HABITAT
CREATION ON ARABLE LAND
Grass
Margins
On arable farmland, grass strips are best established alongside hedges
or ditches and water courses where they will act as a buffer reducing
run-off containing pesticide and fertiliser from adjacent fields. The
wildflowers in these mixtures need to be vigorous growers so as to be
able to compete with the grasses and cope with only occasional cutting.
The aim is to create a coarse tussocky structure that will provide a
habitat for insects, small mammals and farmland birds which, in turn,
will encourage birds of prey. For this purpose, use Tussock mixture
.
This
mixture is also available as a grass only mixture, or with reduced wildflower
content which, when combined with a reduced sowing rate, can considerably
reduce costs (please call us for a quotation).
Sowing
Prepare a 2 metre wide seed bed and drill or broadcast the mixture at
12 kg per acre. In Spring or Autumn cut frequently during the first
year and in subsequent years, leave one half of the area uncut, cutting
the remainder once in the Autumn, removing all cuttings. Avoid spray
drift from insecticides and pesticides. Do not apply any fertilisers
to grass margins. An additional strip managed as a conservation headland
between the grass strip and main crop is a useful technique to prevent
this.
Beetle Banks
It has been proven that pests of arable crops e.g aphids, can be controlled
by natural predators which can help to reduce the need for expensive
pesticides.
Beetle
banks are ridges constructed between 0.4 and 2 metres high across the
arable field. They should be sown and managed in the same way as grass
margins.
Expanded
Field Margins
AIM - To improve and link a network of habitats of the whole farm by
managing the field edges for wildlife - particularly farmland bird species,
rare wild flowers, insects and butterflies. There are various types
of expanded field margin, including conservation headlands which tend
to encourage rare arable weeds acting as cover and a food source for
gamebirds. Through a reduction in the use of sprays, wildlife fallow
margins are cultivated to a seedbed every so often but not sown with
crops or grass. The aim is to encourage harmless broadleaved weeds.
Grass strips within expanded field margins, when managed as a grass
and wildflower strip, are perhaps the best option as far as farmland
birds are concerned, especially when another part of the field margin
is managed as a stubble strip. This way, bird populations are provided
with a source of weed and grass seed and grain in winter and a flower
rich
habitat in the summer. For this purpose sow our low cost Basic mixture
. This mixture is also available as a grass only mixture, or with reduced
wildflower content (contact us for a quotation) which, when combined
with a reduced sowing rate can bring the cost down to as low as £60-£90
per acre. Sowing and management should be as for wildflower meadows
strips should be 2 metres or 6 metres wide. If it is not possible to
cut at least part of the strip annually, then purchase the grass component
only of this mixtureor, alternativly, sow our arable Tussock mixture
which can be left unmanaged.
Orchards
Each year we receive many enquiries from people hoping to introduce
wildflowers into orchards, but are not necessarily prepared to remove
the existing grass. The following species are all able to withstand
grass competition and are well suited to full sun or semi-shade. Introduce
as plant plugs and select as required from our range. Before planting
create a small bare area around the spot where the plant plug is to
be introduced to avoid initial competition.
Field
scabious
Meadow cranesbill
Oxeye daisy
Tufted vetch
Musk mallow
Alternatively,
introduce suitable wildflower bulbs such as Star of Bethlehem, Wild
tulip or Snakeshead fritillary. If you are prepared to re-seed the orchard,
then select our hedgerow mixture.
Ponds
Farmland ponds and other water bodies can be made more attractive to
wildlife by sowing the margins with our Pond edge mixture or select
suitable plant plugs such as Cuckooflower, Ragged Robin, Greater Birdsfoot
Trefoil or Purple Loosestrife from our range.
