Suggested sowing rates

40kg/ha                16kg/acre            4g/m²

Description

Sandy soils can vary considerably in pH, humus content, fertility and structure but are usually infertile, well drained and prone to drought. EM7 contains wild flowers and grasses that are deep rooting and tolerant of drought.

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. Sandy soils are usually infertile, well drained and easy to work.

To prepare a seed bed first remove weeds using repeated cultivation. 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.

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.  Sandy soils are prone to drought so are often best seeded in the autumn or winter to give sown species a chance to establish and root before the dry summer months arrive.

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.

First year management

Most of the sown meadow species are perennial and are slow to establish. Soon after sowing there will be a flush of annual weeds, arising from the soil seed bank. These weeds can look unsightly, but they will offer shelter to the sown seedlings, are great for bugs, and they will die before the year is out. So resist cutting the annual weeds until mid to late summer, especially if the mixture contains Yellow Rattle, or has been sown with a nurse of cornfield annuals. Then cut, remove and compost. Early August is a good time. This will reveal the young meadow, which can then be kept short by grazing or mowing through to the end of March of the following year.

Dig out any residual perennial weeds such as docks.

Management once established

In the second and subsequent years EM7 sowings can be managed in a number of ways which, in association with soil fertility, will determine the character of the grassland.

Poor unimproved sandy soils do not produce much growth and in this situation will only require one or two cuts at the end of the season, or light grazing, to maintain diversity and interest.

On richer soils that are not prone to drought 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 c50mm. 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 and again in spring if needed.

EM7 is a complete mix composed of 20% native wild flowers and 80% slow growing grasses (by weight). The flower and grass components are also available to order separately as EM7F for the flower component and EG7 for the grass component.