When and how often should you mow a meadow?

Content

• When and how often should you mow a meadow?
• Regular mowing ensures biodiversity
• The right time for a mowing
• Natural meadow care by sheep or geese
• Tips & Tricks

When and how often should you mow a meadow?

Flowering meadows are far from being as caring as a lawn, which must be mowed at least four to six times a year, also regularly fertilized and watered. Nevertheless, you must not leave meadows to themselves, otherwise they will perish.

Next article Cultivate a meadow

Regular mowing ensures biodiversity

This renaturation is a completely natural process, as a result of which initially the herbs typical of a meadow and flowering plants would be displaced by more competitive plants. Especially shrubs and bushes (eg blackberries) as well as easily spreading and fast growing trees like maple and birch will grow into the former meadow. In between thrive especially persistent grasses. This development can only be stopped by nurturing measures, especially mowing. The mowing ensures that competitive plants are pushed back and that more sensitive flowers and herbs are given a chance to grow.

The right time for a mowing

Essential is the right time for a mowing. If possible, only mow your meadow when the flowers and herbs have flowered and totaled. In this way you will ensure that the seeds of the desired plants have enough light and space to germinate - about three to four weeks after the mowing the seeds germinate (most meadow flowers are light germs) and grow to new flowers and herbs. Traditionally, meadows are mown in the second half of June and in August.

Natural meadow care by sheep or geese

Of course, you can not use a normal lawn mower for the Meadow Meadow, which would be hopelessly overwhelmed with such a task. Finally, the plants grow diligently until the first mowing at the end of June and reach a considerable height by then. Normally you will only come through the thicket with the help of a scythe. But this is physically quite exhausting and can, depending on the size of the meadow, also degenerate into a rather extensive task. Maybe a well-known farmer with a tractor and mower can help you, otherwise - depending on the type of meadow - grazing animals are also suitable for gentle cultivation. Above all sheep and goats are unpretentious, but also geese are quite frugal. Horse meadows, on the other hand, have to meet strict requirements, as the animals are comparatively picky (and sensitive).

Tips & Tricks

Of course, you do not have to be the owner of sheep or goats - maybe a friend or neighbor would like to keep animals, but does not have the space for them? In this way you save yourself a lot of work and the feeding costs.