Creating a Pastoral Feel in Your Back Forty
When you have a large plot of land, keeping a perfectly manicured lawn can turning into a full time job. Instead of having acres of turf to mow, consider creating a pastoral wildflower patch. It is one of lowest maintenance landscapes to install, and after two years it becomes self sustaining. The keys to creating a beautiful wildflower patch on your property begin with choosing the right wild flower seed mixes. There are mixes designed for specific regions, specific soil types and for specific looks. And, even though most wildflowers require 6 or more hours of sunlight a day, there are shade mixtures that need only 3 to 4 hours. No matter which seed mix you choose, the planting and maintenance are the same.
Preparing for Wildflowers:
Setting up for a wildflower garden doesn't require a lot of prep work. The area will need to be ploughed and any existing vegetation tilled under. Then you have one of two choices – you can either apply a herbicide to the freshly tilled area to prevent weed growth or wait two weeks for weeds to germinate and then till them under a second time.
Once the area is ready to be seeded there are a few tricks that can help. Cultivating wildflower seeds requires just three things, contact with the soil, the right temperature and adequate moisture. To achieve these things you must:
- Seed after the last frost of the season
- Spread the seed evenly
- Lightly compress the soil to assure seed to soil contact
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Spreading the Seed:
The last frost date of the year is usually published on your local government website in the agriculture section. It can also be found on local television station sites under the weather tab or at Dave's Garden's frost date by zipcode site.
Getting an even seed spread on your wildflower seed can be done by mixing one part seed mix with 10 parts sand and then either hand spreading or using a seed spreader. The addition of and allows a more diverse spread of seed while also creating a track of where you've already spread seed and where you haven't. If you are looking for an intense flower garden, use a 2 to 1 mix instead of the ten to one.
After you have spread the seed, use either a lawn roller to roll the area or walk gently cover every inch of the seeded ground. This will assure that the seeds are pressed into the soil, but not covered so deeply that they will not germinate.
You will have to be patient when waiting for your seeds to germinate. Some flower will do it in 8 to 10 days, while others may take up to two months. This can leave a significant bare spot in raised beds that will be the wildflower home.
Yearly Maintenance:
Don't expect many flowers the first year of planting. Most wildflowers take at least one full year to reach maturity and establish enough roots to flower. At the end of the first growing season, mow the wildflower field. Remove the thatch from the area to prevent over-seeding the next year. It will also help prevent an incubation area for any weeds that have taken root. The strength of wildflowers is that they grow well in low nutrient soil and out compete weeds. After the first year, you'll only have to mow back the area in the fall. You don't have to remove the thatch. The area will then become self sustaining.
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Creating a Pastoral Feel in Your Back Forty
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