Digging up the soil disturbs the valuable soil structure. Digging is not always the best method. There are alternatives to develop a species-rich flower meadow.
Flower meadows should only be mowed seldom
How to create a flower meadow without digging up:
- reduce nursing measures
- Cover surface with foil
- bring out preferred plants
reduce nursing measures
Reduce the mowing dates for your lawn so that a colorful flower meadow develops naturally from the green area. It is sufficient if you mow the area once or twice a year. Avoid other care measures such as fertilizing and mulching. As a result, the soil slowly becomes less nutrient-poor. Over time, typical herbs and flowers that grow around the garden settle in the meadow.
If your garden is on the outskirts, a species-rich meadow will be created by seed flight. A garden in the city is more isolated. Here you need more patience until the lawn has changed naturally.
Cover surface with foil
Smaller patches of seed in the lawn act as islands of flowers from which plants will automatically spread onto the lawn over the years. Cover the area that you want to turn into a flower meadow with black foil. The foil is weighed down with stones. After about three to four weeks, the grass under the foil will have died.
Use a rake to roughen the area. Then sow the desired seeds on the area. Mix the seeds with sand or shavings to ensure an even distribution of the seeds over the area. Roll out the soil so that the seeds are in contact with the substrate and are not covered by the soil. The seeds need light to germinate.
If you sow seeds in May, you need to take care of adequate watering. Keep the area evenly moist for the next two to three weeks. With an autumn sowing in September or with an early sowing in March, the precipitation combined with lower temperatures is sufficient to ensure an optimal water balance. In the summer months, a shading fleece can help on smaller areas. It prevents excessive water evaporation.
Put out early plants
Choose at least 15 different species that grow in flower meadows. The seeds are grown in a pot before being planted in the lawn. Plant the mature flower meadow species in small groups consisting of three to five of the same plant species. Distribute the groups over the entire lawn. The preferred plants have a growth advantage over the competitive grasses so that they can assert themselves outdoors.
Special wild herb mats already contain seeds of wildflower species or pre-grown plants. They are placed on a lawn, pressed and moistened. The fleece prevents weeds from growing. The species already develop flowers and fruits in the first year, so that they quickly spread over the area.