Top tips for autumn

Autumn is a busy time for many, and some of the environmental tasks on the farm can be spread through the autumn and winter months. But if you are sowing new habitats, it is often important to find that sweet spot when the ground is still warm, but moisture is present or forecast.

Below are some top tips for helping and enjoying wildlife over the next three months:

• If cutting hedges, doing up to 1/3 of your hedges between 1st September and 1st March and then leaving the rest will help to provide a berry crop through the winter and boost flowering next spring. See more here

Berry crop on farmland hedgerow. Image (c) RSPB

• Like hedgerows, the beneficial insects and spiders in tussocky grass margins also benefit from rotational management as the mature tussocks of Cocksfoot and Timothy take years to develop, so only cut once every 3 years. Wildflower margins on the other hand require annual management (see below). See more here

• Wherever possible, cut and remove vegetation from flower-rich habitats to suppress the domination of the most aggressive species and aid floristic diversity. See more here

Image: nectar mix in field margin (c) RSPB

• August and September can be good months for managing rushes in fields where Curlews and Lapwings breed. These and other waders will have finished breeding and ground conditions should be firm enough for management before wetter months arrive. See more here

• On improved grasslands, leave some field margins and corners uncut to provide some food for seed-eating birds: Taller swards kept for autumn and winter grazing will harbour lots of small mammals and insects. The latter might attract insectivorous birds such as Meadow Pipits.

Image: A meadow pipit perched on a fence post (c) RSPB 

• Early autumn is a good time to establish legume-base pollinator mixes (or nectar flower mixtures) when the ground is still warm, especially ahead of forecasted rainfall to provide moisture for germination. See more here

• Autumn is a good time to graze down species-rich grassland at the end of the summer. Livestock help break up matted vegetation and push seeds into the soil. Grazing will also help reduce grass growth, allowing light to get to the ground to help seed germination. See more here

Image: Cattle grazing species-rich grassland (c) RSPB 

• Avoid bare land overwinter between harvest and establishing spring crops: on stubbles which received pre-harvest desiccant or post-harvest herbicides, consider a cover crop mix that combines protection of the soil from erosion and addressing any issues, such as compaction. Get advice from a reputable seed merchant. See more here

• Late summer is a very important stage in the lifecycle of bumblebees – it is when new queens are produced and must pile on the pounds before their winter hibernation. A rich supply of flowers is crucial, so providing later flowering species of plants in areas around the farm can be just the boost they need - including in the garden! Read more about how to do this here

• Autumn cultivations is a good time to establish in-field strips in larger arable fields to boost natural pest control, either beetle banks or wildflower strips. See more on beetle banks here

Image: A beetle bank created to support predatory insects and spiders (c) RSPB

• When establishing winter cereals, creating two Skylark Plots per hectare can have a significant impact for this declining species, boosting productivity by at least 50%. See more here

• The availability of seeds over winter is vital for many farmland birds species, and where good supplies are available you may well be rewarded with sighting of tree sparrows, yellowhammers, grey partridges and corn buntings. The numbers of seed-eating birds will start to build up in any overwintered stubbles or bird seed crops, so keep an eye out – they may peak towards the early winter. Find out more about how to provide seed-rich habitats on arable or grassland here. 

• Remember that you may need to plan for supplementary feeding to fill the hungry gap between seed crops running out in Dec/Jan and natural seed food becoming available in April. See more here