Leave it lying on the ground for up to a week for the seeds to drop, and then clear it all away for compost. If you're cutting early (eg July), leave an uncut refuge for grasshoppers as their nymphs are most vulnerable then.Ĭut the hay in dry weather – it will probably be too high for a mower, so use grass shears or a scythe. It's best to vary the time you cut each year or some plants may begin to dominate others. In subsequent seasons, the main method for managing a meadow is to not mow from early April to late July, August or even early September. Remove the dried material (known as the arisings). In the first growing season, cut the growth in midsummer during a hot period and allow cuttings to dry on the ground for 2 days. Some barley and wheat seed will add an authentic touch.Aftercare. Where soil fertility is too high to allow perennial wildflowers to flourish, consider sowing a cornfield annual mix that includes plants such as cornflower, corn poppy, corn marigold and corncockle. For more on cutting your new meadow, see our page wildflower meadow maintenance. It is worth hand weeding out obvious weeds not in the seed mix during the first summer. Smaller areas can be watered in dry spells until germination but larger areas will need to be left until the rains return. However, be prepared to protect the seed with netting if birds prove to be a problem Rake or roll in lightly to give good contact between the seed and the soil, water thoroughly and leave them to grow naturally.To further ensure that the seed is scattered evenly, sow half lengthways and the remaining half widthways.These tiny amounts can be difficult to broadcast evenly so mix the seed with silver sand to make it easier to handle Rates will vary between individual mixes but, as a rough guide, pure wildflower seed should be sown at 1g per sq m ( ¼oz per 5 sq yd) and wildflower and grass seed mixes at 5g per sq m ( ¼oz per sq yd).Even large areas can be sown by hand quite easily.Allow four to six weeks for the soil to settle and for any weed seeds to germinate.Don't incorporate manure or fertiliser as high fertility encourages excessive vigour in grasses that then crowd out the wildflowers.Once the ground is free of vegetation, dig or rotovate the soil, then firm and rake to make a seedbed as for a new lawn.An alternative approach (on soils other than clays and those with high organic matter) is to put the land down to oil-seed rape (seed is sold in pet food shops) or mustard for a season to reduce fertility, removing the crop at flowering time On very fertile soils it may be an advantage to remove the top soil but, for anything other than the smallest area, this requires machinery.As a last resort, on land unsuited to machinery for example, consider getting rid of existing vegetation with non-residual systemic glyphosate-containing weedkillers This might be part of removing top soil to lower fertility to levels that favour wildflowers (see next bullet point). For big areas engage a landscape contractor with suitable machinery. Where vigorous perennial weeds, such as nettles, docks and dandelions, are present in large numbers eliminate them by digging out and removing the roots.For small areas, remove weeds by hand or cover with black plastic or a weed-suppressing membrane for at least three months prior to sowing - see our advice on non-chemical weed control.Sowing wildflower meadows Ground preparation ![]() Malvern Autumn Show - 23–25 September 2022.RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show - 6–11 September 2022.RHS Garden Rosemoor Flower Show - 19–21 August 2022.RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show - 3–7 August 2022. ![]()
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