| Wild Meadows |

Mowing

Grasslands are a habitat created by traditions of farming, the grassland plants being promoted to provide food to support animals that will be milked or slaughtered for meat and, in the past, horses and cattle that were kept to pull ploughs, carry goods and people.

Thus grasslands were managed so as to maximise their utilitarian value for these purposes, usually by a combinition of grazing and, on accessible sites, cutting for hay.

The majority of wild flowers that are characteristic to our richest wild meadows are perennial species that are adapted to certain levels of grazing and seasonal cutting.

Whereas some grazing is considered important to maintain the wild-plant diversity of species-rich grasslands, this may not be possible for small areas such as those in gardens or in urban green space. In this case, mowing can be used as an alternative method. However, mowing will be needed at least two, possibly three times in a year. The following are guidelines for typical 'urban' meadows. Cutting in early spring may be inappropriate on very wet sites.

For sites that are usually gang mown but hold populations of 'special' plants, all that may be necessary could be to stop mowing for 4 weeks, providing a window for flowering and, if appropriate setting seed (although this isn't usually vital for perennial species).

Summer meadow - cutting schedule
This approach mimics that of hay meadow management. The early-spring cut is sufficiently early that it will not prevent cowslips from flowering. To establish and maintain Yellow Rattle it is vital that the grass is short at both the beginning and end of the growing season.

Late March - 2nd week April: Cut close to the ground. Leave the cuttings. In a cold spring cutting may not be required.
Between mid July-mid August: Cut, and remove the cuttings. In urban areas, cut before the school holidays start and make doubly sure not to leave piles of grass as children are often tempted to set fire to them.
Late September: Cut, leaving the cuttings.

Spring and late-summer meadow - cutting schedule
Late March: Cut close to the ground. Leave the cuttings. In a cold spring cutting may not be required.
Mid-June: Cut, and remove the cuttings.

Management thereafter will depend on the site and circumstances. In some cases, the grassland will be incorporated into the wider cutting regime used for adjacent open space.

Some wild plants will actually disappear if the cutting isn't intensive enough once they have flowered. Meadow Saxifrage, for instance, is a plant of pastures rather than hay meadows. It flowers in early May and spreads by vegetative propagation. Its leaves also hug the ground. If the grass is allowed to grow too high in June and July, the Meadow Saxifrage will decline in quantity. For this species it is particularly important to cut and remove the grass in mid-June and thereafter keep the grass cut quite short. Under such management this species will continue to flourish. In some parts of lowland England it mainly survives in old churchyards and cemeteries.