Wildflower seeds don't need to be planted in holes; however, they should be tapped down to encourage growth. After you've scattered them over the soil, use the back of a shovel, your hand, or your foot to gently press them into the ground.
If you scatter wildflower seeds at the beginning or in the middle of your rainy season, the plants can use rain to grow while they develop a very long tap root. Later, when the surface soil dries out, the long tap root gives the flower access to deep water.
If it's a smaller area, you can simply spread the seed by hand. After spreading the seed, compress the seed into the soil. To allow the seeds full sunlight, do not cover them in any way. The better seed-to-soil contact, the better chance of germination.
It sounds simple enough; open a packet, bag, or canister of wildflower seeds, sprinkle them out onto the ground, and “presto!” you have a giant patch of wildflowers blooming in a few short weeks.
Wildflowers have limited maintenance requirements. You can plant wildflowers without tilling the land.
Prepare Your Site: Better Soil Prep = More Flowers!
No matter if you're sowing 5 acres or 5 square feet, the more time you spend prepping the area before seeding, the better results you'll have. Clear weeds, grasses, and other plants (roots and all) to make room for your wildflowers to grow and thrive.
Even though the seeds will sprout if just thrown on the surface of the dirt there are negative effects of planting the seed in that fashion. Grass seed sprouting but not performing the proper steps to planting will have negative effects on the germination of the seeds.
If you live in an area with minimal or no winter frosts (parts of California, Florida, southern Texas or parts of the South West) you can grow wildflowers any time, however, the hottest time of the year is not recommended. It is best to take advantage of the rains and plant in the late fall when the rain begins.
If you're in a cool, temperate region (such as the northern US or most of the UK), a spring sowing is better. But in warmer areas (including zones 7 to 11 in the US), a fall sowing is preferable, as the temperature allows the plants to establish a good root system at that time of year.
You can sow wildflower seeds in a number of ways: scattering seed, sowing into a prepared seed bed or sowing seed indoors in seed trays or plug modules. Scattering or throwing wildflower seeds on bare ground is the easiest way to sow wildflower seeds, but doesn't always yield good results.
WILL MY WILDFLOWERS COME BACK? WILL MY WILDFLOWERS COME BACK? Yes, both native annual and perennial species will return year after year once they become established and are allowed to reseed.
It's also important to note that seeds should not be covered with soil. Many wildflower seeds actually require exposure to sunlight in order to germinate and covering your seeds with soil can greatly reduce germination rates.
Wildflowers don't compete well with turfgrasses, so all existing vegetation must be removed before seeding. There are two methods to remove grass for a successful start to your meadow: smother grass with black plastic or use a sod cutter. Deciding between the two is a trade-off between time and labor.
Cleome: These are literally toss and grow seeds. These seeds need light to germinate, so you don't even need to rake soil on top of them. The flowers are pink, purple, white and fuchsia. They will self-seed and also resemble their parent plant.
How long do flower seeds last? Most perennial flower seeds are good for 3 to 5 years, and most annual flower seeds should last for two to four years. Wildflower seeds, which often come as a mix of annuals and perennials, have a shelf life of 1-3 years.
Fall is a perfect time to sow wildflower seeds. This timing follows the same approach as Mother Nature: wildflowers naturally drop their seeds in fall to take advantage of the freezing, thawing, and/or extra moisture that winter delivers. This weather helps to crack open their hard, outer seed cases.
All seeds, including wildflowers, need ample moisture to germinate and to develop into healthy seedlings. Best results will be obtained by soaking the planted areas thoroughly and maintaining consistent moisture for 4-6 weeks - then gradually reducing waterings.
When the conditions are right, wildflower seeds will sprout within 2-3 weeks after germination. Annuals will bloom about 2-3 months after germination. Biennials grow foliage in their first season and bloom in the second season.
While seed on the soil's surface may sprout, the unfriendly conditions stifle the germination rate, wasting your investment. Sun and wind also dry both the dirt and the poorly rooted seedling.
It is generally not recommended to plant wildflowers directly on top of mulch. Mulch acts as a protective layer that helps retain moisture, control weeds, and regulate soil temperature. While it provides benefits to the soil and existing plants, it can hinder the germination and establishment of wildflower seeds.
After planting your wildflower seed when the air and soil is warm enough and the soil is moist some of the wildflower species (mostly annuals) will germinate and begin to grow after about 10-14 days. Other species will take longer, 2-8 weeks for germination.
The correct planting depth of wildflowers is ¼ to ½ inch deep. It is not uncommon for a few seeds to remain on the soil surface. This is a good indication of proper planting depth.
Prepare the Soil for Wildflowers
To prep the soil, pull any weeds and break up the surface of the ground with a hoe or a rake. Don't worry about going very deep -- 2 inches or so of loosened topsoil is fine. Water the area well, and wait a couple of weeks. If any weeds sprout, pull them again.
Water Gently - Water daily, then semi-weekly. For proper germination, you want a moist soil, like a moist brownie texture, not wet, not soaking wet, just moist to allow germination until seedlings are about 4-6" tall. If you live in a drier climate, we recommend watering regularly.