Wildflower seeds.

Someone told me today that he sprinkled a box of wildflower seeds onto a grassy area and they grew. Is this true? I thought seeds had to be raked into bare soil??

 

Unlikely. Some might.

In nature, some seeds would by chance end up in contact with a suitable exposed patch of soil. Some will get trodden in by passing animals. Some will do a tour of an animal's digestive tract and emerge in its own patch of 'soil'.

Even those seeds that do make it to the soil surface will have to compete with the grass, which has evolved to be super competitive. Even wildflower meadow seed mixes often feature a species called yellow rattle, which is included because it is a parasite to grass, so keeping the grass weak to allow the other species to have a chance.

I reckon some ground prep is required.

 

I was dubious when she said that she simply emptied the box over the grass and a couple of months later flowers appeared. That would be just too easy Maybe she mistook weeds for flowers as some weeds are quite pretty.

 

As Dave said, depends what they were. I had a Cuckoo flower come up in the lawn, must have been a seed dropped by a Swallow or something.

 

It could also depend on the suitability of the soil to support grass. What I've noticed is there's a natural cycle about 3 or 4 years long where grass thrives, then exhausts the nitrogen reserves, then it struggles and clover thrives, building up the nitrogen reserves, then grass thrives again and forces out the clover and so on and so forth.

That being the case, if the soil is short of nitrogen so the grass is struggling, then perhaps wildflower seeds might have a chance.

 

I think the seeds were a box of bee and butterfly variety. I drove into Holyhead this morning to purchase rabbit snacks and a few bits and bobs. I saw pots of Herbs ( £1.99 ), so grabbed one of Oregano. Lady on checkout till said she had she had some too. I said it was for rabbits and conversation developed from there. I said that the Marjoram I grow has flowers that are bee and butterfly friendly and the buns love it. I also have other wildlife flowers that are not for the buns to eat. She mentioned the wildflower box.

We have some patches of bare earth where grass has worn away from us walking over it whilst its water logged. I like the wildflower idea so I think I will buy a box and sprinkle some on the patches. I could sprinkle in the pots, but not sure if they would like the compost to grow in.

 

I recently planted a pack of wild flower seeds in a seed tray and about half have appeared I then transplanted them into 2" pots and they are now in 6" pots.On the packet it says plant out in September so they should be quite big by then.I am going to put them in a part of the garden my wife wants as a wild area it has grass on it now but will trim the grass and will dig up some small areas to put the flowers and then keep the grass fairly low so as to not smother the flowers.

 

If there's any Hayrattle in the mix it'll help keep the grass down, it feeds on it

 

...also called yellow rattle, e.g. In chilterns seed catalogue