by Amanda

We’re frequently asked to go over the step-by-step process of planting a Wildflower meadow with gardeners. In fact, it’s one of the most common questions I received while working in customer service for over 3 years. Although all of the steps are important, I wanted to highlight the three most important steps so you’ll know to take extra care to do everything right during these parts of the process. You’ll be thrilled that you did when your meadow is bursting in blooms! 1. Clearing existing growth. This is technically under the “preparation” part of the process, but clearing existing growth during preparation is a big one. Wildflowers won’t compete well with existing plants, weeds, etc. and really need bare soil in order to thrive. Whether this means pulling everything by hand or renting a tiller, you should spend extra time on this step! A little extra work during the preparation stage will provide better results both short and long term. 2. Choosing the right varieties. This is very important!! Many Wildflowers prefer 6+ hours of sunlight a day, so if your area receives less than this, you’ll want to choose specific shade-tolerant varieties. Some varieties prefer sandy soil, others hate the cold, several varieties need a place to climb, etc. We’ve solved this problem by creating a filter on the left side of our Wildflower pages where you can choose your region, soil type, light requirements, etc. and it will show you the best varieties for your property. If you’re still not sure, one of our regional mixtures is always a great bet for a rainbow of blooms; they are specially formulated to thrive in certain regions of the country. Don’t forget – Our helpful gardening experts are also here to help 6 days a week. You can either call them at (877) 309-7333 or send them an email. 3. Seed coverage/compression. OK, I cheated a little and lumped two important steps into one. But they are both so important! Seed coverage is one of the main reasons customers don’t have success with planting a Wildflower meadow. Over-seeding an area can result in the seedlings choking each other out, therefore not growing at all. Our seed mixtures cover 1,500-4,000 square feet per pound, depending on the coverage you want (lush blooms to a scattered, meadow look). Any more than this and you will have trouble with growth. Individual species vary greatly by variety. Before planting, check the coverage for each variety; for example, a pound of Red Poppy seed can cover up to 10,000 square feet and a pound of Sunflower seed can only cover up to 400 square feet. For more information, read our article "How Much Seed Do I Need?". Compression is a super simple and extremely important step. Depending on the size of your planting area, either walk on the seed after you’re finished planting or use a seed roller to compress the seed into the ground. The seed-to-soil contact is important for strong, healthy growth! Don't forget, if you ever have any questions about planting you can contact the Seed Man. With over 25 years of Wildflower experience, he's our resident expert on all things seed! Find him on Facebook here or email him here. Do you have questions about Wildflower planting? Feel free to ask in the comments below or on our Facebook page. Happy Gardening!