Chettle Dorset | BWS12
This mixture is harvested from the field margins and a 5 acre field on private land located near Blandford Forum, Dorset. Established in 2017 using seed sourced from Charles Flower with focus on high flora content, the results is a diverse range of species. In recent year’s Pyramidal and Green Wing Orchids have begun strong establishment across the sustainably managed wildflower margins as well as high density of Cowslip in the early part of the flowering season.
Price range: £39.00 through £78.00
- Establishment History: 2017 – Grassland Restoration
- Origin: Blandford Forum, Dorset
- Soil Type: Shallow lime-rich soils over chalk
Specification for 2025 harvested stock
Flora
| Wild Marjoram | 34.4% |
| Ladys Bedstraw | 16.1% |
| Hoary Plantain | 15.3% |
| Black Medic | 3.3% |
| Ribwort Plantain | 3.0% |
| Common Birdsfoot Trefoil | 2.9% |
| Oxeye Daisy | 1.9% |
| Common Knapweed | 1.4% |
| Fairy Flax | 1.2% |
| Yellow Rattle | 0.3% |
| White Clover | 0.2% |
| Cowslip | 0.2% |
| Common Sorrel | 0.2% |
| Self Heal | 0.1% |
| Wild Carrot | 0.1% |
| Meadow Buttercup | 0.10% |
| Red Clover | 0.06% |
| Lesser Trefoil | 0.06% |
| Salad Burnett | 0.03% |
Grass
| Timothy | 8.8% |
| Fine Fescue | 0.8% |
| Cocksfoot | 0.3% |
| Perennial Ryegrass | 0.3% |
| Yorkshire Fog | 0.3% |
| Smooth Hawksbeard | 0.3% |
| Crested Dogstail | 0.2% |
| Soft Brome | 0.02% |
| Erect Brome | 0.02% |
| Sterile Brome | 0.00% |
Inert Matter (chaff, immature seeds, plant material) 8.2%
Recommended Sow Rate:
3-5g/m²
500g to cover <100m²
1Kg to cover <200m²
Sowing Method:
1. Cultivate the area
2. Spray off weeds which flush or alternatively a light cultivation will reduce vigour of weeds
*Repeat as required to create weed free bed*
3. Mix seed well in a bag before sowing, dry sand can be added to aid drilling
4. Ideally broadcast seed or drill at shallow depth
5. Roll to improve seed-to-soil contact
Once you have sown the mixture, it is very important to manage the growth for the first year. This includes cutting and weeding if possible. If sowing in the autumn, cut the sward when the grass gets established and keep it down to help the flower seeds to germinate. If sowing in the spring, again keep the grass low for the first growing season.
When to sow:
While sowing can occur at either timing, generally speaking, the preferred sowing window is the Autumn as this mirrors nature more accurately. Most perennial wildflowers require vernalisation, a prolonged period of cold, to break dormancy and achieve germination. The winter months after Autumn sowing aids this process. In addition, there is a lower weed burden.
Spring sowing success is reliant on the weather, a cold spring will slow growth and therefore reduce resilience against weeds. However, if warm with moderate rainfall, similar results can be seen as to autumn sowing.
Key to remember:
When sowing wildflowers, the key thing to remember is the cleaner the seed bed the better the success. Wildflowers are often less vigorous than weed species and will struggle to compete against them.
When it comes to fertility, typically speaking wildflower prefer low fertility areas as there is less competition from weeds. However, this does not mean you cannot sow on higher fertility areas, simply more management may be required to control growth and weed ingress.
