The noble haystack – why it is important

As our countryside dwindles under the onslaught of new housing and infrastructure we see less and less of rural life. Farming has become mechanised and efficient so the features of the past become a distant memory. Before the 1950s (so I am told) the noble haystack was a common sight in the countryside, then came mechanised farming techniques, balers and plastic wrap. The haystack has always been a feature of the English landscape. It sits on our meadow land as an agricultural exclamation mark. To the untrained eye, it’s just piled up grass. To those in the know, it’s a seasonal full stop in the meadow’s year.

So if the haystack is a dwindling species why should we preserve this feature of our bygone heritage? The answer is that haystacks provide shelter for wildlife, they give the countryside an ecological boost, they are part of a life cycle that allows wildflowers to set seed, insects to mature and breed, and enhance meadow ecosystems. Now they are set to make a comeback as people see the benefits of the haystack, whether on farmland or even in a garden.

If you cut and remove grass from your gardens then it takes nutrients out of the soil and weakens the turf. Therefore if we preserve the clippings the nutrients are preserved and this gives wildflowers a fighting chance. It also helps us establish yellow rattle, a parasitic plant that keeps vigorous grasses at bay and makes space for native species to return. This year some parts of the village have seen the return of native plants like wall pepper (Sedum acre), not seen growing naturally in the village for over 25 years !!

Modern garden haystacks use grass and wildflowers that have been cut in late summer and then set to dry in the sun. From time to time to prevent mould they are turned or ‘tedded’.  The dried grass is then heaped into small haystacks called ‘cocks’.   The collecting keeps the inner parts of the ‘cock’ dry and preserves the wildflower seeds. In order to keep the cock dry a thatch should be added to the top.

A haystack is a working tool; a biodiversity booster, a carbon sink, a link in a centuries-old cultural chain. A small haystack in a garden will provide a valuable habitat for small mammals, invertebrates, and fungi. Abandoned stacks can be used by barn owls, hedgehogs, and overwintering insects.  

Perhaps food for thought in our gardens in this ecological age.