A successful wildflower garden requires much more than throwing out some seeds. Quality wildflower blends are not cheap, and ground preparation is vital to the success of wildflowers. Newly sprouted wildflowers can’t compete with our native grasses and weeds, and will be quickly choked out before they can even get rooted. The site needs to be rid thoroughly of all vegetation down to the roots. This can be done through the application of a broad spectrum herbicide, but we prefer to stay away from the chemicals. Our preferred method is scraping off the top several inches of soil then tilling the ground several times with 10-14 days between tillings.If the area isn’t too large, a tarp can then be placed over the area blocking all sunlight from the ground. This will kill all vegetation and give you a clean slate to plant your wildflower seeds.
The best time of year to begin preparing the ground is winter when the grass is dormant. Once the grass is either treated, killed, or removed, the ground can be tilled.
