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How to Establish Wildflowers:

Sites that are relatively weed-free with existing stands of shorter grasses work best.

Once you have chosen a site, make note of the following factors: soil type; amount and season of rainfall; availability of supplemental irrigation; amount of sunlight; latitude; and seasonal temperature range. All of these factors will have bearing on which wildflower species will grow best on your chosen location.

Soil Preparation: Soil should be lightly scalped or scarified, but unless the lite is heavily compacted, it is usually not necessary or desirable to till the soil deeply for two reasons: (1) It will promote the germination of weed seeds already present; (2) In arid climates, it will disturb the upward movement of moisture through the soil by capillary action, thereby lowering the moisture-holding capacity of the soil.

To prepare small areas, cutting and removing existing weeds, followed by shallow roto-tilling, hand raking or power raking is recommended.

For large areas, mow the existing vegetation as short as possible and then use a flail mower or harrow to break up the top 2 inches of soil. Another method would be to use a tractor to drag a length of chain link fence, weighted down with railroad ties across the site.

Then for large and small sites, water the area several times over a two to three week period to encourage dormant weed seed germination. After several weeks, when this second crop of weeds is up, spray them with Roundup or another short-action non-selective herbicide and remove the dead vegetation. Further tilling of the soil at this point will only encourage a further crop of weeds. Wait one to two weeks before planting wildflower seed.

Wildflowers do best in soils of low fertility. High nitrogen soils only encourage the growth of weeds and lush vegetation plant growth at the expense of the display of flowers. However if your site consists of subsoil which is completely without nutrients, consider using a low nitrogen fertilizer with a 5-10-10 ratio.

If the planting will depend entirely upon rainfall for germination and growth, you must plant in anticipation of the rainy season. For many climates, this means a mid-March planting. Where supplemental water is available, wildflowers can be planted during the summer. However, if you want your planting to continue the following year, it must be planted not later than 8-10 weeks before anticipated frost.

Planting Methods: Because wildflower seed mixtures contain seeds of vastly different sizes, blending in inert carrier like fine sand or vermiculite with the seed will help to insure an even distribution (2:1 sand to seed) is recommended.

Follow the suggested planting rate for flat ground. Increase the rate 50-100% for difficult' sites--those without supplemental water, strong weed populations or sites with erosion problems.

For small areas, hand broadcasting the seed along with the inert carrier will work quite well.

For larger areas, mechanical seeding such as a cyclone-type seeder, a manure spreader or a modified grain drill work well, but tests must be made in order to achieve the proper planting rate with each type of machine.

Once the seed has been planted, it must be covered to a maximum depth of 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. This can be achieved by lightly raking the seed in with a hand rake for small areas, or by using a drag mat behind a tractor for larger areas. If a drill seeder is used, firm the soil after drilling with a cultipacker to insure proper seed/soil contact.

Care must be taken not to cover the seeds too deeply as this is one of the primary causes for project failure.

On hillsides or other relatively inaccessible areas, hydromulching is an effective technique for planting. If a single application of seed and mulch is used, it is advisable to double the seeding rate per acre because some of the seed comes suspended in the fiber and doesn't make proper contact with the soil.

Post Planting Care: The planting must be kept moist for 4-6 weeks, using supplemental water if necessary in order to endure germination of as many wildflower species as possible. As the planting becomes established, water can be gradually reduced. Many wildflowers are drought tolerant once established, but they must receive adequate water in order to germinate and to become established.

You should begin to see seedling within 2-3 weeks and the first flowers in 6-10 weeks. As the season progresses, several waves of color will be seen according to the blooming times of the species contained in the mixture. In dry climates or in drought conditions, inch of supplemental irrigation per week will lengthen the blooming period of the wildflower display.

Mow the area in the fall to a height of 4-6 inches, after most of the flowers have finished blooming and set seed. In most climates, this will be in mid-October. Mowing will help to scatter the ripe seeds for next year's showing.

The following spring, consider supplementing the site with some new seed in order to more firmly establish the permanence of the planting and to suppress weed growth.