Our Services

Tallgrass Prairie Services

  • Prairie Design

    Design process includes a biological soil analysis and specific ecotype seed selected for your site based on soil moisture, sun exposure, site topography, and more.

  • Prairie Maintenance

    Maintaining the prairie the first several years is vital to the long term success of the prairie. Carefully monitoring invasive weeds with management methods like spot cutting, mowing, and supplemental overseeding.

  • Fall Seed Collection

    Hire Sown Ecological Solutions to hand-collect your native prairie seed. Once the seed is collected, we can dry and process it for you or teach you how to do it yourself. Once the seed is fully processed, its yours! If you don’t want it, you can sell it to us to use on one of our other local sites.

  • Prairie Consulting

    Have the time to do it yourself? We can offer you support every step of the way. Many new prairie managers struggle with when to mow, or how to manage an invasive weed. We create the perfect management plan that pins down timing, design, seed selection, invasive weed management, the list goes on.

  • Prairie Seed or Plug Installation

    Spring or Fall installation options

  • Invasive Weed Management

    We have a “Soil First” approach when managing invasive weeds. While herbicide application has its place in restoration management, it is widely overused. A “Soil First” approach can help us understand what biologically is causing the soil to support invasive weeds rather than the native species.

woman relocating beaver in iowa

Beaver Success Stories

Partnering with beaver to create the endangered wetland ecosystem in Iowa

Woodland Understory & Wetland Services

  • Woodland Understory Seed Design

    Design process includes a biological soil analysis and specific ecotype seed selected for your woodland area based on soil moisture, sun exposure, site topography, and more.

  • Woodland Understory Maintenance

    Maintaining the seed so it has time to establish roots is very important for the long term success of the project. Woodland understory areas that are overrun with invasive weeds also need maintenance to monitor the invasive weed growth.

  • Woodland Invasive Weed Management

    Buckthorn, honeysuckle, and muliflora rose (to name just a few) can be extremely aggressive invasive weeds. We use a “Soil First” approach which includes biological soil sampling throughout the process of managing the invasive weeds to properly regenerate and monitor the health of the soil.

  • Beaver Solution Consultation

    Beavers are essential to providing habitat for Iowas endangered wetland plant species. We offer consultations and technical support for common beaver complaints. Flow devices to mitigate pond heights, tree protection strategies, and much more!

  • Wetland Improvement Planting

    Wetland seedling installation to help populate a wetland area with more native vegetation.

  • Woodland Erosion Management

    Slope erosion in wooded yards is a common issue that can be managed well with native grass species. We consult, design, and install erosion mitigation methods.

Ask us about our Prairie SeedShare project and how you can get involved.

Backyard Pollinator Gardens

  • Plant Selection and Design

    Hand-picked native plants specific to your pollinator garden goals. Pollinator gardens are designed with the native pollinators in mind, including plants for every bird, insect, and critter you are looking to attract.

  • Installation and Maintenance

    Planting of pollinator garden and ongoing maintenance plans are available depending on your location.

  • Seed Collection Class

    A 30-minute class teaching you everything you need to know about collecting seed from your pollinator bed, how to dry it, how to separate seed from plant debris, and ideas on what to do with your seed.