The Best Way to Manage a Wildflower Meadow

In this video I carry out my yearly hay cut on this very special site.
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#WildflowerMeadow #Garden #Nature #Wildflowers #Meadow #MeadowManagement #LandManagement #Conservation #MeadowCut #WhenToCutYourMeadow #WildlifeGarden #JoelAshton #WildYourGarden #WildlifeGardening #Wildlife #Flowers #HayCut #Tractor #Kubota #AgriMower #Butterflies

[@casper1240]

your doing a great Job Joel 👌👌

[@TonyMorel]

For anyone that doesn't have access to a beast of a tractor, but does have a power scythe, once you've got your windrows, fork it onto a tarp and use the power scythe to drag it off. Our first year we used wheelbarrows, then 3m tarps manually dragged. Then we got a mountfield 95h (bargain for hay meadow owners) and now we have a BCS740 and can take off similar amounts as your tractor. The tarp just glides over (especially if cut at 8cm+). With three tarps on rotation (being filled/being dragged/emptied waiting to be filled) we get thru it in no time. Bonus to walk behind tractor is how close you are to observe any new species that have popped up. Something you don't see up in a cab.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Excellent advice, Tony. Will have to give that a go on smaller sites where I can’t get my tractor in 😊👍 Thank you for commenting

[@markhunter2244]

What an amazing wildlife meadow, it’s just a pity there aren’t many more around the country that could be linked up to help isolated species populate other areas 🐝

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

I can only imagine what our countryside used to look like…🤔

[@SisterDogmata]

So great you get to maintain this special place and see it getting more established and attracting more wild creatures every year! Loved that spider! Hope you got cake! Best wishes.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you! Yes it’s a wonderful meadow and a great place in the spring/summer 😊👍

[@SIC647]

Thank you for mentioning what to do with marjoram. I have so much of it growing wild in my garden meadow. The pollinators love it, but I have been thinking about whether I should cull it or not. In the spirit of mosaic, I will remove some of it, so it doesn't take over everything.

[@twotonenavy]

Well done! That was a lot of work, for sure. I'm glad you had some help. I always worry about leaving enough longer stems for invertebrates to overwinter in for my flower beds. Next year I hope to have my small meadow and pond done. My to-do list just keeps getting longer... Belated happy birthday, my friend! I hope it was a great one spent with your lovely new fiancée! 🍻

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you John! 😊 Please do keep me updated on your pond and meadow project! It was indeed a nice birthday with a great evening meal! Keep in touch mate 😊👍

[@simoncordingley3122]

Fantastic work, Joel. Best wishes from Finland.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you, Simon. Appreciate you commenting all the way from Finland 😊👍

[@janiedunn637]

❤️ your video, Joel. Very interesting. Have a lovely 😊 week

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Janie, as always 😊👍

[@wildlifegardener-tracey6206]

Happy birthday 🎉 Phew! Hard work but so worthwhile. What an amazing meadow such biodiversity that’s now thriving there. It demonstrates what an affect loosing so many wildflower meadows in the country over the years has had.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you. Yes, I often imagine what our countryside used to look like before intense agriculture…

[@titiaswildlifecottagegarden]

Edit: happy birthday to you🥳💐 That field looks good, love the trees and bushes around it. I can only imagine how it must look like next year❤️ I watched the 'When to cut your maedow' video a while ago and first I thought I was going to cut my meadow patch back a little this fall. But so far a few plants are still blooming, so I will cut away the dead stems next year spring. Next year I will finally get to see some plants that only flower in their second year. In the previous video I tried to comment back twice, but somehow the comment got deleted when I came back later. Very frustrating. I researched the Rowan tree, but I think I cannot imagine it in my garden, because I don't know how a trimmed Rowan tree looks like. On Google you only see the big, tall trees. Maybe that is something that you can share in a video one day? Showing examples of small to medium tree species, what they look like when being trimmed and what to expect. I also researched several crabapple species. There are quite some lovely newer varieties available through nurseries in my country. I definitely love the apple blossoms in spring and the fact that most of them will get 6/7 metres tops without pruning. I hope they are still beneficial for bees and bird, even though not 100% native. Last week I discovered videos from the woodland trust 'A year in the life of..' A lot of native tree species is in there and it's gorgeous to get to know the trees like that. Would definitely recommend watching these, if you hadn't already. I feel inspired and I want to make such videos of my own little hawthorn tree as well. It will be fun to combine all these pictures and footage throughout the year and show it's progress. I think I will do the same of my gardens. I started taking pictures from roughly the same angles in februari 2022 and will continue until February next year. I think it will make an interested video. One more thing, this week I spotted my first red robin in my back garden😍 It was on the porch of our neighbours and it was doing a up and down dance of some sorts. I was curious which bird it was, it turned his head and then it's body and did his dance towards me. Then it flew to the wood fence, checking out the buddleja for some food I guess and then it flew away. I was so thrilled in seeing my favourite bird that I associate with December and my birthday. It definitely must have seen my plan in growing a baby hawthorn tree for them😁🌳 I literally can't wait for that seedling to become a tree and feed my future bird friends. (Paul from Paul T's World has a red robin bird friend, while he is filming and doing other gardening stuff and I want my own red robin bird friend to😘)

[@Tofog22000]

That is a workout for sure mate! Such biodiversity in that meadow. 🦋🐍🐦👍

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Absolutely mate. I wish you could get over the pond so I could show you mid summer! 😁👍

[@mettebjørnskou]

Great and uplifting video! 😍 And I loved the music this time, more sort of acoustic 🙂

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you! 😊 Really pleased you enjoyed the video and music choice. Thank you! 👍

[@therobsterisalobster]

Great job! What about putting a hay rake onto the tractor to form the piles ready to collect - could cut time (though not as fun)!?

