How Much Wildflower Seed Do I Need
Start by measuring the wildflower seed project site How much wildflower seed do I need? Well, first decide how much ground you will expose to seeding wildflowers or native grasses. Get the square footage by measuring length x width. So then if you have 200 feet by 10 feet you have 2000 square ft. Be aware of the type of soil and the weed competition you may encounter with unwanted species whose seeds may be present in the soil bank. If the site has been kept mown, and is not a weedy area you will be able to use a lesser rate than in an area where a lot of competition from weeds or grass is expected. How to choose which wildflower or grass seed mix to use? Our mixes are designed for a purpose or a region. So once you’ve determined your goal (example: attracting pollinators), choose which Holland Wildflower Farm seed mix or mixes are best suited for your purpose. Then decide how much seed you need. We advise that you seed your site when you have taken measures to minimize weed competition and prepare your soil for seeding. The seed rates are in the mix descriptions and they are listed in the table below: recommended seeding rates for each wildflower seed mix or native grass mix. Explanantion of seed rate ranges and your location and specific site conditions Project analysis will help determine how much seed you will need. Each of our seed mixes has its own recommended seeding rate found in the description for that mix (see table below). The recommendation for most mixes will come with a range, such as 10-20 pounds per acre. This means that one pound of seed will cover between 2,000 and 4,000 square feet. (A strip 20 feet wide and 100 feet long equals 2000 square feet.) So, do you need 10 pounds per acre or 20 pounds? In the southern, especially southeastern areas the weed competition is greater and the highest seed rate is generally recommended. Additional considerations are given after the table. Thank you for using your ground to make the world a better place. Seed Mix Chart gives recommended rates for wildflower or native grass mixes below Seed Planting Rate for Holland Wildflower Farm Mixes Seed at the high rate for best results. Wildflower or Native Grass Mix Name pounds per acre square feet covered by one pound (at high rate) wildflowers, grass, or both type of mix Eastern Native Habitat Seed Mix 11 4,000 both habitat Floodplain Seed Mix 20 2,000 both habitat Native Upland Meadow Wildlife Seed Mix 20 2,000 both habitat Wildlife Food Plot Seed not given not given both habitat Shortgrass Prairie Wildflower Seed Mix 9-18 2,000 wf habitat Tallgrass Prairie Wildflower Seed Mix 10-20 2,000 wf habitat Bee Feeder Seed Mix 6-12 2,500 wf pollinator Bird & Butterfly Wildflower Seed Mix 10-20 2,000 wf pollinator Bumblebee Buffet Seed Mix 9-18 2,000 wf pollinator Eastern Pollinator Seed Mix 7-14 2,500 wf pollinator Honeybee Feed Seed Mix 6-12 4,000 wf pollinator Hummingbird Seed Mix 5-10 4,000 wf pollinator Monarch Butterfly Garden Seed Mix 12-24 2,000 wf pollinator Native Flower Mix for Monarchs 11-22 2,000 wf pollinator Western Pollinator Native Seed Mix 7-14 4,000 wf pollinator Cottage Garden Flower Mix 7-14 2,000 wf special use Deer Resistant Flower Mix 6-12 4,000 wf special use Eastern Xeriscape Native Wildflower Mix 2-24 2,000 wf special use Golf Course Mix 20-25 4,000 wf special use Little Bit Shady Wildflower Seed Mix 15-20 2,000 wf special use Low Grow Wildflower Mix 10-15 2,500 wf special use Native Perennial Wildflower Mix 7-14 3,000 wf special use Shady Golf Course Wildflower Mix 7-14 3,000 wf special use Western Xeriscape Wildflower Seed Mix 7-14 3,000 wf special use Rain Garden Grass Seed Mix 15 2,500 grass/sedge special use Rain Garden Seed Mix 20 2,000 both special use Wildlife Food Plot Seed not given not given both special use High Plains Native Wildflower Seed Mix 11-22 2,000 wf regional Intermountain Native Wildflower Mix 7-14 2,500 wf regional Midwest Native Wildflower Seed Mix 8-16 2,500 wf regional Mountain Native Wildflower Seed Mix 7-14 3,000 wf regional Northeast Native Wildflower Mix 9-18 1,000 wf regional Northwest Native Wildflower Seed Mix 9-18 2,000 wf regional Southeast Native Wildflower Seed Mix 10-20 2,000 wf regional Southwest Native Wildflower Seed Mix 6-12 3,000 wf regional Texas Oklahoma Native Wildflower Mix 11-22 2,000 wf regional Northeast Native Grass Mix 15 2,500 grass regional Southeast Native Grass Mix 15 2,500 grass regional Southern Plains Native Grass Seed Mix 10 2,000 grass regional Southwest Native Grass Seed Mix 8 5,400 grass regional Western Native Grass Seed Mix 7 5,000-7,000 grass regional High Mountain Native Grass Mix 12 2,000 grass habitat Shortgrass Prairie Grass Seed Mix 6 5,000-7,000 grass habitat Tallgrass Prairie Grass Mix 10 4,000 grass habitat Other considerations about Wildflower and Native Grass seeding rates : Southern states, especially those in the Southeast, should use the highest recommended rate because of the intense weed pressure. Use the higher rate if you expect high competition from weedy species. Weeds can be a problem if the site was not thoroughly prepared before planting–see our Planting Guide–or if it has a history of weeds (weed seeds in the soil), especially from non-native invasive species. A higher rate is advised if the site will not be strawed (lightly mulched with straw or excelsior blankets for short term erosion control) after seeding or irrigated during drought in the first year. We recommend using a light mulch because it will hold moisture to the seed. If your site has rocky or very thin soil, you may want to consider adding a 2-4 in layer of compost to give the seeds enough moisture to take hold of the soil. Wildflowers and native grass seeds do NOT need fertile soil but they do need to be able to penetrate the initial soil surface before their small but powerful roots begin
A News Roundup About Glyphosate Herbicide
Bayer AG, who acquired Monsanto, maker of Roundup herbicide (glyphosate), has announced that it will discontinue offering glyphosate in the residential lawn and garden market beginning in 2023. Glyphosate will continue to be sold in the agricultural market as well as for golf course use, municipal or private parks and grounds, and other specialty applications, such as algae control in ponds. The move by Bayer is not dictated by the EPA, which continues to support its use, but reflects an internal decision by Bayer to limit legal exposure after a litany of lawsuits, primarily from homeowners. It should be noted that patent protection on glyphosate expired in 2000 and a number of other companies market residential-use lawn and garden herbicides containing glyphosate. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, there are over 750 products containing glyphosate for sale in the United States. Bayer intends to continue marketing the Roundup brand for lawn and garden use in 2023, but with different active ingredients that do not include glyphosate. What does this mean for prairie restoration projects and other plantings involving native seeds? Basically, nothing changes. Homeowners and others who are planning small-scale seeding projects can continue to use glyphosate marketed by companies other than Bayer, or can try Bayer’s new formulation of Roundup without glyphosate when it becomes available. Larger scale seeding projects that are not residential in nature can continue to utilize glyphosate products as before, including Bayer’s original Roundup. These would include restoration projects such as agricultural land set-aside projects, mine-reclamation projects, public lands plantings, golf courses, parks, highway roadsides, etc. For more information on site preparation and planting native grasses and wildflowers, see our Planting Guide. Also check out these videos on site preparation before and after planting a prairie restoration project in Oklahoma.
