Work is underway on the annual cut-back of Nottingham’s Green Heart as part of routine maintenance of the city centre meadow.
The ‘cut-and-lift’ involves cutting back the remains of summer growth and removing the vegetation to help protect the meadow’s long-term health and biodiversity.
Nottingham City Council said the area will look significantly different once the work is complete, but growth is expected to return during the next growing season.
The autumn cut mimics traditional grazing. Removing the cuttings keeps soil nutrient levels low, helping wildflowers thrive and preventing grasses from becoming dominant.
Leaving the vegetation to decompose would gradually enrich the soil, potentially allowing grasses to crowd out wildflowers and reduce the meadow’s diversity.
The same approach is used in other parks and open spaces across Nottingham. Some sites also need an earlier summer cut to control grasses, although the council said this is not currently necessary at the Green Heart.
The meadow forms part of the redevelopment of the former Broadmarsh site and provides habitat for pollinators, birds and small animals.
