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groundloop

(12,332 posts)
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 03:48 PM Sep 23

When to plant native wildflowers?

I'm an absolute newbie to gardening, generally anything I touch dies, but I'm going to have a go at getting rid of grass in a portion of my yard and converting it into native wildflowers.

What I'm looking at is a mixture of annuals and perennials. From what I've been able to read it sounds like fall is a good time to plant these..... but when in the fall? At the moment the temperature is still getting into the upper 80s (I'm in USDA zone 8a), but it looks like that will be cooling down to mid 70s next week. Should I wait until later in the fall to plant, or can these seeds be sown right now?

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When to plant native wildflowers? (Original Post) groundloop Sep 23 OP
I plant bulbs in the fall, seeds early spring questionseverything Sep 23 #1
The grass is pretty well dead in the spots I'm going to plant these groundloop Sep 23 #3
I would til it now, cover the area with black plastic until mid March and plant my seeds then questionseverything Sep 23 #5
Try this place... MiHale Sep 23 #2
Yep, that's where I'm getting my seed from..... groundloop Sep 23 #4
Some perrenials can be puti n Now Figarosmom Sep 23 #6
if they are natives you can plant in the fall Kali Sep 23 #7
Where are you rockbluff botanist Sep 23 #8
This message was self-deleted by its author groundloop Sep 23 #10
Where are you rockbluff botanist Sep 23 #9
I'm in northeast Alabama..... Cherokee County groundloop Sep 23 #11
Let nature decide? beesplease Oct 13 #12

groundloop

(12,332 posts)
3. The grass is pretty well dead in the spots I'm going to plant these
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 04:06 PM
Sep 23

And I'll also rototill these areas.

What I'm planning on doing is purchasing a wildflower seed mix such as this one.


https://www.americanmeadows.com/product/wildflower-seeds/fragrant-wildflower-seed-mix





questionseverything

(10,230 posts)
5. I would til it now, cover the area with black plastic until mid March and plant my seeds then
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 04:30 PM
Sep 23

If you plant now, I think you will lose the annuals

Btw farm and fleet sells wildflower/ zinnia packs each spring with fertilizer around each seed, they work great and were pretty inexpensive

MiHale

(10,823 posts)
2. Try this place...
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 04:04 PM
Sep 23

Had a good experience with them. Lots of talking about different locations and soil conditions. Tons of info.

https://www.americanmeadows.com/

groundloop

(12,332 posts)
4. Yep, that's where I'm getting my seed from.....
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 04:10 PM
Sep 23

Maybe I'm overthinking this. I'm guessing that the perennials in the mix will be fine getting planted as soon as possible. What I'm worrying about (maybe needlessly) is the annuals blooming if I plant them right now and then not coming back next year. (Hey, I'm totally stupid when it comes to growing plants).

Figarosmom

(3,012 posts)
6. Some perrenials can be puti n Now
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 04:46 PM
Sep 23

Like poppies and coneflowers,, mums,asters Silvia, phlox, Rebecca (brown eyed susans,)Susan's,, daisy'ssweet william and 4 oclocks . Many of these are in the mix but the annuals in the mix won't make it through the winter. But if you want a head start huy individual packets of the perennials and scatter the seeds where you want t h em to grow then in the spro g add the mix.


O

You can put in a bunch of tulips and daffodils now and put in your seed around them in the spring. The seedlings will come up as the leaves die down from the tulips and daffodils. Don't cut the leaves because that is what makes the new bulb for the next year. You can cut the stem and dead over off though

Kali

(55,822 posts)
7. if they are natives you can plant in the fall
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 05:09 PM
Sep 23

how do people think native annuals survive winter? however not knowing your location it is hard to say WHEN in the fall. if you are in the desert where we sometimes have winter moisture I would wait until around thanksgiving or a little before.

if in doubt buy extra and try several plantings. birds (and ants/rodents) often take a lot of the seed anyway.

rockbluff botanist

(360 posts)
8. Where are you
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 05:27 PM
Sep 23

I'm a botanist and a Master Gardener. It all depends on where you are.

Here in the southeast, we plant native trees and shrubs in the fall.

Response to rockbluff botanist (Reply #8)

rockbluff botanist

(360 posts)
9. Where are you
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 05:32 PM
Sep 23

I'm a botanist and Master Gardener in the southeast.

We plant our trees and shrubs in the fall.

Seeds that need cold stratification can be planted in the fall.

groundloop

(12,332 posts)
11. I'm in northeast Alabama..... Cherokee County
Mon Sep 23, 2024, 07:03 PM
Sep 23

(Now all of my neighbors are gonna' know I'm one of them libruls - if they haven't figured it out already).

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