You can sow a wildflower patch in six easy steps.
New Wildflower Patch:
Before you start, you will need:
- Wildflower or Meadow Seed Mix
- Spade, Fork and Rake
- Dry Sand
- Garden Hose or Watering Can
- Bird Scarer or Bird Proof Netting
Step 1: Cultivate the soil
Clear any existing vegetation. Take extra care to remove weeds, such as thistles and nettles, using a spade if necessary.
Fork over the soil to loosen it, remove any weeds and big stones, then rake the soil level.
Step 2: Prepare seeds for sowing
Mix your seeds with a small amount of dry sand to make it easy to scatter them evenly; this is particularly useful with 100% Wildflower Seeds, as it can be difficult to sow at such a low seed rate. Use bamboo canes to mark out 1 metre squares to help you sow at the recommended rate and follow the g per m² measurement on your seed packet. Typically it will be 2g per 1m² for a 100% wildflower seed mix and 4g per 1m² for an 80/20 meadow mix.
Step 3: Sow the seeds
Wildflower seeds are best sown in spring (March to May) or late summer/early autumn (August to October). Autumn is generally considered the best time, as there are less weeds for the seeds to compete with.
Choose a calm day with no wind and when the soil is moist.
Split your seed and sand mixture into two equal batches. With the first batch, scatter the seeds up and down the whole area, using a wrist flicking action. For the second batch, scatter the seeds side to side. Try your best to have similar coverage in each square metre and make sure you go right to the edges.
Step 4: Firm down the seeds
Lightly press the seeds into the soil using the back of your rake, or gently tread them in. For larger areas you can use a roller. This will ensure good germination, but take care not to bury them too deeply.
Gently water the area with a fine spray hose or with a watering can if there is no rain forecast within the next couple of days.
Step 5: Protect your seeds from birds
It makes sense to protect your seeds from birds until they have germinated. You can use bird proof netting or use some other form of bird repellent, such as a line of CDs or some toy plastic windmills.
Step 6: Enjoy your wildflowers
Gently water seedlings once a week if the weather is dry. It normally takes about two weeks for seedlings to appear. Some plants will flower in less than two months, others will take a little longer.
If sown in spring, you will see most of the flowers in the summer of the same year.
If sown in autumn, you will see most of the flowers early the following spring.
Bear in mind that you will see more colour in future years.
Wildflower Patch Maintenance
Weed regularly to stop any undesirable weeds establishing.
Allow the wildflowers to drop their seeds after they have finished flowering. This will allow new plants to grow in the same place the following spring. If you’d rather, you could collect the seeds and use them to sow a wildflower patch somewhere else next year!
Once the seeds are ripe, around September or October, either cut or pull out the spent plants. If you have a small wildflower patch, simply shake the flowers to ensure all the seeds have fallen. In a larger flower patch, leave them on the soil for a week or so to drop all their seeds, then rake up the cuttings.
In the second year it’s best to sow more seeds, as there may not be enough already in the soil. In the following years there should be enough seeds in the soil to allow your wildflowers to re-grow naturally each year.
Converting a lawn to a Wildflower Meadow:
In an ideal world, all wildflower seeds would be sown into bare soil. That's because any existing grass will compete for the light that the seeds need to grow. It is still possible, it just needs some effort!
Step 1: Prepare the area
Mow the existing lawn as short as you can and then scarify to break up the thatch of the grass. Then cut the grass again, as short as your mower will go. Repeat these steps if you need to. The idea is to expose as much soil as possible, so you see roughly 50% bare earth and 50% grass.
The wildflower seeds grow slowly, and they need to establish before the faster growing grass overwhelms them, so the more bare soil there is the better!
Step 2: Prepare seeds for sowing
Mix your seeds with a small amount of dry sand to make it easy to scatter them evenly; this is particularly useful with 100% Wildflower Seeds, as it can be difficult to sow at such a low seed rate. Use bamboo canes to mark out 1 metre squares to help you sow at the recommended rate and follow the g per sq m measurement on your seed packet. Typically it will be 2g per 1m² for a 100% wildflower seed mix and 4g per 1m² for an 80/20 meadow mix.
Step 4: Firm down the seeds
If it's feasible, lightly press the seeds into the soil using the back of your rake, or gently tread them in. For larger areas you can use a roller. This will ensure good germination, but take care not to bury them too deeply.
Gently water the area with a fine spray hose or with a watering can if there is no rain forecast within the next couple of days.
Step 5: Early meadow management
Be patient, as wildflowers can take some time to germinate and establish. It may take a few months.
Mow to approximately 5cm (2”) after 6-8 weeks and repeat every 6-8 weeks during the first summer, being sure to remove any perennial weeds. Doing this will give the seedings the best chance of establishing, as it will stop the fast-growing grasses overwhelming the wildflowers. Try to delay the first cut until any annuals, such as poppies, have flowered.
Remove cuttings to allow developing seedlings to gain enough light. Cuttings can be left for a few days later on in the season to take advantage of seed drop, but be sure to remove the cuttings after a few days. Leaving cuttings to rot will improve the soil, which will allow undesirable weeds to become more established.
Once the wildflowers have started growing, reduce watering frequency but continue to provide water during dry periods until they are well-established.
Reduce mowing frequency to allow the wildflowers to bloom and set seeds.
Tips
Choose a time to plant when rain is expected, or plan to water regularly until the seeds germinate and establish.
Avoid using fertilizers that are high in nitrogen, as this can encourage grass growth and compete with the wildflowers.
Remember that success may vary depending on local conditions, and some experimentation may be needed.
Wildflower Meadow Maintenance
Once established, wildflower meadows are very low maintenance. Following a few simple steps is the key to the success of your wildflower meadow for years to come.
Weeding
Any weeds such as thistle and dock need to be removed to prevent them establishing. Pull these out before they set seed. This is particularly important when your meadow is new and is yet to become established.
Mowing
Established wildflower meadows will need 1-3 cuts per year (more in the first year).
Spring: Cut before the end of April, when there is vigorous grass growth. Cut to approximately 7.5cm (3”).
Summer: Cut in July or August to approximately 5cm (2”).
Autumn: Cut at some point between early September and the end of November. This allows plenty of light to reach the wildflowers so they can compete with the grasses. Cut to approximately 5cm (2”).
Avoid watering or feeding, as this will encourage grasses to become more dominant and outcompete the more desirable flowers.
It can take several years for a meadow to become fully established, but once it is you can look forward to more and more species of wildflower appearing each year.