Requirements
Strip width and length
in a straight line, through the vineyard rows
Site and soil conditions:
Site conditions of the vineyard
Costs, seed costs:
Seed costs: €1,500–2,000 per hectare
Machinery requirements:
- Cultivator
- rotary tiller
- Seed drill
Implementation period:
August to early October (or, for spring sowing, up to the end of March)
Implementation
step-by-step instruction
Sowing date
- Preferably from August to early October; the nights must not get too cold, as the seeds will then fail to germinate
- If necessary, spring sowing until the end of March; problem: spring and early summer drought, as the seeds require 10–14 days of moisture to germinate
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Seed selection
Exclusive use of native, certified wild herbs (VWW-Regiosaaten®, RegioZert®)
- 30–40 species of wild plants per mixture for the central strip
- 5–10 hardy grasses and herbs, which can tolerate being driven over, for the track surfaces trip
- Saxony-Anhalt is located in the areas of origin ‘4 - East German lowlands’ and ‘5 - Central German lowlands and hills’. The seed used should originate from these regions. map of regions
Further information
Seed ordering
- Place your order as soon as possible (long delivery times possible)
- Sowing rate 1,5-2,0 g/m²
- Mix with a filler (soya, maize or bean meal) to 5–10 g/m² -> to prevent segregation and ensure even application
- Seed costs (for at least 25 species) €1,500–2,000 per hectare
Where to buy:
Seedbed preparation
- Where grass-dominated vegetation is present, thorough seedbed preparation is absolutely essential, e.g. by cultivating or tilling the soil once or twice
- Where the aisles are kept open, a shallow tillage operation shortly before sowing is sufficient
Sowing
Crucial for successful sowing:
- Surface sowing by hand, using a pneumatic seed drill or a drill (coarse-toothed wheels)
- Sow seeds on the surface (light germinators)
- Do NOT drill in but only ‘trickle on’ -> the light-coloured pieces of the filler must be visible on top of the soil
- Harrow + seed coulters up!
Note:
Where the central strip and wheel tracks are sown separately (central strip approx. 80 cm, depending on the wheelbase of the machinery used in the vineyard; wheel tracks 35 cm each), the seed box must be divided accordingly
additional information:
The seed must NOT be worked into the soil like other crops. Very shallow sowing on the soil surface is necessary due to the many light germinators.
Rolling
…to ensure the seeds make contact with the soil and to prevent them from being washed away.
Patience! Patience! Patience!
Please be patient. It can take up to three years for the wild plant population to become firmly established in the vineyard!
Care
step-by-step instruction
Development maintenance in the 1st year after sowing
What?
Mulching or mowing twice (or up to three times), with the clippings removed, at a height of 10–15 cm (to protect the newly sown seedlings)
When?
- in April/May and June/July, possibly in August
- ideally: when the stand of unwanted (mostly annual) species is knee-high, so that they do not reach seed maturity
- for autumn sowings, possibly still in the same year
Folgepflege ab dem 2. Jahr
What?
Mulchen oder Mahd mit Abtransport in 10 cm Höhe der Hälfte der Biodiversitätsgassen (erst jede zweite Gasse, ca. 4 Wochen später die anderen)
When?
- Erste Hälfte bis Mitte Mai, andere Hälfte etwa 4 Wochen später, wenn die zuvor gemulchten/gemähten Gassen bereits wieder blühen
- auf sehr produktiven Standorten: ggf. zweite Mahd im August/September
Alternativ:
Ab Knospenaufbruch bis zum Beginn der Traubenreife ist eine extensive Schafbeweidung mit Landschaftspflegerassen (Suffolk, Shropshire, Ouessant) möglich. Benachbarte Ausweichflächen (Streuobstwiesen, Grünland) sind von Vorteil.
General information
Establishing a diverse range of plant species and flowers in the vineyard provides better protection against erosion and promotes greater biodiversity. The native wild plants, which are well-suited to the site, provide valuable sources of nectar and pollen, particularly for wild bees and butterflies.
Impact / Promotion of environmental effects / Ecosystem services
Protection against drought, erosion control, promotion of pollination and ecosystem regulation services, enhancement of the landscape
Species conservation: wild herbs, beneficial organisms, pollinators (wild bees, butterflies/skippers), natural enemies of pests
Note:
Where the area is frequently driven over, it is advisable to alternate biodiversity strips with access tracks, as wild plants generally take two years to become well established. After that, the access tracks can also be converted into biodiversity strips if required. Alternatively, only the central verges between the traffic lanes can be planted with species-rich wild herbs, whilst the traffic lanes themselves can be planted with less species-rich mixtures of hardy grasses and herbs.
