Tip Sheet: Creating a Wet Meadow

It’s possible to create a wet meadow successfully with the right preparation and materials. Eliminate existing cool season turf grasses with a Glyphosate based herbicide (Roundup or equal) prior to seeding. Then, overseed with a native seed mix. Critsite offers an excellent native seed mix containing local-source native grasses, wildflowers, and some wetland species for use in establishing a wet meadow prairie in the bottom of a standard detention basin. In most applications, the user should utilize a biodegradable straw blanket (Greenfix WS072 or NAG S150BN) to ensure that the seed does not float from the soil. We also recommend the use of a mycorrhizal inoculant (GroLife granular, or equal) per the seed producer’s recommendation at the time of seed installation.