Suggested Sowing Rates

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

Description

EW1F is a good mixture of woodland wild flowers that will bloom in spring and early summer. Woodland wild flowers require some shade to thrive. So, use this mixture in established woods, or in young woodland as the canopy begins to close in.

Ground Preparation

Endeavour to select ground that is not highly fertile and does not have a problem with perennial weeds such as bramble, ivy, nettles or bracken.  Before sowing the ground should have at least 50% gaps including bare soil, leaf litter or moss.  These conditions are quite likely to already exist in established woodland with no further preparation required. If not, carefully clear any unwanted vegetation from the areas to be sown and open up gaps. Cultivation close to established trees and shrubs can be damaging to their root systems so take care not to dig too deep and keep disturbance to the minimum required to expose some fresh soil.  Dense plantations of trees with light levels 15% or less of full sun may benefit from some selective thinning or coppicing to let in enough light for successful seedling growth.

Sowing

Seed is best sown in the autumn or early spring. The seed must be surface sown and is best broadcast by hand or with a seed distributor.  Bulk up the seed with an inert carrier (eg  sand or compost) if needed to help spread the seed evenly and sparingly. Where ground conditions are variable it can makes sense to target seed application in the best patches rather than distribute the seed evenly across the whole area. Do not incorporate or cover the seed after sowing.

Aftercare

Established woodland that has been under-sown with a woodland mixture requires little management during establishment. In the long-term ground flora will benefit from good tree and coppice management.

Open or young woodland with higher light levels will produce more growth. In these conditions an annual cut mid summer may be worthwhile for a more managed appearance and to keep weeds of semi-shade such as nettles and brambles in check.