How do you best germinate/sow yellow rattle seed for the best results?


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Janet Tweedy

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
How do you best germinate/sow yellow rattle seed for the best results?


--
Janet Tweedy

Extract from Wikipedia:

"The seeds are spread very effectively by traditional hay-making practices.
It can be cultivated by scarifying the surface of the ground with a fork or
similar, then sowing onto short grass, 0.5 to 1 gram of seed per square
metre. Yellow Rattle seed is short-lived and should always be sown in the
autumn, using seed harvested that year. Then, keep grass short for beginning
of March when seedlings establish. Thereafter, the grass should not be cut
until the end of July to allow the Yellow Rattle to flower and go to seed,
then cut short".

R.

I've been using it for several years and, yes, that just about sums it up.

The important points are

1) it needs to be in contact with the ground, hence the scarifying.

2) it likes light, so don't try to grow it in the shade, and don't let it get overshadowed by grass in the early part of the year.

If you're buying seed, you can sow in spring, but don't try to keep the seed over to the following year. It is of course an annual, so until you've got it well established you may want to collect seed and replant it yourself rather than relying on nature to take its course.

It seems to have a particular liking for cocksfoot grass.

It's not the only semi-parasitic; lousewort and red bartsia are others. But lousewort likes much damper ground.

In article , kay
writes
I've been using it for several years and, yes, that just about sums it

up.


Thanks Kay I had read Wiki but wasn't sure if it was the best. Nice to
get the experienced to agree,
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Janet Tweedy