Site preparation is key. First, you will need to remove all Nettles, Thistles, Docks and Grass
and any other weeds. You can spray the weeds using a Glyphosate weed killer or you can pull/
dig them up.
You are aiming to produce a weed free tilth in order to promote healthy germination and zero
competition. Weeds and grasses grow much faster than wildflowers and so, will therefore
out-compete and eventually take over the wildflowers.
Wildflowers do not like overly fertile soils, so there is no need to add compost. If the topsoil is
already very fertile it may be worth removing and replacing with some subsoil.
Cultivate the site to a depth of around 10cm for free draining soil and 25cm for bad draining or
compacted soil. This can be done with a fork, rotavator or on large areas, a plough.
Once you are ready to sow, measure the area so you can work out how much seed you will
require. Typically this will be between 2g-5g/m².
Sowing is recommended through the Spring months of March and April and then again in
August-September which is the natural seeding time. Although you can sow throughout the
year, providing you have a good tilth prepared and way to keep the seed bed watered.
Make sure to check what type of soil you have and check the PH if you can. Some wildflowers
will only grow in certain soils and PH levels. For advice on what kind of soil you have give us a
call to speak with one of our advisors.
When sowing your seed, for small areas where you are sowing by hand we suggest mixing the
seed with some fine sand in a bucket and then spread the whole mix evenly over the area. This
will ensure an even spread of the seed.
Once sown, rake or harrow the area to mix the seed in the soil to approx. 0.5cm in depth.
Afterwards, it’s best to roll the area to compact the soil slightly. If it’s a small area, it can be
carefully pressed in by standing on the area.
Future Maintenance of your Wildflowers will ensure a happy and healthy bed. Whilst they are
low maintenance it is worthwhile putting some time into looking after your wildflower seed
bed for best results.
In the first year after sowing, weed control is a priority. If weeds are present they can be
controlled by pulling the weeds out by hand or using a hoe, we would not recommend using
any weed killer sprays as these will kill the wildflowers too.
You will only see the Annual wildflowers in the 1st year. Unless re-sown.
In the 2nd year after sowing, the companion grass and wildflowers will be established and
annual weeds will be out-competed, meaning less maintenance.
Perennial & Biennial plants will be seen flowering in the second year. The Perennials will then
flower every year after. The Annual/Biennial plants will be seen if the seeds are distributed
after cutting and before removing the cuttings.
Wildflowers should be cut twice a year, once in the spring which should be a very light cut to
even out the growing for the flowering season. They should then be cut again in late autumn
after all of the plants have produced a seed head. The late autumn cut will help distribute seeds
produced by the wildflowers this cut should be done with a topper or strimmer so the seed
heads are not mulched as this will defeat the purpose of the cut. The clippings should then
be removed from the site and shaken out as best as possible to ensure all of the seeds have
dropped onto the ground. This will keep the annual and biennial flowers coming back year
after year.
5g/m² - Mixtures containing Grass (80% Grass 20% wildflower)
2g/m² - Pure 100% wildflower Mixtures
Companion Grass
Mixtures can come ready mixed with wildflower seed for sowing. We suggest a ratio of
80:20grass to wildflowers. The grasses are slow growing and low maintenance and the grasses
will not out compete the wildflowers.
Different Types of Wildflowers
Annual- these perform their entire life cycle from seed to flower to seed within a single
growing season (mainly Cornfield Wildflowers are annual).
Perennial- they persist for many growing seasons but you will not see them flower
in the first season (most Wildflowers are Perennial).
Biennial- they require two years to complete their life cycle,
they flower in the second year only. For example Foxglove.
Check Out our Wildflower mixtures here!
