Content
- Do you have to fertilize every meadow?
- Fertilization is dependent on meadow species
- How and what to fertilize
- Tips & Tricks
Do you have to fertilize every meadow?
Nothing comes from nothing, they usually say in the garden - that's why lawns, vegetables and flowering plants are fertilized diligently so they can thrive all the better. However, what is right for intensive use in the garden can prove to be fundamentally wrong in many meadows.
Fertilization is dependent on meadow species
Basically, the question of fertilizing a meadow can be broken down to the following formula: Only high-use agricultural areas and low-fat meadows are fertilized, as they have a high nutrient requirement and therefore need a return via fertilizer. However, what is right for horse and cattle pastures as well as fatty meadows can be fatal, especially for lowland or dry meadows. These meadow species have a particularly high stock of meadow flowers and herbs and comparatively few grasses - which, however, only as long as stock, as the soil remains lean and nutrient-poor.The leaner the soil, the more diverse and species-rich the meadow is. The reason for this lies in the serious difference between fast-growing, competitive grasses and plants, which displace more sensitive and slow growing plants thanks to additional fertilizer inputs.
How and what to fertilize
Nevertheless, even poor meadows need fertilizer from time to time, which they receive every two to three years in the form of lime. On the other hand, meadows that are intensively used for agriculture (especially hay and pasture meadows) can be fed with an industrial fertilizer that has been specially adapted to the respective needs or with natural, organic fertilizer. There are several possibilities, whereby in particular manure is a good alternative. Manure should be spread in the spring - and especially sparingly dosed, otherwise benefit mainly the weeds. For this reason, only gejaucht when grass growth has already begun. In addition to manure, compost - especially when mixed with rock flour - is also suitable as a fertilizer. However, stable manure is less suitable because it forms an airtight layer on the meadow, which prevents the plants from growing. only fresh meadows benefit from the manure, as this has a protective effect on the young plants. But as fertilization is done, the meadow should be over-fertilized before every fertilization, so that the nutrients can get into the then loosened soil.
Tips & Tricks
Some gardeners or farmers swear by fertilizing their meadow by mulching. The finely chopped crop is left in the meadow, decomposes there and releases nutrients. The method has some advantages but also serious disadvantages if it is not used correctly.