I'm working on creating a traditional Nordic meadow, where one of the main things is cutting, to help weaker plants by letting sunlight down to the ground and removing nutrients to combat grasses and other fast growers.
The ideal way to handle fall is to let animals graze after taking hay until there is not enough growth to sustain them. But I don't have animals, so I have to do things manually. I'm still looking for the best way to do things, and tried just running it over with the mower. Easy to do, but it's hard to collect the materials afterwards.
I've noticed large changes already, after just 1,5 years work. Lots of flowers, and other species taking their spot where I've been hard on our main monoculture, the phragmites. I can also begin to see roots popping through the mud, so I have really done a number on them.
Next year, I will definitely ask for help with the spring cleaning. And I might cut it twice, at least the lushest parts. But other than that I will mostly do the same as this year, just doing changes as a reaction to the weather.
by ThursdaysWithDad
2 Comments
Looks great!
Instead of mowing, I switched to a metal grass blade on my weed eater for all of the taller stuff this fall, It’s my new favorite tool.
It takes longer of course, but I can be more precise about the species I do or don’t cut down, I can cut some areas taller and scalp other parts to dirt (if I’m doing any seeding in that section), and It’s significantly easier to rake and collect everything as longer-cut hay instead of trying to rake up material mulched by a mower.