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How to sow wildflower seed
Knowing how to sow wildflower seed will increase how well your wildflower meadow blooms! And once you’ve picked your wildflower mix, it’s time to prepare your chosen area for sowing. The best times to sow wildflower seeds are in autumn and spring. This is because an autumn sow will bring spring blooms, and a spring sow will produce summer blooms.
You can sow in between these seasons, but avoid sowing wildflower seeds from November to February when there is a risk of frozen soil.
Now that you have suitable weather, it’s time to prepare the area for sowing!
Here’s what you’ll need to prepare the area:
• A garden trowel
• Garden fork
• A cup
• Watering can
• And of course some wonderful wildflower seed!
Step 1: Remove all grass, weeds and flora from the area
Before sowing your seed you must remove all existing grass, weeds and flora from the area to achieve bare soil. Wildflowers will not be able to compete with grass or weeds or other flowers.
Remove weeds and dig out their roots
You can remove these by using a garden trowel.
With grass, weeds and flora removed, you now need to level out the area
Step 2: Level the area out
You should level out the area so that there are no dips in the soil. Do not add top soil or any compost to this area – the soil needs to be low in fertility for your wildflowers to thrive and grow.
If your soil is difficult to rake, use your garden fork to break it up.
Next, put up your feet and relax – as you need to let the soil settle.
Step 3: Leave the area to settle
Leave the area to sit for a number of weeks. This encourages any sneaky weeds to make an appearance so that they can be removed before sowing the seed.
Don’t skip this step, as it’s worth it in the long run!
Waiting time up, it’s time to do your final prep steps
Step 4: Rake over the area
Rake over the area again to remove any clumps or bumps to create a fine and level seed bed. The soil should not be compacted and should be easy to rake through.
Seedbed prepared to perfection, you can now sow your seed!
Step 5: Sow the seed
Scatter your seed at a rate of 5g per m2. You can measure this out in a cup, or simply sprinkle by hand – don’t sow the seed too close together.
Seed sown, we’re onto the last step!
Step 6: Firm in and water
Rake in the seed and firm it down by foot to embed it into the soil. This will help your wildflowers to grow.
Our UK weather does a good job of watering our plants, but if there is no rainfall in the first few weeks after sowing, make sure to give your wildflower seed a helping hand with some watering.