Wildflower meadow – trial sowings

On Saturday 9th June, HICOP began trials for the wildflower meadow that is to be part of the orchard. Three areas were chosen around the site and three test pits were dug in each area. As a control, one test pit from each area was left alone with nothing being planted in it. The other two pits in each area were planted with either Emorsgate EM3 seed mix or Emorsgate EM4 mix. In one area the soil was found to be much stickier with more clay.

Details of the seed mixes used are below. We’ll keep you up to date on what happens.

Emorsgate EM3

Wildflowers
  • Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
  • Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
  • Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa)
  • Wild Carrot (Daucus carota)
  • Hedge Bedstraw (Galium album)
  • Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum)
  • Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis)
  • Rough Hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus)
  • Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
  • Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
  • Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)
  • Hoary Plantain (Plantago media)
  • Salad Burnet (Poterium sanguisorba)
  • Cowslip (Primula veris)
  • Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)
  • Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris)
  • Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus)
  • Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
  • Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
  • Red Campion (Silene dioica)
  • Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris)
  • Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca)
Grasses
  • Common Bent (Agrostis capillaris)
  • Crested Dogstail (Cynosurus cristatus)
  • Slender-creeping Red-fescue (Festuca rubra)
  • Smaller Cat’s-tail (Phleum bertolonii)

Emorsgate EM4

Wildflowers
  • Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
  • Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
  • Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum)
  • Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
  • Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
  • Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
  • Cowslip (Primula veris)
  • Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)
  • Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris)
  • Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
  • Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
  • Pepper Saxifrage (Silaum silaus)
  • Ragged Robin (Silene flos-cuculi)
  • Wild Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
  • Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca)
Grasses
  • Common Bent (Agrostis capillaris)
  • Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis)
  • Sweet Vernal-grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum)
  • Crested Dogstail (Cynosurus cristatus)
  • Red Fescue (Festuca rubra)
  • Smaller Cat’s-tail (Phleum bertolonii)

Photos from the day