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1g seed to cover up to 1 sqm
(Shipped within 1 - 3 days)
Position: full sun
Soil: Chalk, clay, loam, sand, moist well drained, acid, alkaline, neutral
Rate of growth: 1 to 2 years to full height
Sow: September - November (needs frost to germinate)
Flowering period: June to August
Hardiness: H5
Size: 0.1 to 0.5m high by 0.1m wide
Annual
Semi parasitic plant with yellow flowers (weakens grass dominance to allow wildflowers to grow).
R. minor is an annual to 30cm with simple or branched stems bearing narrowly lance-shaped leaves and tubular, 2-lipped yellow flowers with brown or purple teeth, within a bladdery, inflated calyx
The most suitable sites for Yellow rattle will be grassland of low to medium fertility and with a balanced sward which is not dominated by coarse vigorous grasses. Prepare for sowing by cutting the grass very short (25mm) or by grazing very hard and open up sites for germination by harrowing, raking, aiming to create up to 50% bare soil. Broadcast the seed on to the prepared surface.
Late July grass cutting provides Yellow rattle with the best opportunity to set seed, and for its seed to scatter during the traditional haymaking process.
Wilding - let the flowers do their own thing and they will drop their seeds naturally and reappear in the following year if conditions are right.
Further Reading:
Sowing And Growing Wildflowers
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