YELLOW RATTLE
Yellow Rattle is an attractive, partially parasitic, grassland annual.  Once it is established it can reduce the competitive vigour of certain grasses, by up to 50%, thus benefiting other sown wild flowers.  Yellow Rattle seed must be sown in autumn as it needs to be chilled through the winter to trigger its germination the following spring.  Yellow Rattle can be sown as part of a mixture, or on its own into established grassland prepared as below.  Sow at up to 1g per square metre.

 

The most suitable sites for Yellow Rattle will be grassland of low to medium fertility and with a balanced sward which is not dominated by coarse vigorous grasses.  Prepare for sowing by cutting the grass very short (25mm) or by grazing very hard and open up sites for germination by harrowing, raking or lightly discing, aiming to create up to 50% bare soil.  Broadcast the seed on to the prepared surface.

 

Managing Swards for Yellow Rattle

Yellow Rattle is an annual with short-lived seed, and it therefore needs a chance to set seed each year.  Cutting or grazing between April and mid July will eliminate the Rattle by preventing it seeding, and should be avoided.  Traditional meadow management based around a late July hay cut provides Yellow Rattle the best opportunity to set seed, and for the seed to scatter during the process of haymaking.

 

Autumn grazing, or mowing and harrowing is also important as it will help to keep the sward open, providing new sites for Yellow Rattle to establish the following year and maintain continuity over time.  Yellow Rattle populations tend to fluctuate in meadows and mover about from year to year s a reflection of the balance of health of the Yellow Rattle plants and their host plants in any one patch.

 

Yellow Rattle establishment is rather unpredictable.  Results will vary from one year to another and from one part of a site to another.  The reasons for this are not always apparent, but having an open sward structure seems to be most important.

 

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