Neutral Hay Meadow (MG5) Seed Mix

 Our Neutral Hay Meadow (MG5) Seed mix is a true UK Native seed mix with most seed 'wild' harvested. This mix is suitable for hay meadows, orchards or gardens where the management regime is similar to that of a hay meadow. Once established this mix will provide habitat for a wide range of insects, birds and small mammals and provide a splash of colour in the summer months.

All our seeds are true UK native British wildflowers harvested from sites across the UK, most within Cumbria/North England and some from our own meadows. We work with several Wildlife Organisations and take wild seed from their Nature Reserves and other wildlife site, under a DEFRA permit.

By buying our plants/seeds you are supporting British based growers and suppliers who often work with local farmers-businesses. Please be aware some suppliers on the internet bring in plants/seed which are non-native imports and may not be true UK native plants/seeds. Whilst these may be cheaper, they may not be true UK native plants and may not be suited to our environment.

This product is priced per unit (1 gram of seed), and we have a minimum order of 10 units (10 grams) for this seed mix.

Our seed mix contains the following:

Forbs - Autumn Hawkbit-0.5%, Betony-1%, Bird's-foot Trefoil-1%, Black Knapweed-2%, Common Cat's Ear-1%, Common Sorrel-1%, Meadow Buttercup-1%, Meadow Cranesbill-2%, Meadow Vetchling-0.5%, Oxeye Daisy-2%, Red Clover-2%, Ribwort Plantain-0.5%, Rough Hawkbit-0.5%, Selfheal-0.5%, Tufted Vetch-1%, Yarrow-1.5%, Yellow Rattle-2% - Total - 20% (Please note, this mix contains Yellow Rattle seed which is effective at reducing dominance of coarse grasses).

Wild Grasses: - Sweet Vernal Grass-25%, Crested Dog's-tail-20%, Common Bent-7.5%, Meadow Foxtail-5%, Meadow Fescue-7.5%, Red Fescue-7.5%, Cock's foot-2.5%, Rough Meadow-grass-5%  - Total - 80%

Neutral Hay Meadow Seed - Suggested sowing rate of between 8g-15g per m2 for bare soil and 4g-8g per m2 in existing sward/grass. This will depend on site conditions, example sowing onto bare soil would require higher sowing rate. This seed mix will do well on Neutral pH Soils from about 5.5 to 7. These plants are all perennial and so will come back year on year. It takes time to establish a new meadow and we suggest that you allow 3-5 years of time to put time in to manage the transition from a species poor sward to a species rich area.

Collecting 'Wild' Seed - Our seed is harvested straight from meadows across Cumbria/North England. We obtain permission from the landowner to harvest and these sites are usually SSSIs or wildlife sites. We use a brush harvester to collect the seed. Once the harvester is full, we turn out the seed on to sheets in the field to allow insects/invertebrates to leave to collected material. After this, the harvested material is bagged up and sent to our drying polytunnels. We air/sun dry the seed for 3-4 days in a polytunnel, turning the 'seed' twice a day. Once the seed is fully dried it is taken to the First Sieve Process. We use a Plot Combine/Thresher to take out 80% of the husk and stem. The 'seed' is then put through a Sieve Tumbler (2nd Sieve Process). Once at this stage the seed is ready for separation using our special seed separating machines. After this process the seed is about ready for sale/use. Please note this is a natural product and as such we do have a small amount of chaff (very small) in with the seed, but this in no way effects the seed quality or seed sowing. Our seed usually contains about 70-80% native wild grasses and 20-30% forbs (colourful flowers).

Management: These plants thrive in a grassland that is managed as a hay meadow. It needs at least one cut and clear all vegetation in the year, usually just after the plants have dropped their seed. With ALL orders we provide advice on soil preparation, sowing and after management. We can also provide specialist advice on a 3-5 year management plan.

Non-Native Grass Seed - If you are comparing seed prices, please note that if you find meadow seed much cheaper than our product it MAY have non-native grasses in the meadow mix. We recommend you check with the supplier because these grasses often have the same Latin Name BUT the non-native grasses are always agricultural varieties and these often grow much bigger than our native species. This could affect your restoration scheme in that these grasses are usually more aggressive and 'smoother' the colourful wildflowers.  

For orders over 5kg please contact us.