For grasslands where the soil characteristics and water regime are favourable and some meadow indicator species are already present, a simple change in management may be all that is needed for restoration to a species-rich floodplain meadow. If there is no improvement after a few years, consider introducing green hay or seed.  Always seek advice [from the FPM partnership / Natural England] before introducing seed or green hay into existing grasslands, especially on sites which already support these indicator species.

If your land is predominantly grazed or used for silage production consider introducing an annual hay cut between mid-June and mid-July followed by a second cut or “aftermath” grazing, along with drainage infrastructure maintenance, control of invasive or undesirable plants and hedgerow/fencing management where required.

If your land is already cut for hay, an adjustment to the timing or frequency of cutting may help increase species diversity.

Read our case studies on Kingsthorpe and Piddle Brook Meadows where successful restoration has been achieved by a switch to traditional hay meadow management.
 

Restoration using green hay

An effective means of seed transferral is by the spreading of dry or green hay. This is a low-cost option and was a traditional approach used by farmers to repair bare patches of meadow. Species-rich hay can be collected from a local donor site and spread immediately onto harrowed or heavily grazed ground following a hay cut.  Alternatively, the hay can be dried and fed to animals in the field in autumn.

Read our case study on Swill Brook Meadow where successful restoration has been achieved using this technique.

Restoration using seed

An alternative method is to collect seed using a brush-harvesting machine to be dried for later use. This method is more expensive but benefits from more flexibility in timing and is a better option for sites which may not have a suitable seed source nearby.

Read our case studies on Kingsthorpe North Meadow and Fotheringhay Meadow where successful restoration has been achieved using this technique.

Meadow creation on arable land

Either of the above techniques can be used for meadow creation on arable sites. However, for land with highly fertile soils, it may be necessary to take further arable crops for 1-2 years without applying fertiliser, before applying seed and/or cut more regularly in the first year after sowing.

Read our case studies on Broad Meadow and Somerford Mead where species-rich meadows have been created on former arable land.

Reduce soil fertility

The most suitable sites for restoration are those where soil fertility is moderate. However, the use of artificial fertilisers, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus (which are relatively persistent in soils) have increased the fertility of many farmland soils. On these sites, nutrient levels will need reducing before species rich swards can develop. For agriculturally modified grasslands this can be achieved through an annual hay cut (with additional cuts if nutrients are particularly high) over several years. For arable land it may be necessary to take further arable crops for 1-2 years without applying fertiliser, before applying seed. 

More intensive methods such as topsoil removal and turf stripping can be considered, although these are costly and potentially damaging to soil structure.

Read our case study on Chimney Meadows where successful floodplain meadow restoration was achieved on a site with high Phosphorus levels. 
 

Change water levels

Drains and ditches can be used in floodplain meadows to restore an appropriate water regime to a site. Water-control structures, usually found in ditches can be manipulated to manage water levels, or in many cases the maintenance or reinstatement of small foot drains, gutters or grips in the soil is required to ensure water can drain away effectively. They can also be used where a site has become too dry.

Read our case study on Seighford Moor where this technique has been successfully applied.
 

Sites with very compacted soils should generally not be targeted for restoration.  Methods such as topsoil removal and subsoiling can be used but are expensive.

However, it is possible to improve compacted soil, but it can take some years. Compacted soil is poorly draining, has a lack of aeration and will stay waterlogged for prolonged periods. To produce a species-rich meadow community on such a site, the key thing to address is the soil structure. See the table below for management options.