Planting Wildflowers: Site Prep, Sowing, Bird Protection, and After-Bloom Care

Select well-drained site with ≥6 hrs sun. Rake lightly (≤1″)—less disturbance = fewer weed seeds. Decomposed granite? Skip raking; seeds fall between gravel.

Mix seed with native soil or sand for even distribution. Broadcast half, then sow remainder perpendicular to first pass. Walk over seed for soil contact, or rake very lightly once.

Water with fine spray/mist. Keep moist until emergence (5–14 days). At few inches high, taper irrigation. Thereafter, water only when young plants show stress.

Bird Protection

Birds love seeds and seedlings. Distract with quail blocks or birdseed.

After-Bloom Care

For self-sowing annuals, let them set seed. After foliage browns and most seeds ripen, pull plants and scatter remaining seed. Sparse spring crop? Reseed in fall.