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cutting long grass areas

bookmonsterbookmonster Posts: 399
in Garden design
We have a micro meadow in our small meadow, near the espalier apple tree. This year I mowed until June, which helped stop the bird's foot trefoil taking over and gave the grass a chance. I've seen grasshoppers in it this year - will strimming to trim it in a month or so hurt the wildlife? Should I do it in sections? The area nearest the apple tree will be left or cut with secateurs.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Any wildlife will feel or hear the strimmer coming and hide.   There is a very specific regime of cutting t manage a wild meadow and you have to be sure to remove all the cut material to keep fertility low and let the wildflowers thrive.

    Have a read of this - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=446 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • bookmonsterbookmonster Posts: 399
    Perfect! Yeah, I used to do the spring and summer cuts, but the birds foot trefoil took over. It was simply grass, trefoil and red clover originally as I wanted to make sure the plants were safe for guinea pigs. 
  • bookmonsterbookmonster Posts: 399
    @pansyface we have no frogs yet and it's a small area so I should be able to check it over for amphibians (and cat poo) before strimming.

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