Mow a meadow2021
NEW, more environmentally friendly regimes of grass mowing are being adopted and developed. These more environmentally friendly techniques reduce the cost of and time spent mowing. Gain the upper hand on the grasses and progressively increase the wildflowers’ numbers. As the proportion of wildflower plants increases, the show of flowers in the wildflower lawn gets better. It will normally take two or more years under this system to build up a reasonable show. As the years pass, the display will get better.
A key factor is the mowing regime to be followed. Raise the level of the mowing blades to the second-highest stop, or even the highest stop, on the height adjuster. Mowing should start with one cut in January, February and March. When growth picks up mowing will be required more regularly, between fortnightly and three-week intervals. The variation depends on the rate of growth of the lawn. If there is good growth, it needs to be more frequent to avoid a heavy sward build-up that could be difficult to reduce.
As the wildflower lawn matures, and the rate of grass growth declines, it will be easier to mow and require less frequent mowing. The mowing is less frequent than on a green-velvet lawn because it is necessary to give the broad-leaved plants a chance to flower. If they are mown every week, the flower heads are cut off before they open. After each mowing, there is a recovery period when there are few flowers, but this becomesless apparent as the wildflower lawn matures.
On the other hand, the regular cutting away of flower heads keeps the plants flowering much longer than they would naturally.
The mown grass should be removed from the wildflower lawn until about the middle of May because the grass will still be vigorous until then. During the period of lesser grass growth, the mown material should be allowed to fall back on to the sward, to return some of the nutrients and seeds of the broad-leaved plants, encouraging their spread. The exact opposite to the orthodox approach! The wildflower lawn would suit many Irish gardens, especially those with an informal atmosphere.
A sward of wildflowers, not mown so tight, is much more natural than the heavily managed, tightly mown lawn. There is also the considerable advantage that the wildflower lawn is easier to maintain, requiring less than half the mowing of a top-quality green lawn, while it also saves the effort of spraying for weeds and much of the lawn feeding.
The wildflower lawn is easier to maintain, requiring half the mowing of a green sward