Great Mullein Seeds (Verbascum thapsus)

How to Sow Wildflower Seeds

Preparation

• Wildflower Seeds perform best in poor, low nutrient soils, which haven’t been heavily fertilised in the past.If possible, remove any rich topsoil to create leaner growing conditions (High nutrient soils encourage weeds and fast growing grasses which may outcompete the wildflowers in this mixture)
• Clear the area of weeds, grass, and debris before starting
• If weeds have taken over, it’s best to reduce the number of weed seeds in the soil first. You can do this by allowing a flush of weeds to germinate, then removing them before sowing your wildflowers
• Cultivate the ground to a depth of 10cm to relieve compaction and create a fine level tilth
• Work the soil until it reaches a fine, crumbly texture
• Try to disturb it as little as possible afterwards, as this can bring new weed seeds to the surface

Timing

• The best times to sow wildflower seed are from February to April or from late August through October, with autumn usually giving the best results.
• Avoid sowing in the hot, dry summer months.

Sowing

• To achieve an even spread, mix the seed with a carrier such as dry sand at a ratio of four parts sand to one part seed (by weight). This makes it easier to achieve an even distribution and also provides a visual marker, making it easier to see any missed patches and avoid seeding areas twice
• Use around 3g per m² for pure wildflower mixes, or 5g per m² for mixes that include grasses
• If you are sowing a seed mixture - regularly mix/shake the seed, as seeds will naturally separate due to variations in size and weight
• Once sown, ensure good ‘seed to soil’ contact by lightly raking or rolling the area

Reducing the sowing rate is likely to result in invasion from weed species.

Increasing the sowing rate generally leads to reduced diversity as the more aggressive species will outcompete slower growing plants.

Flowering

• Dpending on the time of year and current weather condisions, you should start to see seedlings emerge within a few weeks
• In mixed sowings, grasses may appear first, but this is perfectly normal and not a cause for concern
• Annual wildflowers will typically bloom in the same year if sown in spring or the previous autumn
• Perennial species take longer to establish, generally flowering from their second year onwards