Fettwiese »Plant and care

What is a fat meadow?

One Fettwiese is, as the name suggests, a meadow with "rich" - ergo nutrient-rich - soil. The earth is characterized by a high proportion of nitrogen, which mainly allows fast-growing grasses and flowers to flourish. For this reason, plants with strong competition can be found on a fat meadow, which, due to their rapid growth, displace other, more sensitive plants. This makes the Fettwiese one of the more species-poor biotopes. This type of meadow can be found in heavily used regions - on the one hand, because the fertilizer applied is over Rainfall and groundwater also feed non-fertilized meadows and, on the other hand, because many farmers use meadows as pasture and therefore - adapted to the needs of the grazing animals - in a targeted manner fertilize.

Typical plants of a fat meadow

Fat meadows can be recognized by three typical flowers, because daisies, dandelions and various other flourishes on the nutrient-rich soil

Clover species outstanding. In early summer, these meadows can be recognized from afar by their bright yellow color when the dandelions are in bloom. The white (and by the way very tasty) daisies, on the other hand, thrive all the better, the more often the meadow is mowed. Furthermore, fast-growing grasses such as ball grass, ryegrass, ryegrass as well as smooth and golden oats can be found. Other typical plants are:

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• ArableDog chamomile (Anthemis arvensis)
• Grasslands- Bellflower (Campanula patula)
• Mean Knapweed (Centaurea jacea)
• Meadow Margarite (Leucanthemum ircutianum)
• Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
• Greater sorrel (Rumex acetosa)

as

• Common bluegrass (Alopecurus)
• Common stork grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum)
• and the meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis).

Fettwiese is often used as a pasture for cattle

The high nutrient content of a fat meadow ensures that the plants growing on it are very rich in protein and therefore ideal for feeding certain grazing animals - especially cattle. For this reason fat meadows are extra fertilizedto serve as pasture for cattle. Dairy cows in particular benefit from this, because the fatter the pasture, the creamier the milk will be. In addition, the meadow is mowed at least three times a year to make hay for the winter. However, the Fettwiese is not suitable for every grazing animal. The organism of a horse, for example, is completely overwhelmed by the high protein content - as steppe animals, horses tend to need poor meadows. Sheep, on the other hand, can graze on fat meadows, provided they receive sufficient roughage (i.e. H. fiber-rich grass).

Maintain fat meadow

Greasy meadows must be mowed at least three times a year, as the plants growing on them are very fast-growing. Alternatively, such a meadow can also be used as pastureland, which in turn has the advantage at the same time natural fertilization - cow and sheep dung ensures that the necessary nutrients are returned to the soil will. Since the typical fatty meadow plants are very wasteful and remove nutrients from the soil, fatty meadows have to be fertilized regularly - otherwise the soil will become lean. The fertilization can be done with artificial or natural fertilizers (e.g. B. Manure).

Tips & Tricks

If you discover certain pointer plants for acidic soil (such as sorrel, field asparagus or countless daisies), your meadow should either Liming in spring or autumn.

IJA