Wild flower meadow

[reverand]

How do I create a wildflower meadow?
Simple
It’s an up land farm, rushy in places and I would like to see a field full of flowers if possible

 

[egbert]

How do I create a wildflower meadow?
Simple
It’s an up land farm, rushy in places and I would like to see a field full of flowers if possible

Rushes suggest it's lying wet, which isn't going to be the best.

However, if you can find it, feed a bit of hay from suitable pasture on your field late in the winter, pref to cattle who will scratch it up a touch.
Don't feed it, cut it late. You'll soon have no end of yellow rattle and the like.
Stand it up, and cut late every year to sustain and 'improve'.

I mow several such plots, in varying degrees of hay meadowy status.
The best of it is laden knapweed etc, and makes peppery smelling fodder the stock adore.
It looks like dried sticks, but they eat every bit.

I' not religious about it though, and change things up occasionally.

 

[reverand]

Thanks. I suppose finding the hay full of the right seed is the problem?
If I grazed it hard with sheep till August, chain harrow and the broadcast seed , would the establishment be good enough?

 

[egbert]

Thanks. I suppose finding the hay full of the right seed is the problem?
If I grazed it hard with sheep till August, chain harrow and the broadcast seed , would the establishment be good enough?

I don't know, never brought seed in to broadcast.
A lot of annual species must seed happily enough then though, because some haymeadow enthusiasts -if you would call em that- don't feed anything back onto the ground, including the crop. so seed must be what's scattered during/prior to harvest.

 

[RushesToo]

How do I create a wildflower meadow?
Simple
It’s an up land farm, rushy in places and I would like to see a field full of flowers if possible

@reverand rushy land tends to want to be that - you are going to have to change something about how it is to make meadow.

Rushes are indicators of wet ground that wants to be rushes unless you change how you manage it- grazing, draining, liming could change it - if you do none of this you will probably get willow.

Is there somewhere local that has what you want with similar land - slope, soil and aspect? If so go round and pass the time of day and find out what they are doing, that will get you in the right direction.

Pictures would help if none of this seems practicable.

 

[reverand]

I think the rush would go with a weed wipe. The fields I hope to convert are actually dry it’s just the rushes have never been dealt with. Tbh they are in patches.
I do get a lot of rain ( usually) so hardier wild flowers are the order of the day

 

[onesiedale]

Like @RushesToo has commented. Find someone who has a hay meadow similar to what you are wanting, ask them if you could buy the hay off them.
Spread the bales over your ground. To be eaten/trampled. (Cattle are better than sheep here)
In subsequent years, don't set stock it, graze it heavily then rest (mob grazing style ) Leave it through june/July to go to head and flower

 

[reverand]

Like @RushesToo has commented. Find someone who has a hay meadow similar to what you are wanting, ask them if you could buy the hay off them.
Spread the bales over your ground. To be eaten/trampled. (Cattle are better than sheep here)
In subsequent years, don't set stock it, graze it heavily then rest (mob grazing style ) Leave it through june/July to go to head and flower

Can it be grazed lightly over April lambing?
Does it have to be mown and baled or can I stop any thatch with cow or sheep?

 

[Farmersdaughter]

Not sure we have same kind of ground, but have 150acres of species rich meadows. They are cut for hay late June early July and grazed after with cattle. Find if we do not cut a field and just graze it for a year then rushes start to appear. Maybe try leaving your fields until June and see what is there . These are lowland flood meadows but soil testing shows low levels of phosphate which I am told is good for the flowers. We have not put any fert or muck on for 25 years and they have been in HLS or stewardship for all this time. Here is some of flowers I picked in our fields last year.

 

[Bury the Trash]

No they dont like much fertility as I understand it and they def. Dont like being grazed by sheep....

 

[egbert]

Can it be grazed lightly over April lambing?
Does it have to be mown and baled or can I stop any thatch with cow or sheep?

April would be getting late enough to be stocking them...the rattle is already up here. and I'd say cutting crop is best. but most meadows under scheme are restricted to cutting late July onwards, and must be turned to spread seed -from memory. I've never signed up for hay meadow hls.