FAQs About Growing Wildflowers In Summer

We're here to help answer your summertime wildflower questions. Click on your question below to jump to the answer.

For more information, visit our Wildflower Learning Center for all of our wildflower planting guides.

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• It’s not unusual to plant seeds in summer, as long as you have enough time before your frost date for the plants to grow and bloom. Fast-growing annuals like Zinnias and Sunflowers are popular for summer planting because they will germinate and grow quickly, and continue to bloom until a hard frost. 
• We don’t have to tell you twice - it’s HOT - so you’ll want to make sure to water your seedlings regularly to help encourage germination for seeds, and reduce stress & encourage root growth for seedlings in the heat of summer. 
• For more detailed planting instructions, please see our guide: How To Grow Wildflowers

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• Some do - but not all!
• Typically annual wildflowers will bloom all season long, from bloom until a hard frost. Annuals have a one year lifecycle, so they are putting all of their energy into showing off in their one growing season. 
• Perennial wildflowers are wonderful because they return year after year, and they can be long-blooming, but many will have a shorter bloom season and a specific bloom window. See the product page for details about your perennials' bloom times.
• Looking for peak summer color? Favorites include annual Zinnias, Sunflowers, Cosmos, and perennial Coneflowers, Black Eyed Susans, and Coreopsis!
  The easiest way to ensure continual blooms all season long is to grow a mix of flowers with spring, summer, and fall bloom seasons. Our seed mixes are a great place to start!
• For more detailed planting instructions, please see our guide: How To Grow Wildflowers

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• Your watering schedule will depend on the plants that you’re growing, and how often you’re getting rain.
• It’s good to keep an eye on your plants to look for signs of stress, such as wilting or rapidly progressing flowers.
• Keep an eye on your soil, too - is it dry and dusty? The ideal state of soil is like the moisture level of a wrung-out sponge. 
• Remember, watering deeply to soak your soil, and doing so only as needed, is going to result in healthier plants vs. frequent shallow watering. 
• See tips in our guide: How To Grow Wildflowers: Patience & What To Expect 

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Are you working on establishing a new garden or meadow, but not seeing blooms? Here are the most common issues that we see: 

• Make sure you are watering enough for your young plants to thrive and establish in the summer heat - especially new plantings.
• Are you growing perennials? Adopt the pace of nature. Remember, perennials sleep, creep, then leap! In the first season, they’ll be putting most energy into building a healthy root system - and they will start to bloom in their second or third season depending on their growth rate. 
• Are you growing annuals? If you have very crowded, dense greenery and foliage, the wildflowers may be too crowded and competing for resources. You may want to consider thinning a section of the meadow to see if it encourages blooms. 
• Are your wildflowers getting enough sunlight? Most wildflowers need full sun, which means about 6-8 hours a day. Not enough sunlight can delay or diminish blooming. 
• Have questions? Our customer service team is always happy to help you troubleshoot. Contact Us with questions.

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Know what you sow! Understanding the life cycle of your wildflowers is an important step toward growing a meadow successfully.

• Annuals have a one-year life cycle, and bloom just weeks after planting to provide bright color in the first season. Although annuals produce seeds that may drop at the end of the season, annuals do not reliably reseed themselves on their own in most areas. For dependable results, most gardeners reseed annuals for each new growing season. Popular annuals include Sunflowers, Zinnias, Cosmos, Poppies, and more.
• Biennials complete their life cycle in two years. The first year they develop root systems and grow stems and leaves. In the second year, the plant will flower and then die. Biennials include Sweet William, Foxglove, and Hollyhocks, among others.
• Perennials spend their first growing season developing healthy root systems and some foliage. Perennials are unlikely to bloom in the first year. Generally, perennials will take two or three years to reach mature size and full bloom. Herbaceous perennials will go dormant each winter. Popular perennials include Coneflowers, Milkweed, and Daisies.
• Learn more in our guide: Plant Life Cycles: Annuals, Perennials, and Biennials

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If it’s peak bloom season in your established meadow is not as colorful as you would like, it’s easy to add fresh seed to your meadow! We have a guide that will explain different methods for giving your meadow a burst of blooms.

