Bees & Pollinators Wildflowers - All Questions

Hi Lisa

Wildflowers much prefer poor soil conditions so are ideal for areas like this. If you have adequate amount of sunlight this mix will establish. i would just make sure it is will watered especially if the area is particularly dry.

Our seed is all fresh so will be good for about 12 months, likely 18 in reality but the less time that passes the better!
Store it in a cool, dry place and away from pests and it will be fine.

Yes you can use our wildflower seeds to make wildflower plugs.

Hi Lesley

Thank you for your query. it is not a requirement to mow wildflower but it will have an effect on what wildflower comes through. As you keep bees our Bees & Pollinators is a mix full of wildflower varieties that are all approved by the RHS Plants for Pollinators such as Oxeye Daisies and Dandelions that are well known for their bee-attracting abilities.

Once established these meadows create an abundance of colours and a welcoming and enticing environment for bees and other insects. It is a mix of annuals, perennials and grasses, it will also establish in most soil types.

Hi Lisa, for best results we would recommend taking it back to bare soil. Whilst you can sow wildflower seed into existing grass, it has varying degrees of success, so it isn't something we recommend. The existing grass would choke out the wildflower seeds and would eventually take over.

Hi Robert, if you have prepped the area and it is ready to sow then yes you can sow September. I would be more inclined to wait until later in the month though. Autumn is an ideal time because the seeds need to undergo the process of stratification (a freeze) to kick start their germination. If you were to sow the seed now, nothing will happen until next spring, early in the season.

Hi, there are two times in the year that we recommend sowing a meadow, one is spring and the other is autumn, so if you wish to do it this year you are in good time. Now is an ideal time because the seeds need to undergo the process of stratification (a freeze) to kick start their germination. If you were to sow the seed now, nothing will happen until next spring, early in the season. If you decide to wait until next year and sow in the spring, then your meadow will flower in the summer.

Hi, you can sow any of the mixes now. Autumn and spring are great times to sow wildflower seed. Annuals will appear 60-80 days after sowing, perennials will have a small showing but will take up to one year to fully establish. If you sow in Autumn, you should expect a showing in early spring and if sowing in spring you should see blooms in summer.

Hi, thank you for your question. For an acre, you would need approx. 21 kilos. Just to let you our recommended sowing rate is 5 grams per square meter.

Hi Joanne, thank you for your question.

No one meadow will look the same as another. This is what makes them so unique!

The success and results of your meadow rely on a number of factors such as weather, soil and available space and this can change from year to year. Annuals will appear one year and not the next whereas the perennials that did not bloom the first will make an appearance the second year.

Depending on the conditions some varieties of wildflower will thrive whilst others will struggle and this is what makes the outcome of a meadow so unpredictable yet exciting.

Annuals typically only have one showing but you can see them again the following year – if you do your prep. Annuals go to seed head each autumn and drop seeds into the soil. They are self-seeding, and almost self-sufficient but unfortunately, their process is not perfect – they need a bit of a helping hand.

You can manually assist this process by putting your mower on a high setting or cutting the wildflowers down. Then use a roller (if you’re fancy!) or your wellies to split the seed heads up to allow more seeds to get into the soil. This will result in an annual showing in the following year.
​
Oxeye Daisies are small perennials.