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Leave some of my back garden grass go wild.

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  • 14-03-2018 9:11pm
    #1
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,672 ✭✭✭


    Hi.

    I was thinking of leaving some of my back garden grass go wild. This would help bio diversity such as pollinators. Would wild flowers eventually grow?

    Has anyone here tried it? Your thoughts even if you haven't?

    Thanks.

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."

    Tagged:


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    #2
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,508 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    regarding wildflowers - they won't appear if your soil is too fertile; especially if you've been feeding the lawn. the grass will outcompete the wildflowers.
    one technique would be to mow the lawn and dispose of the cuttings elsewhere - to reduce the fertility.

    having long grass will help even in the absence of wildflowers. it'll provide cover for animals which wouldn't like a cropped lawn.


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    #3
    Zzippy
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,166 Mod ✭✭✭✭Zzippy


    You could plant wlldflower seeds and hope for the best, but as magic said the grass may outcompete them if the soil is fertile. Long grass is great habitat for nesting bumblebees on its own so it will definitely benefit pollinators anyway.


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    #4
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,131 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    If you have a smooth, green lawn you will end up with a mono-culture long lawn, which will not be very interesting.


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    #5
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,017 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    RHS have a page on this with some interesting ideas.

    Wildflower meadow: establishment
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=436


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    #6
    lordgoat
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 11,359 Mod ✭✭✭✭lordgoat


    Thinking of doing the same. Have a couple of bunnie rabbit as well so was hoping to be able to let them have a bit of craic in it when the weather improved over the summer.

    Lawn is currently lawn is very mossy so I was going to dig out a small section, possibly in between the raised beds and then re-ssed it with maybe some seed bombs?

    Thoughts?


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    #7
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,672 ✭✭✭Worztron


    looksee wrote: »
    If you have a smooth, green lawn you will end up with a mono-culture long lawn, which will not be very interesting.

    Hi looksee. No, it's grass mixed with lots of weeds - buttercups, dandelions, clover, etc.

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



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    #8
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,131 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Worztron wrote: »
    Hi looksee. No, it's grass mixed with lots of weeds - buttercups, dandelions, clover, etc.

    Sounds good, go for it!


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    #9
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,508 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    don't forget that clover - while a fine, upstanding plant in its own right, and a valid replacement for grass - is leguminous, so will enrich the soil for you. you may want to reduce the fertility as mentioned.


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    #10
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,131 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    There is a plant you can introduce that will reduce the grass growth. This article covers some good info https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=436


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