Growing Your Own Wildflower Meadow

Have you ever enjoyed a drive on the highway simply because of the wildflowers growing in the median? Call me crazy, but I sure have! For any landscaping or gardening enthusiast, beautiful flowers make life all the more enjoyable. This is why I’m excited to share with you how to make a wildflower meadow all your own.

There are multiple benefits to having a wildflower meadow. After the initial preparation and planting, it becomes a very low maintenance landscape. The need for weeding is rather minimal and less intensive. Also, it requires much less watering and fertilization which helps keep your pockets padded nicely.

Before you jump right in and get going, you need to be aware of the necessities for planting an maintaining a quality wildflower meadow. The location should be one of full sun, or at least receiving 6 hours of sun a day. It must be well drained and have good air movement - this will help strengthen the plants’ stems. Also, you should try to use an area that has already been cultivated and contain minimal weeds.

All grasses and weeds need to be fully removed and the soil needs to be cultivated to a depth of at least 6 inches. For best results, it is advised to test the pH level of the soil and take any necessary measures to keep it between a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. To prepare your soil, you can use one of four techniques:

1. Till the area six to eight weeks prior to sowing to remove all existing vegetation. Repeat the tilling every two to three weeks to remove any regrowth, until planting.
2. Rototill the area six weeks in advance and rake away all growth. All plants and weeds to grow back for three weeks, then spray with glysophate and rake away dead vegetation.
3. Two to Three months prior to sowing, lay down black plastic sheeting and cover with three to four inches of mulch; this should smother and kill any vegetation. When you are ready to sow, remove the plastic sheeting and rake away the dead vegetation.
4. Remove sod with sod cutters

When it comes to sowing the seeds, you can do so in either the spring or the fall. Four to five pounds of seed will suffice for an acre of land. In order to get a complete covering and avoid bare spots, sprinkle half of all seeds from north to south, then the rest from east to west. Gently tamp down the seeds to ensure good contact with the soil, then cover lightly with mulch hay and keep it moist until the seeds have germinated (1-4 weeks). Be sure to provide one inch of water each week to the area until seedlings begin to grow.

By this point, maintenance is rather minimal. Take note of any weeds growing up and cut them down before they seed. Do not spray with an herbicide or pull them, as this can damage or disturb your seedlings. In very early spring mow the area close to the ground to expose the soil to the sun. This will help the wildflowers flourish over the cool-season weeds.

Hopefully, I have been able to share with you useful tips on growing your own wildflower meadow. I encourage you to do a little bit of research and talk to your local nurseries to learn which flowers will be best for your geographic area. Happy sowing!