During the spring and fall months many Texas roadsides become beautiful works of art evocative of
Masterful painters (Txdot.gov).
By John Green, Texas Certified Expert Gardener, Orange County, TX
Summer is in full swing ‘sweltering’ with temperatures above 90F except when we have the wonderful afternoon showers! Fortunately, this year we are receiving adequate rainfall meaning little supplemental watering is needed for lawns and gardens…remember last year! The severe drought caused every TX cities to impose some type of watering restriction due to the droughts severity. What a difference a year makes! August has arrived and this is the time of year to begin working on a wildflower garden for spring. If integrating a wildflower garden into a garden space fits your needs, the list below includes tools needed. The process takes a bit of time and requires that weeds and turfgrass be removed completely for a successful blooming spring wildflower garden.
Materials
Lawn mower
Garden rake
Sprinkler
Plastic sheeting (2 to 4-mil thickness) enough to cover area twice
Garden hose
Rotary tiller
Garden fork
Compost and Sand
Wildflower seed mix for SETX (USDA Zone 9a or 9b)
Preparation
Remove grass and weeds from the location mowing the area as close to the soil surface as possible, then use weed barrier. Turn the soil to loosen the soil, remove rocks, then smooth the soil surface with a rake to create a flat, even soil surface for seeding. Heavy clay soil (which is prevalent in our SETX region) will need to be amended with compost and sand to improve drainage. Wildflowers require well-draining soil to grow and thrive. Some wildflower mixes are better suited for specific soil types such as sandy or clay soil.
Seed Choice
It is always best to select native wildflower seeds which are suitable for our region and environment to support biodiversity and local pollinators. Gardeners need to consider planting annual or perennial wildflowers. Annual wildflowers will bloom the first year. Perennial wildflowers require a year for roots to become established, blooming in subsequent years. Mix seeds with corn meal or sand to provide even distribution during sowing.
Sow Seeds
Scattering wildflower seeds mid to late September eliminate many of the sprouting weeds that often plague spring plantings but are very useful for many grasses and perennial flowers. Use a broadcast spreader, sowing the seeds at the rate recommended for the mix. Note: some seed mixes recommend raking gently into the top 1 inch of soil. For the plants to become well established, keep the soil evenly moist for the first growing season. Remove invasive weeds, including tree and shrub seedlings as they grow. As years go by, add additional perennial and grass seeds to fill in gaps and replace annual seeds as needed.
Planting
Timing is everything! Wildflower seeds must be scattered at the right time, which is late summer (early fall) and early spring both of which are normally good times to plant in our area. Divide seeds into a couple of batches and broadcast in one direction at the site. The second batch needs to be scattered perpendicular to the initial batch to promote uniform coverage. Once both batches of seeds are distributed, the seeds must be pressed into the soil to ensure adequate seed to soil contact. There are several ways to compress seeds into the soil such as tamping the soil with a flat-blade shovel, using a roller, plywood sheet, or by hand. Note: many wildflowers require light to germinate, so do not cover them with soil unless directed to do so. After pressing the seeds into the soil, thorough watering is necessary, and the soil must remain moist until seeds germinate and seedlings sprout.
Tips for Success
Completely remove grass and weeds. Mow the existing vegetation as low as possible to the ground, then rototill the area, breaking and turning the soil until crumbly (friable). Water the area completely and thoroughly. Cover the tilled area with plastic sheeting. Use a garden hose to secure the initial plastic sheeting in place. Place another plastic sheet on top of the first sheet and secure the edges with stone, brick, wood, or anything heavy to keep plastic in place. The plastic sheeting will heat the covered area using sunlight, amplifying the temperature beneath and killing the remaining vegetation, roots and seeds.
Depending on the amount of sun and how high the daily temperatures, this process will take between 2 to 6 weeks to complete. Gardeners, the goal is to destroy existing vegetation and roots by raising the soil temperature to above 100°F to a depth of 4 to 6-inches. Once this is completed, the area must be rototilled again. Thoroughly water and wait two weeks for any remaining weeds to sprout and removing those that do.
Maintenance
It is important to water regularly during the initial weeks after introducing wildflower seeds, periods of infrequent rainfall, and elevated temperatures. Weed control is important and should be removed regularly. Weeds compete with wildflowers for nutrients and moisture. Wildflower seedlings may need to be thinned to avoid overcrowding to allow remaining plants adequate space to grow.
Some reputable Texas companies that sell wildflower seeds: Wild Seed Farms (Fredericksburg), Turner Seed (Breckenridge), and David’s Garden Seeds (San Antonio). Wildflowers are a ‘low maintenance’ option for home gardeners. Wildflower gardens support indigenous pollinators and wildlife while adding beauty to the landscape.
So long for now fellow gardeners! Let’s go out and grow ourselves a greener, more sustainable world, one ‘wildflower garden’ at a time! Gardening questions answered: jongreene57@gmail.com.
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