EM19 – Yorkshire Dales Mixture (upland meadow)

Composition

EM19 Yorkshire Dales Mix is harvested from SSSI meadows in the Yorkshire Dales. Plants growing in the harsher conditions high in the Pennine dales have become adapted in their growth and flowering to shorter summers and colder winters. The dales meadows are famous for their richness and colour and have been created by centuries of traditional farming. The ecological adaptability and the species content of the mixture makes this a most suitable mixture for projects in the north.

Wild Flowers

%	Latin name	Common name
1	Centaurea nigra	Common Knapweed
1.5	Cerastium fontanum	Common Mouse-ear
1	Conopodium majus	Pignut
1.2	Euphrasia officinalis	Eyebright
1	Hypochaeris radicata	Catsear
1.2	Leontodon autumnalis - (Scorzoneroides autumnalis)	Autumn Hawkbit
2	Leontodon hispidus	Rough Hawkbit
1.5	Plantago lanceolata	Ribwort Plantain
3	Ranunculus acris	Meadow Buttercup
2.6	Rhinanthus minor	Yellow Rattle
1	Rumex acetosa	Common Sorrel
1	Trifolium pratense	Wild Red Clover
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Grasses

%	Latin name	Common name
12	Agrostis capillaris	Common Bent (w)
1.5	Alopecurus pratensis	Meadow Foxtail (w)
3	Anthoxanthum odoratum	Sweet Vernal-grass (w)
26	Cynosurus cristatus	Crested Dogstail (w)
2	Dactylis glomerata	Cocksfoot (w)
7	Festuca ovina	Sheep's Fescue (w)
12	Festuca rubra	Red Fescue (w)
0.5	Helictotrichon pratense - (Avenula pratense)	Meadow Oat-grass (w)
10	Holcus lanatus	Yorkshire Fog
2	Lolium perenne	Perennial Ryegrass
5	Phleum bertolonii	Smaller Cat's-tail (w)
1	Trisetum flavescens	Yellow Oat-grass (w)
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Sowing Rates

kg/ha	kg/acre	g/m2	Order Mixture
40	16	4	Order this mixture

nb Wild meadow mixtures are harvested directly from wild sites and are therefore more variable than our other mixtures. Based on several years of analysis we present the main composition by seed number of species present in a typical harvest. The actual composition of each harvest will in fact vary and will include small amounts of a wide range of species that do not appear in the analysis.

Growing guide

Ground preparation

Endeavour to select ground that is not highly fertile and does not have a problem with perennial weeds. Good preparation is essential to success so aim to control weeds and produce a good quality seed bed before sowing.

To prepare a seed bed first remove weeds using repeated cultivation or a herbicide. Then plough or dig to bury the surface vegetation, harrow or rake to produce a medium tilth, and roll, or tread, to produce a firm surface. (more on preparation)

Sowing

Seed is best sown in the autumn or spring but can be sown at other times of the year if there is sufficient warmth and moisture. The seed must be surface sown and can be applied by machine or broadcast by hand. To get an even distribution and avoid running out divide the seed into two or more parts and sow in overlapping sections. Do not incorporate or cover the seed, but firm in with a roll, or by treading, to give good soil/seed contact. (more on sowing)

Aftercare

First year management
Most of the sown meadow species are perennial and will be slow to germinate and grow and will not usually flower in the first growing season. There will often be a flush of annual weeds from the soil in the first growing season. This weed growth is easily controlled by topping or mowing.

If possible avoid cutting in the spring and early summer if the mixture is autumn sown if it contains Yellow Rattle, or if the mixture has been sown with a nurse of cornfield annuals. These sown annuals should be allowed to flower, then in mid-summer cut and remove the vegetation. It is important to cut back the annuals before they die back, set seed and collapse: this cut will reveal the developing meadow mixture and give it the space it needs to develop.

Management once established
In the second and subsequent years EM19 sowings can be managed in a number of ways which, in association with soil fertility, will determine the character of the grassland. The best results are usually obtained by traditional meadow management based around a main summer hay cut in combination with autumn and possibly spring mowing or grazing.

Meadow grassland is not cut or grazed from spring through to late July/August to give the sown species an opportunity to flower.

After flowering in July or August take a 'hay cut': cut back with a scythe, petrol strimmer or tractor mower to c 50mm. Leave the 'hay' to dry and shed seed for 1-7 days then remove from site.

Mow or graze the re-growth through to late autumn/winter to c 50mm. Traditional northern dales meadows are close grazed by sheep throughout spring up until the first week in May (a lawn mower may be used as a substitute). The meadows are then closed to grazing to allow growth; hay and flowering times are moved a few weeks into the summer by this approach.

(more on grassland management)

Because ancient meadows are a finite and precious resource, seed supplies from these sources are limited and we are only able to offer this mixture subject to harvest and availability.