Before going out to buy wildflower seeds, you need to take measurements of the proposed area where you plan to establish a wildflower garden. This will help you understand just how much wildflower seed you will actually need. Of course, gardens come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so measuring to the nearest millimetre is not required, but there are certain additional things to consider before ordering...
10% should be added for mismeasuring, 10% for seeds eaten by the birds and an additional 10% for filling in any thin spots around a month after sowing. This means you ideally want to buy 30% more seed than is required for your measured soil area.
You don’t need to worry too much about wasting any seeds, as any leftover wildflower seeds can be used to help fill any patchy areas throughout the year.
Can I just sprinkle wildflower seeds?
One of the easiest ways to spread wildflower seeds is with a seed spreader. Even handheld seed spreaders have an impressive spreading pattern of 1.5-2 metres. This means you can ensure an even distribution of seeds across your garden in a relatively short space of time.
If you’d prefer to do it by hand though, you absolutely can. Some gardeners simply find it more satisfying to manually spread seeds. It can even be great fun if you have children that want to get involved in creating your wildflower meadow. To make it easier to see where you’ve already spread wildflower seeds, you can mix a very small amount of flour or sand into the seed mix. This way, it will be easy to see where you’ve already spread seeds and make sure the wildflower seeds are evenly distributed.
After spreading your wild flower seed mix, we’d recommend lightly running a rake over the soil. You only want a few millimeters of soil to cover your wildflower seeds so using a rake will ensure the seeds are covered without being buried. If the seeds are buried too deeply, they will struggle to get enough sunlight to begin germination.
If you have any animals, it may be worth fencing off the area or laying some netting over the area until the seeds start to sprout. This will stop any curious furry friends digging up all your hard work!
How much wildflower seed do I need per square Metre?
How much wildflower seed you need will depend on if you choose a pure wildflower seed mix, like any of our 100% Wildflower Seed Mixtures, or a wildflower seed mix that also contains meadow grass, like our Wildflower Seed Mixtures 20%.
One gram of 100% wildflower seed mix is generally enough for a square metre of soil. While this may not seem like much, seeds are incredibly light so that is still a lot of seeds! Wildflower seed mixes that also feature grass tend to need a little more per square metre, normally around 5g.
As you can see from the prices of our 100g Dual Purpose Wildflower Meadow Seed, buying wildflower seeds in bulk is also one of the most effective ways to utilise a large area that's not suitable for other purposes for relatively little money.
Once you’ve measured the proposed area for sowing, figuring out how much wildflower seed you need can be a little daunting, especially if your garden is unusually shaped. That’s why we’ve also included wildflower seeds in our Grass Seed Calculator to make the job a little easier!
Are wildflowers easy to grow?
Wildflower seeds are relatively easy to grow, they just require a little patience. One of the most important steps when beginning your wildflower garden is to make sure the soil has been completely removed of any existing plants and grass.
One of the wonderful things about wildflowers is they can thrive in conditions when many other plants would struggle. Our Chalk & Limestone Soils Wildflower Seed Mix can establish a wildflower meadow even in chalky, calcareous soils and our Dry, Sandy & Loam Soils Wildflower Seed Mix even manage to grow beautiful wildflowers in dry, sandy soils.
If you’re looking to establish your wildflower garden a little quicker, you may want to consider wildflower bulbs or wildflower plants. Wildflower bulbs can be planted ‘in the green’, which means they are in their active growth stage, or in a dormant state in the autumn ready for spring. Daffodil bulbs are an especially popular choice to add a spring feeling to your garden.
Wildflower plants are available in collections designed for specific conditions, such as the Acidic Soils Wildflower Plant Collection, and help add colour in no time at all. You can use wildflower plants to bring some colour into your garden while you wait for your wildflower seeds to bloom.
Where is the best place to plant wildflowers?
There is a wildflower for every area so you can plant wherever you like. Whether you have acidic soil, shady spots or want to create a ‘nature belt’ for local pollinators, there’s a wild seed mix for you.
Mixes like our Hedgerow & Shade Wildflower Seed Mix will be able to brighten up even the shadiest spot! Many of our seed mixes, like the Cornfield Annual Wildflower Seed Mix, are recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society as featuring wildflowers scientifically proven to tackle bee, butterfly and pollinator decline.
If you’re looking to improve biodiversity within your garden, wildflower seeds are the perfect choice.
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Need some help figuring out how much wildflower seed to order? Get in touch with our friendly team!
