Content
- Wet Meadow - How to create and maintain a rare habitat
- What is a wet meadow?
- Typical wetland plants
- 1. Marsh dandelion flower meadows
- 2. Meadow grass meadows
- 3. Brenndoldenwiesen
- Create a wet meadow
- Tips & Tricks
Wet Meadow - How to create and maintain a rare habitat
Until about 600 years ago - ergo in Europe's deep Middle Ages - the German landscape consisted for the most part of forests, alluvial forests and wet meadows. These natural biotopes were eventually displaced by the increasingly awake human population, because they needed arable and pasture land to secure the food. Even today, the very species-rich wetlands are in great danger, as they are the victim of the straightening of rivers and the drainage and redevelopment in fields and pastures.
What is a wet meadow?
Wet meadows are especially found near streams or rivers, lakes and depressions, where the ground is wet to wet - occasional floods are used to the soils of these very species-rich biotopes. They originated from the Middle Ages through the agricultural use as mowing and grazing area and still need a caring, human hand today. Otherwise, this rather overgrown herbaceous meadow would quickly be populated by tall shrubs and shrubbery and quickly turn into a riparian forest. In terms of agriculture, wet meadows are primarily used for hay production, whereas for grazing land they are rather unsuitable. They are synonymously referred to as marsh meadows, although the vegetation of which may vary greatly depending on the degree of soil moisture.
Typical wetland plants
Depending on the soil conditions and the resulting vegetation, there are three different types of wet meadows:
1. Marsh dandelion flower meadows
The vigorous yellow flowering marsh marigold flower thrives mainly on nutrient-rich soils, which can also dry off in summer due to a lower groundwater level. In addition to the marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) can be found on this agriculturally usable wet meadow plants such
This type of wet meadows, should it be used for agriculture, should be regularly mowed and fertilized.
2. Meadow grass meadows
In contrast to the usually lush flowering meadows, which flourish on nutrient-rich soils, typical meadow grass meadows are to be found above all on rather nutrient-poor, changeable damp soils. Possible locations are about drained moors. The vegetation is strong due to different species of pipesgrass as well as flowers
embossed. Whistling grass meadows should not be fertilized as far as possible, otherwise the plants characteristic for this type will decline.
3. Brenndoldenwiesen
In Germany, this type of wet meadows can be found mainly in the river valleys of the major rivers Elbe, Havel and Oder. The typical vegetation consists of
characterized. Brenndoldenwiesen are also referred to as Stromtalwiesen and must mutually tolerate flooding and dehydration.
Create a wet meadow
Of course you can also create a wet meadow yourself. Optimal for such a project is a naturally humid location, which is usually drained. On normally dry garden soil, however, you must proceed as follows:
Tips & Tricks
Wet meadows must be mowed regularly - at least twice a year - so that the diversity of species is preserved and the area does not fade. Important is the mowing especially in early autumn.