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Seed
Mixture Specifications:
Total number of seeds per gram: 1540
Wildflower Seed Mixture with Native Irish Origin species and EU registered
Forbes and Agricultural Legumes, EC02
Suitable for soil type: All types of soil, Clay, Loam, Sand, Light Soil, Heavy
Soil, and Peat,
Moisture Level: Dry, Normal, Moist, but not Flooded Wet
pH range: Best between 5.5 - 7.8
Aspect: Sunny, Semi Shade and Shaded.
Morphology:
Life Cycle: Annual / Biennial /
Perennial.
Height Range: <30cm to >180cm occasionally taller.
Flowering Period: Late May to August.
Fertility Range: Will
grow in very fertile soil to poor, if very
infertile apply fertiliser (see below).
Wintergreen: Yes.
The main species which should dominate and persist in this
mixture if the ground is kept free of grass and cultivated each year.
Burdock, Cowslip, Field Scabious, Fleabane, Foxglove, Lesser Knapweed,
Meadowsweet, Red Campion, Teasel, Upright Hedge Parsley, Wild Angelica,
Wild Carrot, Yarrow, Yellow Flag Iris, Black Meddick, Birdsfoot Trefoil , Sainfoil, Red Clover, Yarrow, Dames Violet, Salad Burnet
Species which will grow and remain in the woods
when they develop if the conditions are ideal: Bluebell, Foxglove, Red Campion, Teasel, Upright Hedge Parsley, Wild
Angelica, Burdock,
Annual
Species:
Corn Chamomile, Corn Marigold, Corn Poppy, Corncockle, Cornflower,
Scented Mayweed,
Biennial Species: Burdock, Foxglove,
Mullein, Teasel, Upright Hedge Parsley,
Wild Angelica, Wild Carrot, Wild Parsnip
Species which will be affected by management: Cowslip, the
more its cut the better, Teasel, if you think its too tall dead head or
spot spray.
Design
Notes: This is a specially designed mixture
for use with young saplings, the aim of this mixture is to eliminate
grasses whose roots secrete toxins detrimental to young trees. The more
this mixture is cut the better, as it will release nitrogen as plant
food to feed the young trees until the shade /canopy closes over.
Sowing Specification:
As Normal, roll or rake into surface to
keep out of reach from birds. Sow up to the base of the trees and in the
intervening space between the trees.
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here for more details
Soil Preparation:
Normal, create weed free fine tilt on seed bed.
Optimum Sowing Time: Normal
Sowing Conditions:
'Ideal Time' and season to sow wildflower seeds
Sowing Method: By hand is recommended, if
using seed spreaders be careful to insure the small varieties of seed do
not drop to the bottom of the seed spreader and get sown all in the one
place. Can be Hydrasown. Click
here for more details
Fertiliser: None, powdered or liquid seaweed will aid germination.
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here for more details
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Seed Sowing Rates:
1.5 grams per metre.
Low sowing rate: 1 gram per metre.
Grass
seed or nurse crop requirement:
Nurse
Crop: No nurse crop is required.
Grass Seed Requirement: None.
If
sown without grasses: This mixture will not require a nurse crop.
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Seed Specification:
Once sown this mixture in normal conditions (mainly in early Autumn and Spring) should germinate
4 - 6 weeks
after sowing, from then on provided the sward is kept open and a 'Thatch' is not allowed develop, species will continue to germinate and emerge, through
to the third year, even if the trees start to shade out some of the
flora..
Up to 70% of all seed should germinate in the first year.
Up to 80% of all species should germinate in 12 months.
Up to 100% of all species
should have flowered by the fourth year after sowing.
Late Autumn and early Summer sowings may be slow to emerge, depending on the weather.
Performance:
Maintain this meadow as scutch
grass, nettle and dock will try to dominate as the growing conditions
are ideal.
Persistence if unmanaged: High
Tolerance of Cutting: High
General Cutting Time: Spring, mid to high summer after Foxgloves
flower and set seed and again at the end of Summer
Specific Cutting Time: In third year when red clover flowers.
Management: Control coarse grass weeds by
spot spraying.
As there are biennial species in this
mixture these species will flower and set seed in the second year after
sowing and may not flower again until the fourth year, it will be essential
to rake of harrow the mixture after the spring cut in the third year, if
you require a constant flush of biennials, if you don't cut just wait
until the trees create shade and the biennials will reappear.
Species in this mixture are
'Browse' tolerant.
A
General Description of Ecotype Range:
Ecotype seed mixtures are
designed to imitate natural ecologies found in specific situations. This
mixture acts as the type of flora that would emerge in a coppice flora,
It is not true to type.
The EC range is not intended as an exact copies of an Irish ecosystem but to represent floras that would otherwise take hundreds of years to develop
if 'nature' was left unaided. This range of seed mixture is ideal for those concerned with encouraging wildlife and local biodiversity as
the plants will attract species suited to the ecology.
If these mixtures are suitable for your situation, they offer good value, contain some of the most exacting and unusual species and if
given time, develop into a diverse flora that will persist if properly maintained.
Professional
Ecologists: Our 'Ecotype Flora Range' is intended as a
baseline 'non-locally' specific flora suitable for conservation across a
wide range of sites found in Ireland.
For further reading see: Seed
supply for Irish Habitats by classification. For seed mixtures by
percentage weight see Mixture
composition- Seed percentage. Seed
Treatments- Stratification, Scarification, Heat treatments and more. Genetic
diversity- Seed Triggers.
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By Nature ©
Crettyard, Carlow, Ireland.
Telephone:
++ 353 (0)56 4442526 Email: info@wildflowers.ie
Web Site: www.wildflowers.ie
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