Wild Flower Meadows - Methods of creating your wild flower meadow/lawn

Select a site in as much sun as possible, though a spring meadow is possible on a shady site near deciduous trees. Experience has shown that it is essential to destroy the vegetation on a site which is to become a wild flower meadow. It pays to be patient and it is best to allow full growth on the site and then destroy it with Roundup herbicide in June prior to cultivation and preparation for sowing of the chosen wild flower mixture. Avoid sites known to contain large populations of vigorous broad leaf perennial weeds such as thistle, nettle and dock. Where fertile top soil is known to be present, it is a great advantage to remove this and almost expose the subsoil prior to sowing.

Given suitable weather conditions, the optimum time for successful establishment for all seeds is offered from an autumn sowing from August to end of September since this is when most of the seed shed naturally would be there. The action of winter frost helps to break the dormancy of some seeds and allow germination. In early autumn the soil temperature is higher than in the spring with higher moisture, ideal conditions for germination. One further factor in favour of autumn sowing is that bird damage tends to be less in autumn than spring since more sources of food are available to them in autumn. Sowing after September is not recommended unless the weather in your region is normally mild in autumn. Late sowings may germinate, but are prone to frost kill directly or more often via frost lift of soil.

However, very good results can be obtained from March to July. The prospects of success from spring and summer sowings is vastly improved if cultivation of the soil has been carried out the previous autumn. The weathering of the soil over winter results in an excellent fine tilth which can quickly be prepared for sowing. Germination tends to be slower with the lower soil temperatures, and a dry spell of weather in April can lead to patchy establishment on indifferent seed beds.

The most limiting factor governing sowing date in practice is of course the weather. It is advisable to prepare a site for sowing about 6 weeks in advance of the envisaged sowing date. This allows for the land to weather and settle and to come into condition for sowing. This time will be evident by the flushes of annual weeds which will no doubt begin to grow over the site. These should be destroyed by repeated shallow cultivation or spraying when they are small. Their removal will result in a cleaner seedbed affording the subsequently sown meadow mixture the chance to grow free of annual weed competition.

Prepare a fine tilth by repeated cultivation and spread the correct amount of grass and wild flower seed mixture over the appropriate area. It is advisable to spread half the seed one way and the remainder at right angles to improve distribution etc. Mixing with dry silver sand enables the operator to see more clearly where seed has been applied. A ratio of about 1 mix to 5 sand by volume is recommended.

To sow by hand, take a comfortable handful of previously well-mixed seed and whilst shaking hand from side to side, gradually release seed from hand at regular rate by opening the hand and fingers whilst at the same time walking forward at a constant speed. It is a good idea to first practice the technique on an area of plastic sheet or concrete path from which the seed can be retrieved. If possible choose a relatively calm day for sowing.

After sowing, mix the seed into the soil surface (top l0mm) by light raking or harrowing and ensure that the area is then firmed by treading (or by rolling of larger areas). The secret of success is to place the seed in contact with a fine tilth of moist soil. Do not add manures or granular fertiliser since an increase in soil fertility is undesirable. Low fertility favours the establishment of the less competitive species resulting in an attractive sward containing a large variety of different plants.

It is vitally important that the growth of the vegetation is regulated to allow it to develop in the desired manner, particularly if soil is fertile. This is achieved by cutting the grass regularly in the first growing season to a level of approximately 45mm using a rotary or cutter-bar mower each time the grass reaches a height of 100mm. It is essential to remove the cuttings from the site. The repetitive mowing prevents the grasses and unsown seed species which arise from becoming dominant over the sown wild flower species. It is advantageous to tread or roll the area prior to the first mowing to firm the roots of the young seedlings. Care should be taken to ensure the mower blades are sharp to avoid any uprooting of plants.

The function of the regular mowing in the first year is to allow light to the small developing wild flower seedlings in the base of the grass sward. Without this management the grass may overshadow the wild flowers and you could end up with only a grass area and not a wild flower meadow. Removal of cuttings helps to lower the fertility level of the soil and allows the less aggressive broad-leaf wild flowers to establish.

In the second and subsequent years much less attention is required, with mowings as little as twice a year. The benefit of the first years labour will be appreciated as the wild flower plants that have now become established are allowed to prosper. The relevant mowing regime is pursued depending on the type of meadow sown or planted. For spring meadows we recommend mowing the area for hay in early July. This is removed and a second flush of flowers will occur. Other meadows are mown regularly to 45mm until mid March then allowed to flower. The area is then mown and cleared around late September and regular mowing to 45mm may be resumed if grass grows vigorously. Both types of meadow can be grazed by sheep or cattle on the aftermath following the mowing after flowering. The animals will help to tread in the shed seeds and will 'mow' the grass. They should be removed if wet weather ensues and in any event before early winter. The cuttings from the mowings should always be removed, further lowering the fertility and assisting in the development of the meadow. The meadow will become increasingly attractive with the passing of time as species seed and distribute themselves. The labour required becomes less as the fertility lowers and the amount of vegetation from mowing decreases.