Author Topic: biodiversity (Read 5441 times)

mikethesmallholder · « **on:** July 12, 2012, 03:34:25 pm »

Hi all i have been given a small field prob around 2 acre which they would like to turn into a low land meadow with wild flower and some trees.

the field is just grassed at the moment and i have just flail mowed the field but what do i need to do now to get it ready for seeding?

i was thinking of chain harrowing it
then flail mower it again to get it as short as posible
then disc harrow it
then chain harrow

hopefully that would get me some tilage to seed what do you lot think??

omnipeasant · « **Reply #1 on:** July 12, 2012, 05:06:27 pm »

Perhaps you should look at what you might be getting rid of before taking drastic action. You could just keep the existing grass short and sow some wild flowers.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2012, 06:03:01 pm »

By harrowing it you might get rid of the gentler grasses and leave the thugs, which is the opposite of what you need for a flower meadow. I have seen it suggested that you remove the whole turf layer then re-seed with a wildflower plus slow-growing grass seed mix. Another option, but more expensive, is to use plug plants. I haven't made a wildflower meadow, but I have been looking into it and will be interested to see how you get on.

YorkshireLass · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2012, 06:34:28 pm »

Look up the Grasslands Trust for advice. See what you have got first, the action you describe seems a very severe "last ditch" effort to me - too much bare ground invites thistles and docks... also depends on your soil type and drainage etc

jaykay · « **Reply #4 on:** July 12, 2012, 07:41:56 pm »

Well, this year I haven't got so many nor such big sheep and so the ghyll hasn't really been grazed.

For the first time there have been primroses, bluebells, foxgloves, orchids, bugle, yarrow, bedstraw, tormentil, ladies smock and that's just the pretty ones I notice.

So maybe you need to do less, not more? Or a once-a-year-after-seeding mow? I'm going to put my little flock into the ghyll after seeding, so the thistles, seaves and docken don't take over.

in the hills · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2012, 08:51:43 pm »

My fields were grazed previously by cattle and I was told that on occasions they were left on the land for too long. Didn't see many flowers at all in the first year here.

The land is now grazed by our small flock of Soay and as Jaykay says a variety of wild flowers are now appearing here, too. Much the same as Jaykays list. Also Marsh Marigold and what looks like a wild mint (must look it up

).

Visited a craft college at the weekend in Shropshire. There was a wonderful wild flower meadow with over 1000 orchids. Full of insects despite the showers.

mikethesmallholder · « **Reply #6 on:** July 13, 2012, 11:49:18 am »

first of all thanks all for you replies

i have had a butterfly survey done on the field and this came back with some positive results. My idea was to create some tillage to then sow a mixed grass and wild flow seed and plant some trees. The field was a mess with long weed grass and thistle so it was paramount to remove some of this to give the need seed to grow