The cause is often down to the soil being too rich. Wildflowers grow short and strong on poor soils and stay upright. On good soil they make the most of it and grow quickly then when we get strong winds and rain they collapse. Probably not much consolation, but my cornflowers are almost in the same situation
We're on clay here which can be a bit rich.
Probably a silly question, but is there any way to reduce the soil richness? Maybe just grow stuff in there and never fertilize or add compost? Or add sand?
Grit rather than sand on clay. I've forgotten the reason why, it has to do with particle size I think. It would make it a bit more free draining so maybe help a bit. But adding a lot might get expensive, using compost is a good thing to improve and open up clay, just don't use any fertilizer. Or old spent potting compost would be less tasty and rich.
Other twigs or bendy sticks to use are dogwoods though is that what Lyn has or is that willow?
Anyway, dogwood and willow are equally bendy, and you get different colours if you want to experiment. If you have space for a couple you have a never ending supply if you cuth them back each year.
It looks to me as if you’re growing the types of flowers which would naturally grow in cornfields where they’re supported by the stems of the wheat and barley.
What I would grow in that area are wild hedgerow plants ... foxgloves, cow parsley, white and red campion,common hogweed, butterbur, purple vetch, red clover, hedge mustard and of course honeysuckle, Old Man’s Beard and Dog roses. All wonderful plants for pollinators and they’ll support themselves and each other rather than flop in the wind and rain.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It looks to me as if you’re growing the types of flowers which would naturally grow in cornfields where they’re supported by the stems of the wheat and barley.
What I would grow in that area are wild hedgerow plants ... foxgloves, cow parsley, white and red campion,common hogweed, butterbur, purple vetch, red clover, hedge mustard and of course honeysuckle, Old Man’s Beard and Dog roses. All wonderful plants for pollinators and they’ll support themselves and each other rather than flop in the wind and rain.
Are the dog roses very tall and full of very unpleasant furry prickles? Not sure if you mean Rosa Rugosa. If so they’re a bit tall for that area. The bees have had a great time in this area so far this year. Tempted to add grit and spent compost to reduce fertility and seed more in a bigger area this September.
We sat out in our garden in the twilight yesterday, watching the bats chasing the moths and chafers around the honeysuckle while the hedgehog trundled around the flower beds ... the scent from the honeysuckle was delicious.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Dog roses are scramblers - the common Rosa canina with single white or pink flowers you find in hedgerows. You wouldn't need to have anything tall or thorny in your mix if you didn't want to... There are lots of suppliers of native wildflower seeds and you can choose your own, for the conditions you have, or use one of their ready-made mixes. I've had good results from John Chambers seed, but there are lots of suppliers on the Internet.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
I don’t think a rich soil is your problem here ... you’re growing flowers (annual cornflowers, poppies, corncockle?) which would naturally be found in cornfields which would be high in nitrogen from traditional manuring, green manuring using clover or the application of nitrogen as a fertiliser.
It’s the perennial flowers of meadows that need a lower nutrient soil.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Probably a silly question, but is there any way to reduce the soil richness? Maybe just grow stuff in there and never fertilize or add compost? Or add sand?
It would make it a bit more free draining so maybe help a bit.
But adding a lot might get expensive, using compost is a good thing to improve and open up clay, just don't use any fertilizer. Or old spent potting compost would be less tasty and rich.
Other twigs or bendy sticks to use are dogwoods though is that what Lyn has or is that willow?
Anyway, dogwood and willow are equally bendy, and you get different colours if you want to experiment.
If you have space for a couple you have a never ending supply if you cuth them back each year.
What I would grow in that area are wild hedgerow plants ... foxgloves, cow parsley, white and red campion,common hogweed, butterbur, purple vetch, red clover, hedge mustard and of course honeysuckle, Old Man’s Beard and Dog roses. All wonderful plants for pollinators and they’ll support themselves and each other rather than flop in the wind and rain.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
So far the possible reasons are:
- Soil too rich causing legginess
- Plants chasing the light
- Look like plants that would grow tall anyway but be supported by corn
It’s the perennial flowers of meadows that need a lower nutrient soil.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I think for annuals, the full chop is too much but as good pinching out should help?