Established Wildflower Area, First Cut Of The Year

[Grassman]

Most wildflower sites need a bit of a tidy up come mid to late February. The main requirement is to knock grasses, remove winter growth and allow the smaller spring flowing plants a little room to flourish. This has the same effect as early sheep or cattle grazing of a natural wildflower meadow.
Providing the ground is firm and the weather is reasonably mild, cut all foliage back as short as possible. If you let annual wildflowers set seed last year then the ground will require a vigorous raking to disturb and set the seed for this season.
Remember to remove all clippings and mowings to a compost heap and do not apply fertiliser as lower soil fertility increases the chance of your wildflowers to do well over invasive weeds and grasses.
Do not remove the leaves of snowdrops, early crocuses or other flowering bulbs; I’m afraid you will have to mow around these until they naturally die back if you want them to return next year.

Grassman.