As part of the LIFE FOR SEEDS project, 25 purple mullein seedlings were planted.

Purple mullein (Verbascum phoeniceum) is one of the characteristic plants of dry meadows of habitat type 6210 (*) in Goričko. Dry meadows are among the most diverse habitats in Slovenia and beyond. In Slovenia most are located in karst areas with alkaline substrate, whereas in Goričko they occur on more acidic soils. Their preservation depends on appropriate extensive mowing, which is increasingly being either abandoned or intensified. They do not tolerate fertilization very well.

The LIFE FOR SEEDS project is divided into several actions for restoraton of dry meadows degraded in the past: one of them involves the propagation of characteristic plants from seeds. Seedlings grown in this way are intended exclusively for grassland restoration. As part of the project, Goričko Landscape Park decided to convert two arable fields back into meadows. Thus, in the second half of October, we planted purple mullein seedlings on two fields in Lončarovci and sowed seed mixes. The fields were previously ploughed and prepared with a rotary harrow. The planting was done manually, so that the seedlings were evenly distributed over the entire surface of the field.

We wish for the purple mullein to color our meadows in the coming years!