Description
Paradise Headland is a headland and field strip mixuture developed to meet demand for long-lasting and low maintenance wildlife habitat.
Nesting, brood-rearing and winter feed all in one, this mix benefits birds & bees! It should provide a rich habitat for bees, butterflies, mice, and shrews, as well as a hunting ground for hawks and owls.
Benefits
The mixture, which features Lucerne and Corncockle, has been created with guidance from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust in the UK and Bright Seeds. It contains 20 different seed species, many of which are Irish natives.*
- Teasel has a lovely purple flower that attracts lots of pollinators. Goldfinches love its seed later in the autumn, and it protects ground-feeding birds in winter. The spiny seed heads of Teasel are often used in floral arrangements (handle plant and seed heads carefully!)
- Kale will flower and reseed in year two. The insects, caterpillars and bug life it supports in spring will provide food for ground-nesting birds like pheasants and partridges. It will also delight bluetits, and other birds, who will gather caterpillars from the kale for their young.
- Chicory provides seed, as well as nesting protection from predators because of its height.
- Borage is an absolute haven for honey bees!
- The Knapweed here, and many of the other perennials, will last for years.
This headland and field strip mixture should last for up to 10 years with a little maintenance, which makes it a good value choice.
*All seeds sourced from Bright Seeds UK
The mix contains:
Triticale, Kale, Millet, Teasel, Sweet fennel, Chicory, Lucerne, Kidney vetch, Borage, Cornflower, Corn cockle, Corn poppy, Red campion, Viper’s bugloss, Black knapweed, Wild carrot, Self-heal, Winter vetch, Oxeye daisy, Crimson clover
Sowing instructions
Sow when soil temperatures are up and ground conditions dry in the late spring. If you want immediate nesting cover in year one, then autumn sowing is advised.
Get rid of any perennial grasses and weeds. Then sow into a very clean, well-prepared but shallow seedbed.
Lightly cultivate after sowing and roll.
At the end of winter two, cut back half of the plot to ground level. If possible gather up and remove the cuttings.
In the spring of year three, lightly cultivate that section and some of the fallen seeds will germinate.
At the end of winter three, repeat on the other section and continue every second year.
Be careful not to drive over the uncut section when cultivating so that you don’t disturb ground-nesting birds!
Tip
If you want to have cereals again and be guaranteed feed for the winter, broadcast 10kgs of John’s Delight per acre on the cleared section before lightly cultivating.
Roll after sowing and keep the crows off the plot for at least 10 days to stop them devouring all of the triticale seed.
Price: €75 per 1/4 acre. €70 for each subsequent bag in the order.
