Bumblebee seed mix, how best to sow ?

[Mozzie]

I put this post originally on the Wildflower forum, but it was suggested I post here. Some have suggested that this seed mix might cause more problems than they're worth.


I've just bought some Bumblebee wild flower seed mix;

Species included:Balsam,Indian; Betony; Birds-Foot-Trefoil,Common; Burdock, Greater and Lesser; Campion, Red; Charlock; Clover, Red; Comfrey, Common; Dandelion; Dead-nettle, White; Foxglove; Horehound, Black; Hound's-tongue; Knapweed, Common and Greater; Melilot, Ribbed; Mullein, Dark and Great; Pansy, Field and Wild; Poppy, Common; Purple-Loosestrife; St. John's Wort, Common; Sage, Wood; Teasel; Thistle, Cotton; Toadflax, Common; Vetch, Kidney and Tufted; Viper's-Bugloss; Woundwort, Hedge


It says sow late March to May. I want to sow on an area of mown lawn.
Should I , remove the turf and rotivate first or just remove the turf. Or maybe I should just scatter the seeds without doing either ? Anybody any ideas ?

[Jez]

Hi Mozzie

I'm off out now, but will be back just gone 4pm to help!

[Mercadante]

Rotavating is bad for worms, so avoid it if you can. Grasses are likely to outcompete wildflowers so you should probably remove all the turf before sowing, though it depends a bit on your soil - if it's a very sandy spot it may be diificult to keep it moist enough for seeds when bare.

[snowdrop]

Hi Mozzie, did you buy the seeds from a catalogue or garden centre?

[Lancashire Lad]

Suggest everyone replying should read the original thread on Wldflower forum before replying here.

eg. - The Indian Balsam reference in Mozzie's original post has already been discussed at length.

Regards
Mike.

[Mozzie]

Bought the seeds here :

The Organic Gardening Catalogue

The only difference is that the Balsam is no longer included.

[Jez]

Hi Mozzie,

Right...lets see what we can do! First & foremost there's a few things to take into account when planting wild flowers into the lawn. 1 is the optimal situ which usually is at the furthest part of the garden where mowing is less frequent than normal, giving the plants time to grow, but you will have to bear in mind, the best sort of plants in that case, would be ones who can bounce back after a being cropped! Secondly what situation is the lawn at the furthest end. Shaded (heavy/dappled), or sunny and dry?! As you know certain flowers grow better in different light conditions and also prefer different soil, another thing to take into consideration!!

Once you have established all of that. Time for clearing the plot. My suggestion is to dig down to the sub soil, if you can..All being well this shouldn't be too deep and the colour in the soil should have a changed. This has less nutrients, just the stuff you want to manage otherwise competing grasses. But if you find that the subsoil is too deep....have no fear, all's not lost ! Just scape of the soil, loosen the ground up so you can rake the seed in! Now if you wish to achieve a bee beneficial informal lawn my suggestion would be to obtain red fescue, it's creeping, but not vigorous like rye and will bind the soil nicely as well as keeping the rye at bay. Mix this with seed at a ratio of 5-10 grms flower seed, to 95-90 grms red fescue and sow at a rate of 35 grms a square meter and of course water reguarly!
The best time to sow would have actually August but you can grow from march-May.

That's it, the only concern I still have though Mozzie is your seed Mixture. Not so much the mixture itself but I just don't think It's an idyllic lawn mixture. Some of the varieties wouldn't take to the cropping, which incidentally should be around a fortnight to 3 week regime and first cut when the grass is around 35 cm down to 10cm to begin with.

My Bee Mixture which will take to a crop would be as follows

Red Dead Nettle, Calamint, Harebell, Restharrow, Betony, Selfheal, Majoram, Yarrow, Ox Eye Daisy, Cowslip, Primrose, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Meadow Pea, Common Toadflax, Common Daisy, Ribwort & Hoary Plantain, Meadow & bulbous buttercup, Thyme, Hyssop & Hedge Woundwort!

My suggestion only.


Wishing you all the best with it

Regards

Jez

[JennyS]

No, sorry Mozzie, its just not a wildflower lawn mixture!
However (except the balsam!) it would be suitable for planting without grasses as a border or as a wild-flower flowerbed......and as Jez suggests then get a wildflower lawn specific mix for planting with grass to mow.

A wildflower 'meadow' would be different to a wildflower 'lawn' as you would be attempting to imitate something similar to a hay meadow - cut in the spring, let grow and flower and then cut late summer-ish. By this time a lot of the plants will have set seed, leave the cuttings lie for a couple of days to drop the seeds and then clear from the area.
There would be a slightly different range of species for meadows as opposed to lawns.......
Good luck with it all!

[Jez]

Just like to add, if you decide just to plant on from seed into a wildflower/ wildflower-cultivar mix border, then those no need to allow the seeds to settle for a couple of days as you would a wildflower meadow as Jenny S rightly says!

A wildflower meadow needs a different regime all together when it comes to cutting!

[Highland Damsel]

You could have a look at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust website for ideas they have a gardening section that might bee of interest either for this project or for the future. They also have a year round species list. Have fun