Which Seasons are Best to Plant Wildflowers?
There’s nothing more stunning than a field full of wildflowers. It would be lovely to see them all year round, but as with all things in nature, the growth of flowers cycles throughout the year. So, when is the best time to plant wildflower seeds, and how do you prepare your site properly for successful planting?
The answer depends on the location and climate of your site. Although spring, summer, and fall are all suitable times to plant your wildflower seed mix, the best time is determined by the temperatures and water availability during the winter months. There are videos available online showing step-by-step methods for correct planting of wildflower seeds to watch and follow along with.
Planting in Mild-Winter Areas
If you live in a location that has minimal to no winter frosts, such as parts of California, Florida, Southern Texas, and other areas of the southwest of North America), it is possible to plant perennial wildflower seeds at any time of the year. However, it’s not recommended to plant them during the hottest times of the year. Instead, you should make the most of the cooler temperatures and light rains of the fall.
Planting in Cold Areas
If you live in an area that experiences extremely cold winters, you should always wait until the weather warms up a little before you plant your wildflowers – until spring or, if you can, wait until fall. When planting your wildflower seeds in the fall, you will start to see the blooms earlier than if you planted in spring. Try to avoid planting if or when there is any hard frost during fall as the seeds would not sprout until spring when the soil is warm enough for germination.
Benefits of Planting in Spring
Waiting until the warmer spring weather will give you the chance to pull up any weeds from your site before you plant. This might delay your planting slightly, but it will be worth spending the time to remove any competition for nutrients and sunlight.
If the ground is dry, you can add a small amount of water to the ground you are preparing to plant to encourage the weed seeds to sprout. Once they’ve sprouted, you can lay down some weed fabric to block the sunlight and eventually kill the weed sprouts. Then you will be able to sow your seeds and water the site. Make sure not to dry out your seeds, and always keep the soil slightly wet.
Soil Preparation and Sowing
Wildflowers like full sun and light moisture; clear out any unwanted vegetation and other foreign matter, so the seeds have good soil contact. You might want to add organic compost to help hold the moisture in the soil. You won’t need fertilizer, but if you want to add a supplement to the soil, use one low in nitrogen and has higher levels of nitrogen and potassium.
Contact Stover Seed to learn more about planting your wildflower seeds today.