Page 123 - Oxfordshire SuDS DESIGN & EVALUATION
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Meadow vegetation
Meadow vegetation has greater resilience to and care to establish. Other mixtures are
dry conditions with less likelihood of lodging available where a drier or wetter grassland
and offers amenity and biodiversity benefits might be expected.
including habitat connectivity and visual ■ The addition of an annual cornflower mix Detailed Design
interest.
can give a floral impact in year one.
The grass and herb species develop a much ■ Meadow vegetation should comprise
greater root and leaf mass that assist both native UK provenance seed.
infiltration and evaporation losses. It
provides very effective filtering and slowing ■ Usually a single cut, rake off and removal
of the flow of water as it passes through the of cuttings towards the end of September
grass profile. or early October is sufficient to keep the
sward visually acceptable. Further cuts
■ The meadow mixture that is most useful
where regular or occasional inundation is can be carried out at other times of the
year for specific visual or species
expected is based on the MG5 grassland management.
community (NVC classification). This
mixture is tolerant of both wet conditions ■ Autumn is the best time to seed as some
in winter and summer drought but as with meadow plants need cold weather to
all meadow grass habitat can require time break dormancy (cold stratification).
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Oxfordshire County Council SuDS D & E Guide © 2018 McCloy Consulting & Robert Bray Associates
