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Grass and weeds will out complete wild flowers. Just like with any form of gardening you will need to keep on top of weeding to ensure a year on year display of wildflowers.
Let the flowers do their own thing and they will drop their seeds naturally and reappear in the following year if conditions are right.
As the seedlings develop, thin them out to 30cm intervals keeping just the healthiest and most robust plants. When watering, give the plants a really thorough soak when the soil gets dry, rather than a little water every day.
Although they seed freely, germination is usually triggered by the soil being dug over.
Sow: March-May or September-October
Flowering: May to September
Yellow rattle seed must be sown in autumn as it needs a prolonged period of chilling through the winter to trigger its germination the following spring. Yellow rattle can be sown as part of a mixture, or on its own into established grassland prepared as below.
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 or 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.
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