TLC for your wildflower meadow...

Claire Benn shares advice on how to help your wildflower starter patch/meadow flourish

Spring 2023 proved challenging in terms of seeding a new wildflower meadow. The weather turned cool and very wet so a lot of seed drowned, leading to disappointing results. For those who sowed in September, it’s still a little early to tell how things will progress, but either way, read on….
 
Take heart – exactly the same thing happened in our first year. We were left with a lot of bare, patchy soil and very few wildflowers. But what to do? Well, gird your loins and be prepared to try again! Even though we're talking wild here - you're meadow won't look after itself...
 
Get a small working party together.

• Clear the site of any leaf litter; if left, it fertilises the soil in favour of grass species
• dig out any grass that’s invaded the patch
• look out for thuggish wild natives eg Sow Thistle or Creeping Buttercup as they may try to take over. They’re both good for pollinators, but must be managed to give other wild flowers a chance.

• loosen up bare patches of soil with a fork or rake – if very dry, dampen it but don’t make it soggy
• mix seed with damp sand – this provides initial moisture, makes seed less visible to hungry birds and stops it from being blown away in strong winds
• re-sow, aiming for the bare patches
• if weather is very dry, water lightly from time to time. 
• and if the weather turns wet for a long period – pray!

Remember, even after re-seeding, no wildflower meadow looks great in its first year. By year two, things should start coming together and look more promising. A bit of annual TLC to any meadow – new or established – will help it along. The best time to do this is late February/early March; any earlier can hinder plant identification as the new growth won’t have really got going (although with climate change, things seem to be warming up sooner).

So, please don’t be discouraged! 
 
You can find lots more advice on establishing and maintaining a wildflower meadow here on our Act for Nature  pages. And while we’ve got your attention, check out what we’ve got in store for 2024 here.