Wild Flower Turf

Please visit our Wild Flower Turf website at

http://www.WildFlowerTurf.co.uk

Coronet's wildflower turf, generate significant advantages over the alternatives methods of generating a wildflower habitat.

Changing colours throughout the year can be achieved with the wild flower turf. The flower seeds mix in the turf is carefully chosen to produce flowering plants from early in the spring through to the middle of the autumn. The grasses in the mix are native to the British Isles and are chosen to complement the flowers and not to compete with them. This allows the flowers to succeed rather than be swamped by the grasses, which is a common problem with conventional soil based wildflower turf or most wild flower seeding. The grasses are visually attractive while they seed, along side the wild flowers, and the combination provides a food source for birds and a favourable habitat for butterflies and other insects.

The formation of a dense sward of turf, combined with the large roll size, mean that this turf acts as a weed blanket where the plants grown in the turf get a head start. They are already established and so prevent the establishment of weed seeds that are inherent in the soil below the turf.

The seed mix used has been designed to give a high proportion of flowers as opposed to grasses. This 50% wildflower and 50% grass mix is unique to Coronet Turf and is possible due to the system of producing the turf on plastic. Conventional Flower turf is typically sown at 20% wildflowers and 80% grass seeds. The great risk with this is that the grasses dominate the flowers and very few flowers grow as a result.

Conventional soil based turf is cut from the topsoil with the loss of most of its roots. This results in an inability to establish quickly once it is laid on soil and magnifies the stresses placed on all the plants in the turf. Producing the turf on plastic results in all root development being contained within the turf creating a mat of roots. This gives the turf tremendous strength for handling and means that it is not stressed during lifting and laying. It is therefore quick to establish.

The plants in flower will vary through the spring and summer according to the different species of flowers in the turf. The emergence of flowers and the type of plants that flower will vary from year to year according to temperature, moisture and available nutrients. This will ensure that no two years are the same (as is the case with true wild flower meadows) and gives a constantly changing landscape.

Once established CT Flora has the added advantage of requiring very little maintenance. It will not require fertilising and only needs cutting in the autumn. During establishment it would need to be watered. Weeding should not be necessary due to the weed blanket affect of the turf.

Turf Bed Photo:
"Wildflower turf ready for lifting. Coronet's soil-less turf system is used to produce a top quality product that is easy to handle and lay. There is no wastage during laying as the rolls are strong enough to handle robustly without breaking up. The roots of the turf bind together to form a thick mat that, once installed, grow into the soil and establish very quickly. (Up to five times faster than conventional turf.)"

Mature Flower Photo:
"This picture was taken on the 3rd June 2003 after the wildflower turf was laid the previous autumn. Flowering plants can be seen from the middle of May through to the end of August."

Palleted turf Photo:
"Wildflower turf ready for dispatch. The soil-free turf is lightweight compared to conventional turf and therefore keeps haulage costs down. Roll size is larger than usual and means that areas can be laid quickly and with fewer joins. This reduces the risk of weed development through the joins."