5% certified common bentgrass
10% certified crested dogstail
20% certified smaller catstail
20% certified sheeps fescue
20% certified red fescue
20% certified smooth meadowgrass
1% lesser knapweed
1% field scabious
1% self heal
1% birdsfoot trefoil
1% ox-eye daisy
Ref.
MIXNEC
A simple mixture of fine leaved grasses and wild flowers to be sown on awkward
areas within arable fields. This type of mixture is slow to establish but
after the first establishment year there is a show of flowers which will provide
interest for insects, birds and mammals. These areas are best distributed
evenly around the farm and there is a restriction of no more than 1 ha per
patch and one paid patch per 20 ha.
Sow between March and early May or August and late September at 10 kg per
acre or 25 kg per hectare.
Field
Corner Mixture
Unproductive
Areas
Within Environmental Stewardship there is an opportunity to take out awkward
corners which often have low productivity as they are difficult to manage
with large machinery. This is a good option to create grassy areas which attract
wildlife and points.
Field corners can either be left to establish by natural regeneration or can
be sown with an appropriate seed mix containing grass and wild flowers. Natural
regeneration is a possibility in some cases where the seed bank contains desirable
species but sowing a seeds mixture is a more predictable method of creating
a desirable habitat.
Beneficial Effects
One of the most obvious practical advantages of this option is the squaring
of irregular shaped fields. This means less overlap and wastage of inputs
and easier work for tractor drivers.
Additionally, The Game Conservancy suggest that where there is little or no
hedgerow cover these areas will be particularly beneficial for partridge,
hares and deer.
Corner Management
Regular cutting will be required during the first year of establishment to
control annual weeds. Spot treatment weed control is also allowed for weeds
such as thistle, ragwort and dock. Once established these areas should be
only cut one year in five to allow the development of tussocky grass and scrub.
5% certified common bentgrass
5% certified crested dogstail
20% certified smaller catstail
20% certified sheeps fescue
20% certified red fescue
20% certified smooth meadowgrass
1% cowslip
1% lady’s bedstraw
1% lesser knapweed
1% ox-eye daisy
1% meadow buttercup
1% meadowsweet
1% ragged robin
1% ribwort plantain
1% self heal
1% yellow rattle
Ref.
MIXDAM
Wetter soils require a different seed mixture. This mixture should give reliable
results on most wetter soils and may also be used next to water courses or
around ponds. The colourful display of native wild flowers will provide a
useful nectar source for invertebrates.
Sow between March and early May or August and late September at 10 kg per
acre or 25 kg per hectare.
Damp
Field Corner Mixture
