• Design
• Construction
  • Lighting
  • Ponds and Lakes
  • Summer Houses & Out Buildings
  • Grass Tennis Courts, Bowls and Croquet Lawns
  • Walling, Paths and Terraces
  • Natural Swimming Pools
  • Decking and Pergolas
• Conservation
  • Habitats
  • Tree Identification
  • Wild Meadow Management
  • Tree planting, supply and Advice
  • Mulching
• Garden Management
  • Border Management
  • Hedge Cutting & Topiary
  • Grass Cutting
  • Restoration
  • Weed Control
• Grass & Lawn Care
  • Fertilizing
  • Hollow Tine Aeration
  • Yearly Program
  • Weed & Moss Control
  • Top Dressing
  • Over Seeding
  • Scarifying
• Amenity Services
  • Fencing And Gates
  • Land Drainage
  • Rotovating & Ground Preparation
  • Paddock Maintenance
  • Tree Surgery
  • Weed Control
  • Seeding
• Tips
  • January 2010
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Wild Meadow Management

Conservation

Wild meadows bring an abundance of wildlife to any garden or paddock, and whilst they require some effort to establish and maintain, the rewards are unbounded.

Wild meadows do not require feeding and a nutrient deficient soil, therefore it is important to remember any wild meadow should be given two – three seasons before the flowers are abundant. As the years go by and the meadow is managed properly the flower numbers will increase, as will the wildlife attracted to the meadow.

Wild meadows are generally sown in autumn, however planting in the spring is acceptable, but the first years results will not be totally apparent. The meadow should be planted with a native species and further information should be gained through site investigation and the soil types your paddock or garden sit on.

As the first season progresses and thereafter invasive species should be removed, this includes docks, thistles, brambles, gorse and nettles. It is extremely important these species are removed before they turn to seed, it is also important to remove the unwanted weed right down to the root otherwise the effort is futile.

At the end of the first year the meadow will require cutting and collecting, it is essential the waste generated is collected otherwise the grass and flower stems will decompose releasing nitrogen into the soil, which is not conducive to wild meadow management. In years when wild meadows or river meadows were a normal sight, the meadow would be cut in late summer and collected for hay, after a month or two to recover they would graze sheep or deer until Christmas and then the whole cycle would start again. One of the most ancient meadows in England is in Oxford, the fritillaries are a spectacle sight, this meadow has been worked in this way for over 400 years.

Cutting the meadow should be carried out between late August and the middle of September, the grass collected should then be composted for use around hedges during the next season.

With our experience in wild meadow management let us mage, cut, collect and even plant, our initial consultation is free.