil with organic matter will create a more fertile, moisture holding soil. Soil amendments include home-prepared and commercially-produced compost, rotted sawdust and packaged steer manure.
If you need to amend your soil do it to the whole area. By amending only the planting hole your new native plant may become root-bound, not spreading its roots to the surrounding, less-desirable soil.
4. If possible water the area before planting. Supplemental watering, at least for the first few weeks, and even up to the first two years will give your new native plants the extra water they need to establish their roots and reach down into the soil to find the moisture they need. This will allow you to water much less often once your plants have established themselves.
Windflower Native Plant Nursery
PO Box 306
West Glacier, Montana 59936
Telephone: 406-387-5527
Email: info@windflowernativeplants.com
Links to Information
on Each Plant
If you find a plant that looks interesting to you as you watch the slideshow check our inventory page to determine pricing and availability. Specific plant information pages will be linked from the slideshow soon.
A Frequently Asked Question
about Ethics
What do you mean when you say you “ethically collect” the native plant seeds you grown your plants from?
The Montana Native Plant Society has a set of Guidelines for the collection of native plant materials. A copy can be downloaded from their web site or from the link above.
I follow these guidelines to help preserve and conserve the native plants of Montana. When I collect seeds I do not want to further reduce native plant populations by collecting too many seeds or causing harm to the area where I am collecting. Doing either of these things would reduce the native plant population in that area.