Learn More: How To Add To Your Established Meadow

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• Wildflower seeds will germinate and sprout approximately 2-3 weeks after germination. See What do wildflowers need to germinate well?
• Of course, this assumes two important factors: weather and water. If you're in the "hot zone" this year, things may be slowed down a bit. And of course, your seedlings must have sufficient water to grow up to blooming size.
• Annuals will begin to bloom first, about 2-3 months after they sprout
• Perennials typically establish their foliage in the first season, then overwinter and bloom in the second and successive seasons. See What are the differences between annual, biennial, and perennial wildflowers?

Most of our seed mixes are designed with both annuals and perennials. Different species of flowers mature and bloom at different times in a growing season, and we've crafted our mixes to include species that will bloom at different times throughout the growing season—spring, summer, and fall— so that you always have something in bloom.

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• Did you know that a square foot of soil can hold between 900-3,000 dormant weed seeds? Even when you've prepared your soil properly, there may be many dormant weed seeds that sprout, especially if the area where you planted has been left untended for a while.
• Keep an eye on existing weeds as they grow elsewhere on your property for comparison. Most gardeners find that they struggle with 5-10 aggressive weeds.
• You can create your own wildflower ID cheat sheet by planting some of the seeds from your mix separately, watching the foliage as they develop, and labeling the seedlings once identified.
• You can identify wildflowers by using a wildflower identification book, website images, or a plant identification app.
• Check in with your local gardeners or local Extension program - they'll have good information on local weeds and how to manage them.
• If you can’t tell the weeds from the flowers, one tip is to look for clumping. If you see a clump and relatively fast-growing plant that does not appear evenly over your meadow, it's likely a group of weeds.
• Not sure? Let it grow! As the plant matures and flowers, it will be much easier to identify. 
• See What's the best way to control the weeds in my meadow? 

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The two most common causes of meadow plantings overrun with weeds are poor soil preparation and/or sowing more than the recommended quantity of seed. These situations lead to very disappointing results!

If weeds and grasses were not thoroughly removed from the planting area, these aggressive growers can come back to out-compete wildflowers. And, although it may seem counter-intuitive, more seed is not better for wildflowers. Unlike grass, where a seed produces a single blade, a wildflower seed produces a complete flowering plant with substantial root systems. The seeds must lie on bare soil for good seed-to-soil contact; they need sufficient access to nutrients, sunlight, water, and ample room for roots to grow. Overcrowding can cause the wildflowers to lose the competition with weeds and grasses.

One of the beauties of a wildflower meadow is that it is relatively low maintenance — but that’s low maintenance, not no maintenance. When weeds begin to grow in your planting, here are some tips for controlling weeds:

• After the first few weeks of growth, search for and pull any weeds that might have sprouted along with the wildflowers.  
• Take a stroll through the meadow every other week with scissors in hand when picking bouquets, and cut any weeds down as low to the ground as possible.
• If you can, pull the weeds up, roots and all, when they are young. It can be easier to do so when the soil is damp, such as after rain.
• If you are unsure if it's a weed or a wildflower, see "How can I tell the weeds from the wildflowers?" above — or leave it in place until you are more certain.
• To discourage weeds from spreading, be sure to cut them down or pull them out before they go to seed!
• In very large meadows where hand-weeding is not possible, you may want to consider tilling and re-planting seeds if the weeds have taken over dramatically. Feel free to contact us for recommendations for your planting.

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Many people ask this, and of course, the answer is "Yes, definitely!" Red poppies, for example, have an endless number of flower variations. If you particularly like one form, save the seed from the little pod that's left after the flower fades (leave it on the plant until it's good and dry). Store the seed in a dry envelope until next spring, and you'll have more of the exact same flowers. 

You can choose your favorite flower types and save the seed for more of the same. Saved seed like this makes great gifts for your gardening friends!

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