[@UkAmphibians]

Looks hard work that joel 😊 great work by the way 🐸💚🐸

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you 😁

[@UkAmphibians]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton your welcome joel 🐸💚🐸

[@elizabethwoodhouse9461]

Good honest hard graft. You guys must sleep well. I've bought some scabious in a pot, will it tolerate some shade say as part of a hedgerow verge.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

I certainly never have trouble sleeping, Elizabeth! 😊👍 The Scabious will prefer as much sun as it can get. Hope that helps 😁

[@simonblurton8009]

Happy Birthday!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thanks Simon 😊👍

[@deborahflello2316]

Good job!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you 😊

[@lyndalambert9639]

Whew ! I feel worn out just watching you guys working 😅Great job done on what looks like a super meadow .Belated birthday wishes too Joel 🎉😊

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you, Lyn. Yes it’s a good day’s graft, but very rewarding 😊👍 Hope you’re well x

[@lyndalambert9639]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Yes good thanks, still creaking but....🤷‍♀️

[@MrPEIcanada]

Interesting ... I've had about a acre or two of land in my backyard on PEI, Canada and been doing this for the past 15-20 years... always mowing it in the beginning of spring rather than the beginning of fall mainly because the grasses are easier to mow after a winter of being flattened by snow. Seems to work well enough as mine looks pretty much like this one.

[@Frostie3672]

I would of thought a meadow might make a good place for hedgehogs to build a nest so thank god you do check the area first but in November they could even be hibernating in there & disturbing a hibernating hog wouldn't be ideal. Although it looks like there's plenty of other great habitat areas around there for hedgehogs to build nests but there's always a risk you may find one in the meadow.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there, yes this is a good reason to check at all times, particular towards November of course if you're leaving a meadow cut that late. Hedgehogs will usually nest where there is shelter too, ie under hedge lines, wood stacks if they can gain entry etc. Thank you - best wishes, Joel

[@itsmewende]

Wow, if 30 varieties of butterflies over just 1 acre doesn't get you to start a meadow, of any size, well I just don't know. I tried to start one across my front yard, along the road. No germination, hoping some does this coming spring, along with some added seed this Autumn.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Fingers crossed for you. Autumn is definitely the best time for sowing 😊👍

[@michaelmarrison6939]

Hi Joel. Just discovered your brilliant channel and am working my way through your back catalogue. We have owned 2.5 acres of land for 5 years. We have planted one acre+ of indigenous fruit trees. We have a 10 meter wildlife pond. The other acre+ is ridge and furrow meadow on which we are endeavouring to promote wildflowers. Along one boundary we have built a lengthy Dead-Hedge. In past years we have not cut the area but have borrowed a dozen sheep to graze the orchard and meadow. Usually the sheep arrive in October and stay until December. Is the best time to put the sheep on the land please? Many thanks for your videos. Do any of your videos discuss the use of sheep as meadow management? Regards Michael

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Michael, thanks so much for this - I'm really glad you found the channel and, wow, your land sounds brilliant already! The time that you have the sheep there is perfect, I don't cut my meadows/client meadows until at least end of September (I'd leave everything until October but I have a lot of meadows to cut around the country!) - but the later the better, and of course come November it's normally too wet to cut effectively, so it's all weather dependent. One video that mentions sheep for sure is from a town I visited in France that works everything whilst thinking - you might enjoy this (I really wish our councils would follow their practices): kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3XRcpqGbK58jMU Also, here's a video I made about "no mow may" and why leaving some areas long is really important - I cut my client meadows only once a year and they thrive: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4u1oYttbJmJn6s Although I don't have much footage of sheep and how they can benefit a meadow, it would be good come to you to show how sheep can "mow" a meadow area - if you wanted to keep in touch then please do feel free to send an email to me at [e-mail] - best wishes, and thank you again for the support and encouragement - Joel

[@michaelmarrison6939]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Many thanks for the swift and comprehensive response Joel. I've emailed you on your enquiries@ address Thanks Michael

[@michaelmarrison6939]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joel. Many thanks for the swift and comprehensive response. I have emailed you on the enquiries@ address

[@michaelmarrison6939]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joel. Many thanks for the swift & comprehensive response. I have emailed you privately using the email address you supplied. Cheers Michael

[@D-H-D]

Beautiful Joel. Didn't here you say in the vidéo but can I ask how big that is?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

The actual meadow area is a little over half an acre but the area as a whole is about an acre 😊👍

[@dissimulantmamba6273]

What do you call this job, I’d love to do it? Does it pay well?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi :) I am a landscaper but for the benefit of wildlife in gardens and larger acre sites, the meadow management is part of it. The rewards are all in the creation of habitat for creatures so desperately in need of our help. Hope this encourages you to do the same, it does take many years to learn what works and what is best of course, but it is worth it :) Best wishes, Joel