How to Create & Care For A Wildflower Garden or Meadow
Wildflowers are a beautiful and essential part of our natural environment, providing habitat and food sources for various species, including pollinators. They can also serve as a visual delight for those who appreciate the outdoors. If you’re considering incorporating wildflowers into a site, here are some particulars to keep in mind:
How to establish wildflowers
The best time to sow wildflowers is either in the autumn (between August and October) or the spring (between February and May). Generally, autumn is preferred because there are fewer risks from weeds.
Seedbed preparation
Before making a wildflower seedbed, first, you need to kill any grasses, weeds or other plants in the area. You can do so by spraying or completely lifting the turf. A few months before sowing is best to ensure the work is effective. After clearing the area, the soil must be broken up with a fork or a petrol tiller if you are doing a large area.
Sowing loose wildflower seeds
Wildflowers need to be sown at 3g per square metre for 100% wildflowers and 5g per square metre for 80/20 mixtures. Spreading at such a low rate is tricky, so mix the seed with dry sand (or soil improver) to help spread it evenly. This is not so hard in small patches, so you can quickly apply it by hand. When the seed has been distributed, rake the soil gently, then compact it by treading the seeds in.
Laying a wildflower seed mulch mat
If using a seed mulch mat, first prepare the soil, then:
* Damp the prepared soil and evenly spread Half the soil improver supplied (this also contains seed and sand, and helps slowly break down the mat and the seed to fill otherwise ungerminated gaps).
* Lay the mat directly onto the improver mix.
* Damp the mat.
* Spread the remaining Half of the soil improver mix across the mat.
* Spread evenly 25-35mm (1-1.5”) of soil across the mat.
* Give the mat area a further good soaking.
Establishing wildflowers
The seeds will begin to germinate in a few weeks. The various grasses and flowers will come through at different times, so if grasses start to emerge first, don’t worry. The color will come in the first year with a mix of annuals or annuals and perennials mix, but a perennial mix will look far better in its second year.
Maintenance of wildflower meadows and areas
To keep your flower meadow in good condition, go over the area with a strimmer at the end of the season, in September or October – after the plants have all finished flowering. Then remove the debris and go over the area with your mower, cutting down to 15cm or so.
