Care After Planting Wild Flowers

Care After Planting Wild Flowers
Stock Seed Farms, Inc.

All seeds need water to germinate. Wildflowers require more moisture than grasses to germinate, however, overwatering should be avoided.

Plantings should be kept moist during their early stages of development. Light waterings three or four times a week will help ensure optimum germination. During their establishment and blooming stages, supplemental watering once a week (more often if natural rainfall is low) will help wildflowers thrive and may even prolong the blooming periods of some species.

It is generally unnecessary to fertilize wildflowers if they are planted in their native habitat. In fact, fertilizing may produce excessive foliage at the expense of blooms.

As with any new seeding, the establishment year includes eradication of undesirable plants (weeds). Take care when hand-rouging, as small wildflowers may be uprooted at the same time. Mowing over the top of small wildflower seedlings will help keep fast-growing weeds in check.

Wildflower seedings become much more competitive in the second year as more perennials develop. Commercial herbicides are available for over-the-top grass control on established stands. CONSULT YOUR LOCAL GARDEN STORE OR COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE.

© 2006 Stock Seed Farms, Inc.