Making a Chalk Wildflower Meadow There has never been a more relevant time to grow and nurture a meadow. The past 90 years have seen the loss of over 97% of the UK’s wildflower meadows. Intensive farming and urbanisation has reduced the abundance of wildflowers in Britain. Simply planting more wildflowers seems an obvious solution but many common wildflowers are undervalued and even disliked and considered weeds. These flowers which include many species from dandelion and clover to bramble and ivy provide large amounts of pollen and nectar to insects and other creatures. To grow a wildflower meadow, one needs to understand the deeply interwoven relationship they have with their environment. In the UK, man is responsible for how most of our wildflowers evolved by the way they managed the meadows as they farmed and fed their stock. Most British meadows became, because man cleared the woodland and forests to make way for animals. The word field comes from the old English word ‘feld’ meaning a felled area. While the meadows were continued to be cut for hay they evolved into the rich habitats that wild flowers and creatures could live in and colonise. Some documented meadows are over 1000 years old. So from March to April the grass in the field would be left to grow and in June or July it would be cut for hay and then it would be intermittently grazed. During grazing the land would be ‘poached’ or roughed up by the grazing animals and this helped to give open areas that allowed wildflower seed to germinate without too much competition from the grasses. The regular cutting and removing of the hay depleted the fertility of the soil and even though the grazing flocks returned some, it was not so much as to replenish the fertility fully and this led to a rich diversity of plants; some flowering in spring when the sward was low and others coming later. The soil type had its role to play, as did the interplay between the fungi, bacteria and other organisms that made up the soil. Generally, the best wildflowers thriving on the poorer soils. Other influencers were the weather, passing fauna, and the human that was tending it. This constant management system lasted for so long that a stable ecosystem built up over the millennia and so came the meadow. However, times change and so does the management of the countryside. Events have conspired to changer the face of what was a familiar scene for hundreds of years. A focus on single grass crops, the chemical revolution, government incentives, the impact of machinery and building have led to an urgent need for meadow conservation. It is has been shown that a fair imitation of a meadow can be produced in 15 years and if we start now or soon, then we will be helping to develop a meadow for future generations by the current land custodians. How do we start? Identify the plants we have. Check out the soil type What is the aspect of the site How has the land been treated in the past What wildflowers are to be found locally For example: 1.I reckon your grassland is mainly fine native grasses and includes some desirable native plants. I have seen birds-foot trefoil, knapweed, meadow cranesbill, selfheal, ox-eye-daisy, and an orchid!... so I think we are well placed to get a meadow going. 2. I think the soil is chalky, stony and may be a bit sandy; soils that tend to be better for wildflowers 3. the land has a sunny open aspect. A slope will influence the types of flowers and is quite flat 4. the lands’ history is not known but has had horses on it for over 20 years? 5. knowing the local flora helps in knowing what will do well So I think that deciding on what part or parts of the farm you wish to make into a meadow is a good start. I believe that the farm has chalky based soil with a flat open aspect and has many wild flower species that could be developed and supported. The meadow management programme that we could instigate would be aiming to: Reduce soil fertility, suppress grasses, conserve existing flowers, control unwanted species and encourage others. The Meadow Calendar SPRING Never apply fertiliser (ever) Roll or harrow the chosen land. The ground needs to be such that mowers are not damaged. Harrowing will remove built-up of thatch. This will require a tractor and a harrow and/or a roller. Can the sit-on mower do this? Allow the grass and wildflowers to grow from March onwards but control unwanted plants. SUMMER Cut the grass during the dry weather at traditional hay making time. The size of paddock will indicate the size of machinery needed. Large areas will need a circular cutter. Under ½ acre will need a motor powered cutter( Allen scythe?) with scissor blades. This can be hired. Or use a sit-on mower. The grass will be able to be picked up easily and the cutter blades are more animal friendly. A strimmer can be used for small areas but it is not good for wildlife. Let the hay dry. This gives time for wildlife to move and for seeds to drop. Remove the grass when dry… 3 to 5 days. This keeps the soil fertility down. Leave the meadow to settle for a few weeks. The early grass is called the “aftermath”. Also you can make some more holes here and there. AUTUMN/WINTER Get in the grazers in, onto the aftermath if possible from Sept thro to October but stock graze at times, till the end of March. High stocking for short spells is ideal but hard to organise… If you cant get in grazers then we will have to mow it and remove the cutting. If the aftermath is lush then re-mow in Oct or March/early April. April mowing or grazing could mean losing the early flowers After mowing or grazing additional wildflower seed can be sown in the poached ground or plant plugs or make mini scraps and seed here. Look out for undesirables Overall Consider patchwork mowing as this can allow for the vagaries of the weather but allows for the hay making team to not have to do it all at once. Make a record using a metre grid of chosen areas in the meadow and do this over the years Consider making cut paths through the meadow to allow access to the plants and avoid trampling them and perhaps cut paths over where there are undesirables Maybe leave some areas uncut till after Xmas to allow seed to set so consider patchwork mowing. Keep introducing new desirables. Save local seed so go and see the neighbours. Get to know them and ask if they have meadows and areas of distinct character and diversity. If so ask if you can collect the seed and collect, store, and share. Don’t buy wild flower seed mix unless its certain to be native flower breeds. Cut out area in the turf and making areas of mini scrapes. Again,,, this is to help in the competition against the vigorous grasses HEDGEROWS Manage the surrounding hedgerows and make them undulating in height. Different creatures like different thickness of hedge. Hedges are important for wildlife and can be a beetle bank and invertebrate igloo and a source of seeds. Butterflies need them as do birds and anything else you care to think about. Brambles are an important source of food and need to be in full sun in the middle of the day to allow for their nectar to produce three sorts of sugars vital for healthy butterfly growth. In one study it was found that 31% of pollen collected by honey bees from late May to early August came from Bramble flowers. Sectional hedge-laying could be done to allow for thickening up of hedges with the cut woven back in or laid on top. Plant Buckthorn in the mix of hedge for brimstone butterflies. Flowers Desirables: Yellow rattle, hemp agrimony, comfrey, hogweed, valerian, yellow-flag, teasel, loosestrife, meadowsweet, figwort, angelica greater plantain, meadow buttercup, cowslips pignut, water dropwort, tormentil, sorrel, speedwells, orchids, betony, sneezewort, sawwort, fleabane scabious, vetches, white clover, marjoram, knapweed, wild carrot, selfheal, weld ,mignonette, St johns wort, burnet, hawkweed, hawkbit, fox and cubs, saxifrage, ragged robin, meadow cranesbill… of course there are many more Tolerates: Dock; thistle, nettles(need to be valued),willow-herb Undesirables: Hemlock, Ragwort, creeping buttercup Grasses Desirables: Crested dogstail, sweet vernal, the fescues, rough and smooth meadow grass, small timothy, meadow foxtail, sedges, common bent Tolerated/Undesirables: Cocks foot Yorkshire fog Tall fescue