Make hay while the sun shines

With so many people making mini-meadows in their gardens these days (which is great), there's one question I get asked more than almost any other: when should I cut it? It can seem such a drastic step, and the kind of thing that can go terribly wrong!

I'll start by turning to three of my go-to meadow gurus who I've had the pleasure of meeting over the years, before I give you my summary.

First, Jenny Steel, whose gorgeous meadow I got to visit in 2018 (below), which is on a larger scale than most of us can manage but has given her such experience in knowing what works and what doesn't.

The following headline advice is from Jenny's wonderful guide, Making Garden Meadows: "Cutting the meadow in August or September, once most of the wildflowers have finished flowering, is crucial."

Next, to James Hewetson-Brown, a former farmer who then set up a leading business growing wildflower turf. In his book, How to Make a Wildflower Meadow, he says, "It is best to avoid cutting too often - more than two or three times a year - as this will limit species diversity." He advocates an early spring cut if the grasses are already growing strongly; then possibly a very high summer cut, again for rapidly growing meadows; then a late summer cut; and finally a maintenance cut in early-mid autumn (which I realise is four cuts if you were to do all of them!).

And finally, here is the view of Richard Brown of Emorsgate, the wildflower seed company, whose home meadow I got to visit back in 2015 (and not only that but he demonstrated the ancient art of scything for me):

Richard says on his website, "The number and timing of cuts required each year will depend on soil fertility (how fast the grass grows) and site objectives.  More cuts will be needed on sites with fertile soil and for a tidy managed appearance. [Meadows] on poor soils need less mowing."

So, here is my summary for you, based on visits to many meadow-makers over the years, plus my own experiments and experiences in my own mini-meadows:

1) There is no absolute right or wrong, so you can relax. Indeed, if we all did it exactly the same, that wouldn't be the best outcome for nature. Variety really is the spice of wildlife! But Jenny's basic rule of the main cut in August or September is a good rule of thumb to start with.

2) Realise that every garden mini-meadow will be different, and indeed your other needs for that area of your garden may dictate what you need to do. If you have a meadow that grows really strong and lush, and then flops, or gets rolled in by the dog or local Foxes, then cut it earlier and more frequently.

3) If possible, don't cut it all in one go but instead spread it out over a number of weeks - that will give wildlife chance to move into longer areas that are left and create more of that variety. Indeed, if you can leave an area uncut right through winter, that's great.

4) Try to mow in sunny weather, leaving the cut stems on the ground for a few days for the drying seeds to drop back into the meadow. There's a good reason for the saying, "Make hay while the sun shines."

5) Once the seed has had chance to drop, always remove the hay, raking it off and putting it into the compost or stooking it up as a habitat pile.

As important as when to cut is how to mow your meadow.

A lawn mower might seem the obvious choice, but it may struggle to cope with the wiry stems, and that high speed macerating must be terrible for so much wildlife.

A strimmer might seem a good alternative, but again I'm not keen on all that mechanical power ripping through the meadow.

So I actually recommend a sharp pair of shears. I find it surprising how much you can get done, especially if you are doing a bit at a time. It also means you are right down at meadow level, smelling the gorgeous scent of the cut grass and bedstraws, and with a better chance of spotting (and avoiding) vulnerable wildlife and pushing it ahead of you as you go.

Here's my mini-meadow getting part of its late summer cut, with shears, and it is a pleasure to do.

So, in short, try different things, observe what works and what doesn't, and enjoy rather than worry. You're doing great!