Collecting the Rattle seed

Top job at this time of year is collecting the seed from the Hay Rattle before the Wildflower Meadow is cut next week. There is a relatively brief window of two or three weeks between the seed ripening and the grass being cut for hay. The old country saying is that the hay should be harvested when the Hay Rattle rattles - the sounds the seeds make in the dried seed-heads.
Rattle is a vital component of the Wildflower meadow as it is semi-parasitic on grass and keeps the vigour of the grass down allowing the wild flowers to come through. In the upper half of the Meadow the grass is long and quite course, with very little Rattle so I need to spread seed in theses areas, as well as do an autumn 'topping off' of the grass. The Rattle seed is expensive, so harvesting our own is time well spent.

The seed is collected by looking for a newly ripened seed head, holding on to the stalk below and pulling up to remove the seed pods. If you don't hold on to the stalk with one hand while harvesting with the other you will uproot the whole plant. The seeds are collected in a plastic container, and then emptied into a cardboard box so that they dry out and all the seeds are released.
I have scattered them on earth areas in the winter in previous years, but I have noticed that lots don't get to the ground - so this year I am going to scatter the seed straight after harrowing in August.