When will you be sowing the seeds?
We need to wait until the soil has warmed a little, so aim to start sowing on the 6th and 7th of April. If the weather is cold and terrible, we will wait until the following week.
What times will you be sowing the seeds?
We will start sowing from 4.30pm and be on-site until 6.30pm, it’ll be easier if volunteers are spread out, so please let up know what time you’re thinking of coming.
How much time will it take?
We reckon 15 -30 minutes of your time on-site will give you enough time to learn more about the project and sow 1x 1.5 sq metres of bank. Another five minutes will give you the chance to sow 2x sq metres.
What will volunteers be doing?
We will provide volunteers with a portion of seed and sand mix. The soil bank will be prepared, so volunteers just need to scatter their seed mix within a designated area.
Who can join in?
Anyone! We’re happy for all ages of volunteers to get involved. But children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Can we just drop in or do I need to tell you in advance?
We’d appreciate if you could let us know in advance which day and when you’d like to help out and how many people you’ll bring. This will help us space everyone out, prepare the soil and seed mix, and be able to help each volunteer individually.
What do we need to wear?
Just wear what you would normally wear to the park. It could be a little muddy if we’ve had recent rain so appropriate footwear will be useful.
What do we need to bring?
There’s nothing extra that you need to bring.
Who will be there to supervise?
The team from LANCE Trust will be in the park to supervise, but please make sure young volunteers are accompanied by responsible adult to comply with our safeguarding policy.
Why this area in the park?
The long bank in Peel Park is nicely tucked away from more heavily-used areas. This means plant-life, bug-life and animal-life will remain relatively un-disturbed whilst establishing itself and the first blooms will have the best chance of flourishing!
How long will the seeds take to grow?
All being well, some plants should be in flower this coming summer & autumn but, to stand the best chance of establishing a permanent, species-rich bank, we may have to cut it frequently in the first season to discourage robust growth (like rye grass) from crowding out other species. We may also have to dig out docks or nettles in the first and second years to give other species a better chance of establishing.
What are the seeds?
The seeds are a mix of native grasses and meadow plants. The full list can be found here:
Do we need to look after the bank in the future?
After the first year, maintenance of the bank will be limited to less regular cutting until it’s cut just once a year in the autumn – much like hay-meadows in the past. Much depends on what happens in the first year. The soil is fairly rich and heavy clay with a lot of rye grass so we may have to sow yellow rattle in the autumn. Later on in the year, we may also add in some plug plants that aren’t included in the mix (e.g. field scabious). More information can be found here: https://wildseed.co.uk/page/management-of-meadows-and-grassland