Forum home› Wildlife gardening
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

The practicalities of wild life gardening.

pandmunwinpandmunwin Posts: 1
in Wildlife gardening
Interesting programme on wild life last week. I have substantially 'wilded' my garden this year (approx. 1/2 an acre). We've really enjoyed seeing how things have grown---but, I'm left with a substantial amount of wild grasses and flowers which will need to be cut down in the not too distant future. Monty did not tell us what his recommended method of cutting was. Is strimming the most likely solution--and allowing the grasses to dry off before raking up?  
«1

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    Strimming can be rather destructive of any beasties in the grass but any cutting has danger for something. It has to be done though or you'd have scrub then forest, very quickly. We generally do ours when we can't hear the grasshoppers anymore


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited July 2019
    A lot depends on how big the area is when deciding on your method ... if it’s too big for hand shears and you don’t want to use a strimmer  you could learn to master the use of a scythe (don’t watch Poldark for instruction), you could get an Allen Scythe, or use a petrol rotary mower ... or if you have an acre or more a tractor and grass cutter. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I like to cut smaller areas and do it by hand over a few weeks. There's no rush if you don't want to cut it for hay and the wildlife will appreciate the time to move between areas. Find a timetable to suit you as well as the wildlife though. I like to mow the grass short before the apples drop so the ones I leave for the birds don't get hidden for example.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • glasgowdanglasgowdan Posts: 632
    I'd suggest you get a used rough cut mower, like a scag etc. 
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    edited July 2019
    Dovefromabove said:.. if it’s too big for hand shears and you don’t want to use a strimmer  you could learn to master the use of a scythe (don’t watch Poldark for instruction), 


     Sorry Dove, have to disagree with you there 😁
  • HelixHelix Posts: 631
    We strim our wildflower meadow.  We start with a high cut, to give beasts and bugs an early warning, and then a second strim down to the height the lawnmower can manage. Frogs and so on hop off out of the way.  We then leave the cuttings for a few days so bugs can scuttle away and for it to dry.  We then rake them off and give it a tight cut with the lawnmower.   The straw we bag up to use for winter protection for pots and things.
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    I used to use a 'heugh' - a small hand sickle - but it depends on how high and how big the area is. 
    Image result for sickle
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    @hogweed I still do use the above, I inherited it works a treat if you keep it sharp.
    AB Still learning

  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    edited July 2019
    hogweed said:
    I used to use a 'heugh' - a small hand sickle - but it depends on how high and how big the area is. 
    Image result for sickle
    It is strange what we remember, but anyone else remember the tool like yours hogweed being called a fag hook?
    My father had a very similar if not exactly same thing and that is (I think) what he called it.
    I am assuming as it was used to cut faggots or bunches of grasses etc. hence the word fag.
    Though I could be wrong, I have been searching on the web briefly not come up with it yet.
    Sorry for going off topic a bit.

    @AnniD me too :D
  • TinyGardenGIrlTinyGardenGIrl Posts: 169
    @AnniD thank you for making my day with that pic!
Sign In or Register to comment.