Are you enjoying the beautiful displays of wildflowers blooming on the interstates, along trails, city medians, and in public gardens? Florida wildflowers are prolific bloomers in late spring and early summer. Follow these tips to have a beautiful wildflower garden or meadow in your community or yard.
· Order seeds in the Spring from Florida Wildflowers Growers Co-Op. https://www.floridawildflowers.com/
· For north Florida, plant your seeds in August and September. If you are in south Florida, plant your seeds in September through October.
· Full sun locations with good drainage are the best conditions to plant your seeds.
· Weeds can be the major cause of failure with wildflower gardens. Four weeks before planting your wildflower seeds, use a herbicide with glyphosate or glufosinate to spray the wildflower location. Repeat two weeks later.
· Remove dead turf or weeds.
· To prepare the seed bed, rake or lightly till the surface of the soil to a maximum depth of one inch.
· Mix seeds with sand or vermiculite to help sow the seeds.
· Apply one half of seed/sand mixture with broadcaster in one direction. Use the other half of the seed mixture and apply in the opposite direction.
· Make sure your seeds come in contact with the soil. Walk lightly on top of the seeds or use a roller to gently push seeds into ground but make sure you don’t press too deep. Cover with about ¼” to 1/8” soil. No deeper.
· Water daily for 20 to 30 minutes for two to three weeks if no rain fall. After that, there is no need to water unless the plants appear stressed.
· For first year care and maintenance, see UF/IFAS publication ENH1046. https://bit.ly/3UEQK6U