Nothing comes from nothing, as the saying goes in the garden - that's why lawns, vegetables and flowering plants are diligently fertilized so that they can thrive all the better. However, what is right for intensive use in the garden can turn out to be fundamentally wrong for many meadows.
Fertilization depends on the type of meadow
Basically, the question of how to fertilize a meadow can be broken down into the following formula: Only meadows that are heavily used for agriculture and rich meadows are fertilized, as these have a high nutrient requirement and therefore need to be returned via fertilizer. However, what is correct for horse and cattle pastures as well as fatty meadows can be deadly, especially for poor or dry meadows. These meadow types have a particularly high stock of meadow flowers and herbs and comparatively few grasses - which, however, only lasts as long as the soil remains poor and nutrient-poor. The poorer the soil, the more diverse and species-rich the meadow. The reason for this lies in the serious difference between fast-growing, competitive grasses and plants that simply crowd out more sensitive and slow-growing plants thanks to additional fertilizer applications.
How and what to fertilize
Nevertheless, poor meadows also need fertilizer from time to time, which they receive every two to three years in the form of lime. Meadows that are used intensively for agriculture (especially hay and pasture meadows), on the other hand, can be supplied with an industrial meadow fertilizer that has been specially adapted to the respective needs or with natural, organic fertilizer. There are several options, with manure in particular being a good alternative. Manure should be applied in the spring - and above all, dosed sparingly, otherwise the weeds in particular will benefit. For this reason, people only cheer when the grass has already started to grow. In addition to liquid manure, compost can also be used as meadow fertilizer, especially if it has been mixed with rock flour (€14.13). Barn manure, on the other hand, is less suitable, as it forms an airtight layer on the meadow that prevents the plants from growing. only newly created meadows benefit from manure, as this has a protective effect on the young plants. But no matter how fertilized, the meadow should be harrowed or scarified before each fertilization so that the nutrients can get into the loosened soil.
tips and tricks
Some gardeners and farmers swear by fertilizing their meadows by mulching. The finely chopped grass is left on the meadow, where it decomposes and releases nutrients. The method has some advantages but also serious disadvantages if it is not used correctly.