ENVIRONMENTAL MIXTURES

Environmental seed mixtures are one way of improving biodiversity across farmland by providing food and shelter for wildlife. Each of the mixtures have their own benefits focused on providing winter feed for farmland birds, pollen for bees and other pollinators or habitat for game birds. Some of these mixtures are eligible for the Environmental Farming Scheme.

Sowing and Growing Guide

Suitable soil and optimum pH

Suitable to grow on all soil types however wetter soils and those with higher fertility will be more prone to grass weeds. Wildflower mixtures prefer low fertility sites.

How to sow

Sow from early April through to early June. Mixtures can either be shallow drilled or broadcast. If drilled the seeds must be sown shallow at 1-2cm deep to allow the small seeds to germinate successfully. After sowing the seedbed must be rolled to give good seed to soil contact.

Management

Weed control is difficult in these mixtures with limited chemical options therefore creating a clean seed bed before sowing is important. Wild bird cover mixtures should remain in place until March of the following year to provide feed through the “hungry gap”. Some of the mixtures including the game cover can be kept for two years. When managing wildflowers follow the environmental farming scheme management guidance it is best to cut and remove the flowers in autumn to reduce the fertility of the site.