Suggested Sowing Rates

15kg/ha                6kg/acre            1.5g/m²

Description

This mixture contains wild flowers that, once established, can cope with competition from taller tussocky vegetation.

Growing Guide

100% wild flower mixtures are best sown into existing grass or combined with a suitable grass seed mix. If sown alone without grass onto bare soil the spaces left between the sown flowers will be filled by grasses and other weeds.

Ground Preparation

Well established tussocky grassland is usually dominated by tall competitive grasses: the opportunities for wild flower seeds to establish may be limited.

To have any chance of establishment significant gaps must be created before sowing.  Given the vigour and recovery potential of most tussocky grasses a better strategy might be to temporarily clear all vegetation from the site and sow the wild flower seeds into the bare ground created.  The grasses will quickly return on most sites of this type by natural regeneration.

Sowing

Ideally sow in the autumn using a 100% wild flower mixture. Bulk up the seed with an inert carrier such as sand to make distribution easier. The seed must be surface sown and can be applied by machine or broadcast by hand. Rolling is not usually necessary.

First Year Management

In the first season after sowing mow or graze as needed to control lush regrowth.

Management Once Established

After the first year the area can be left uncut or ungrazed and it will become rough and “tussocky” in character.  Unwanted perennial weeds (docks, thistles) may need control by selective cutting. To control scrub and bramble development tussocky areas may need cutting every 2-3 years between October and February or occasionally lightly grazed by hardy sheep or goats.

EM10F is a mixture containing 100% native wild flowers. for sowing alone or combining with a suitable grass seed mix. EG10 is the grass mix we recommend for sowing with these flowers. EM10F and EG10 are available premixed as a complete mixture EM10.