Wild flower advice please???

Hi higgy, I am no expert on this subject, but I also tried growing wildflowers on a patch of ground that had been churned up by moles. I got poppies and afew cornflowers, but not much else, apart from grass and lots of weeds. I believe part of the problem is that the patch has to be poor soil, with no fertilisers. This apparently is what the wilddflowers like.

It depends:-( Wildflower meadows with plants like field scabious, toadflax, knapweeds, rattle (rattle is a  plant that is used to lower the soils fertility and the like require poor soil and should be mown in spring before the plants flower - usually, wildflower meadow mixes include appropriate grasses, fescues (sp?) and the like - they're not the same grasses that make lawns. You mow again in autumn AFTER the flowers have set seed and they've ripened - then mowing spreads the seeds around. You should pick up the clippings to keep fertility low.

On the other hand, plants like cornflower, corn marigold, field poppies require fertile soils, the same kind of fertility that wheat likes and they don't like competition from grass.Vetches are legume type plants and will fix nitrogen and increase the soils fertility, the way peas, runner beans etc. do.

So, in short, it depends on the seeds you have. The absolute easiest way to make a meadow (short of buying incredibly expensive wildflower turf, which already has the flowers in it and you lay like turf is normally laid) is to strip the area of turf until its bare, sow you meadow mix, tread it down like you do with sowing grass, so that you press the seed into contact with the soil, water it as you would if you were growing a new grassy area. Wildflower meadows are not easy, require patience and some years to establish:-(

What I would do now is if you're not sure what your packet of wildflower seeds contain, is sow them either in pots or on bare soil. The plugs, if you're not sure what you have, I'd plant in the grassy area and hope for the best and mow it first. They've  got two choices, make it or not.  I'm not sure why the advice given said leave the clippings in place because I've always understood that you don't. do that for meadows. It's tricky. I think given that you don't know what you have I'd sow and plant verything after mowing and if it doesn't work or not well enough, start again from scratch next year by choosing whether you're going for meadow or cornfield, buy your seed accordingly and prepare your ground also accordingly.

 

Kezsmum said:

choosing whether you're going for meadow or cornfield, buy your seed accordingly and prepare your ground also accordingly.

 

Kezsmum, Great reply re: wild flowers as always......

Your quote above is interesting as I have a bit of everything either sown or in trays......then the left over seed I have put in a big bag and mixed it all together for spreading over the plot again!!.....

I suppose that something should work out of that little lot??

Mowing in Autumn makes more sense as you are spreading the seed about which I understand, my dilemma now is that the grass is getting so long I fear the flowers won't get a decent chance to at least have a go...

higgy50 said:

my dilemma now is that the grass is getting so long I fear the flowers won't get a decent chance to at least have a go...

On balance I'd give it a light mow, don't get the blades too low then if you do hack off the top of wildflowers they'll have a chance to regrow from what's left - after all you pinch out the growing tips of plants you want to bulk up a bit and they grow back - ditto when you transplant or split a perennial you often reduce the top growth to give it a chance to settle and spread its roots - so be a devil -mow THEN pop your plug plants in:-) The poppy, though, may not make it - but a packet of field poppy seed to replace it won't break the bank. Poppy seed can sit for decades (centuries in some case) until the ground is disturbed and then they start growing - that's why cornfields have them, it's the ploughing sets 'em off.

Hope your back is all better now, especially if you're going to be mowing:-)

I think the cutting back gives the slower plants a chance to catch up with the faster ones so you get more variety...not sure though!  My meadow isn't long enough to cut with a pair of nail clippers at the moment lol

Thanks as always for the comments......

Unfortunately I did mow the lawn today but before reading this so didn't mow where the wild flowers are!!!......I mowed my paths in and gave the main lawn a nice trim so the layout is in place for now anyway.

KatTai your idea about the slower growing plants is interesting and along with Kazsmum's comments re 'nipping' the tops of plants off I think I will be back out with the mower again at the weekend!

Before I do though would strimming work in these areas so as not to cut too low or would it potentially damage the plants due to it's ripping action?

 

higgy50 said:

Before I do though would strimming work in these areas so as not to cut too low or would it potentially damage the plants due to it's ripping action?

I'm afraid I wouldn't know, I loathe strimmers SO MUCH that I've never even touched one:-( It's the noise like an angry wasp only MUCH bigger:-(( I know they have their uses but for me, they just add to the noise pollution - sorry.

At this time of year I think a low cut is done then left to get to the desired height.  Thats what the instructions on my seeds said anyway lol

Ok it sounds like mower and possibly shears in a few places tomorrow then!!

Managed an hour in the garden after work today and got a border next to the 'little ladies' swing dug. The idea is that I will grow some honeysuckle and clematis over it as at the moment it is just grey metal and looks ugly so thought I'd make a feature of it instead!.....Nice smell from the honey suckle whilst swinging also!

Don't you just love Spring??.....and lighter nights from next week!

Oh that sounds like a lovely plan! Very Hollywood! But maybe you're too young to remember those films with young women in frothy dresses swinging on flower laden swings - they were always in the most unlikely weird colours before they got to grips with colour film properly.

It sounds like a delightful idea, anyway.