Sowing Wildflowers
Horticultural Expert Dr. Lelia Kelly talks about wildflowers and how she sowed them successfully in her yard. Wildflowers are great for pollinators and beneficial insects. They are also low maintenance and drought tolerant. You have to pick the right site for wildflowers which includes full sun. Sow them from September to November in Zone 7 and 8. Adjust the date for other hardiness zones.
Lelia decided to replace large sections of her lawn with wildflowers. She first killed all the lawn turf with glyphosate and then raked the soil to break the surface. She then broadcast the seeds. You need to water the seed beds if there is no rain as they require moisture to establish. A problem she had was with some weeds and left-over turf grass. You cannot use herbicides to control weeds in wildflowers so Lelia had to hand weed or spot treat the weeds for the first little while. The wildflowers will tend to push the weeds out over time.
The next year, the flowers will bloom in the spring and early summer. If you would like the flowers to reseed you need to let them mature which may not look too attractive. Once the seeds are mature Lelia runs her lawn mower over the top of the plants. The mowing spreads the seeds and makes the beds look neat for the winter.
Lelia decided to replace large sections of her lawn with wildflowers. She first killed all the lawn turf with glyphosate and then raked the soil to break the surface. She then broadcast the seeds. You need to water the seed beds if there is no rain as they require moisture to establish. A problem she had was with some weeds and left-over turf grass. You cannot use herbicides to control weeds in wildflowers so Lelia had to hand weed or spot treat the weeds for the first little while. The wildflowers will tend to push the weeds out over time.
The next year, the flowers will bloom in the spring and early summer. If you would like the flowers to reseed you need to let them mature which may not look too attractive. Once the seeds are mature Lelia runs her lawn mower over the top of the plants. The mowing spreads the seeds and makes the beds look neat for the winter.
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August 12, 2017 Related Videos: Wildflowers Related Resources: Wildflowers Directory Fall and Summer Flowering Bulbs Garden Calendar Fall Gardening: A collection of Information and Resources |
Dr. Lelia Kelly's list of wildflowers
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