Several fields at Silwood Park are currently managed to conserve the rich flora of annual plants that grow in the arable fields of the acid sandy soil typical of the region.  Former arable plots at Pound Hill, Silwood Bottom and Ashurst Four Acre Field are annually cultivated to prevent succession to grasslands or woodlands. Arable weed flora in Silwood Bottom plots abandoned from agriculture at the end of the 1970's is maintained by cutting vegetation, ploughing and rotovating soil in October (south plot) or May (north plot). Pound Hill and Ashurst fields were used for winter wheat cultivation until the mid 1980's and has since being annually ploughed and rotovated to prevent succession. Pound Hill and Ashurst Four Acre Field are cultivated in October.

Publication

Crawley MJ (2005). Silwood Park and its history. In: Crawley MJ, ed. The Flora of Berkshire. Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK: Brambleby Books, 215–253.

Crawley MJ (1990) Rabbit grazing, plant competition and seedling recruitment in acid grassland. Journal of Applied Ecology 27: 803–820.