Buttercups and livestock grazing

[Sylviax]

Hello. Just joined and v impressed with forum!
I am looking to buy land and have seen meadow apparently established as permanent pasture since 1950s. It looks beautiful ATM, and has a super abundance of buttercups.

I'm a newbie to meadows and want to know more about managing this land before I buy.

I understand that livestock grazing is often part of the management, but also have read that buttercups are poisonous to horses and cattle.

Can anyone tell me more about how to manage meadow going forward. It looks so lovely with lots of bees, butterfly and swallows

Thanks

[Steve Pollard]

Hello Sylvia, welcome to the forum. It's buttercup time of year at the moment! Buttercups are ostensibly the most common plant in many of my meadows at the moment, however, a couple of weeks ago they definitely weren't, and in a couple of weeks time they definitely won't be either. So, that may also be the case with the meadow you are looking to buy, or it may actually be a meadow that really does have a lot of buttercups! Often these are meadows that have been grazed by horses - as they will determinably avoid them. Cattle don't love buttercups, but are far less fastidious. Stating that a meadow has been pp since the 50s wouldn't mean very much if it has been managed intensively or been a pony paddock. Are they creeping buttercups or meadow buttercups? If you are buying the land with the purpose of having a wildflower meadow, it would make a lot of sense to ask more questions about it's previous management and/or do a survey of its flora. Good luck! Steve

[Sylviax]

Thank you Steve
I'm so new to this, I didn't know there are creeping and meadow buttercups! Time to Google I suspect horses have grazed it, as there's stables next door, but I plan to ask.

If we win the bid, I'm hoping to graze cattle, as I know someone locally who has a small herd that he moves around specifically to help manage meadows. But my daughter also has a horse, currently residing on Dartmoor. She's hoping Nara can come for visits (to allow her field to rest), but not be a permanent resident. The poo will also be welcome fertiliser as we plan to plant a food forest (following Martin Crawford in Dartington) on part of the meadow.

But first we need to buy it! Not as easy as I imagined!

Thankyou

[Donna Cox]

If you want to know Creeping buttercup from Meadow buttercup, Common sorrell from dock etc, it's worth watching this 12 minutes long Wildflower Identification video, by Moor Meadows. Botanist Hannah Gibbons informs about the key indicator species of a species-rich meadow. Over 25 species explained in detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxpjyU3n9nc

[Sylviax]

Thanks Donna, v helpful