FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions.

How do I find out ? Growers Manual for all growing advice, and leaflet enclosed in packet

The best place to start growing wildflowers is in full sun, on poor to normal soil which is weed free and clean. 
Never bury seed, keep it to surface.

DBN has seed mixtures for shade, wet, fertile and difficult soils and situations.

How much seed will I require? 

The normal sowing rate is 1.5 grams per metre. use can use as low as 1gram but rarely do higher sowing rates apply, as big species if sown at higher rates swamp smaller species. ie Using more seed is counter productive as the larger plants kill off the smaller ones

Please note, wildflower may contain 100% wildflower seed or can be supplied with a percentage of grass seed, so the sowing rates will be different

What price will I pay for wild flower seed?

VAT 13.5%.is applied as well as postage for certain orders

Price varies within the full range 

This price per gram equates X 1.5 times the price per metre at 00.0015 (1.5) grams per metre when sown. 

The cost of wildflower seed mixed with grass seed can be advertised as low as Euro 00. 05 per gram.  

Please check the percentage of grass seed in such ineffective mixtures, while we will supply seed at 80% grass 20% flora we recommend always working out the price at pure wildflower seed per metre than add the cost of grass seed which is inexpensive. 

Do I need to turn the soil, by plough or cultivation ?  No, you may not need to turn the soil, (most cases).  Provided the site has no serious weed problem, all that is required is for you to kill of the surface vegetation and sow the seed, Then rake and or roll the seed into the surface of the ground.

You do not have to dig the soil. just have it weed free (all vegetation) and rake or scratch the surface.

Wildflowers can be sown into existing weed free grass or old meadows, where the fertility is low. see advice

If your site has weeds such as Dock, Couch grass-(scutch grass) Nettle, Thistle, White Clover and Rosebay or Greater willow herb, then you will have to kill off the weeds and bury the weed seeds that are resting on the surface.

 If you have perennial weeds, dock, couch, nettle, creeping buttercup, gorse, rush, thistle or worse, then kill them off and start on clean ground.
If you have just grass, cut it away, rake or harrow to expose 50% bare soil and sow, then rake or roll seed into surface

If you need to clean up, renew and level your site then Plough.

How long will I have to wait until the seed germinates ?

In perfect growing conditions we have waited as little as 2 weeks, normally the meadow mixture starts growing after 6 weeks and some species will germinate when nature provides the optimal conditions. However 50% of seed supplied should have germinated by 8 weeks.

Winter sown seed may not germinate until spring. Mid Summer sown seed until Autumn

Year 1 = Annuals, Year 2 = Biennials, Year 3 = Perennials
In all cases the mixture may not flower so well in the third year as the long-term perennials are only developing, they will start to flower & grow bigger & better after the third year.  

How often do I have to cut a wildflower meadow ?

Once in the first year, at the end of summer. In the second year cut in spring and again in August. In the third year cut in spring and again in late July.  

By the fourth year and onward, unless grassy, cut one at the end of each summer. 

Meadows sown with grass require a different option.  

Can I sow seeds into an existing lawn?

Yes, but you will require a specialist mixture,

Seed supplied in seed mixtures does not require any special treatment.

 Individual seed to be scarified (rubbed with sand paper to break seed dormancy)  
Cranesbills, Meadow pea, Rest harrow, Vetches.

Individual seed to be stratified (cold treated to break seed dormancy)
Agrimony, Angelica, Bellflowers, Bittersweet, Bluebell, Bryony Cuckoo pint, Dropwort, 
Garlic Mustard, Globe flower, Hay rattle, Hemp agrimony, Iris, Marsh marigold, Meadowsweet, Monkshood, Primula species, Ramsons, Sweet cicely, Violets, Wood Sage. 

Q. I understand that DBN sell 100% pure wildflower mixtures without grass seed, my question is, are there any seed mixtures available with grass seed? 

A. Yes, specialist grasses are suitable with almost every wildflower seed mixture. do not sow perennial rye grass as it is far too vigorous.

There are a few flowery exceptions, If ordering the following mixtures ( woodland, annuals and orchard mix) our customers should be advised that these three mixtures grow best without grass seed, but there are occasions when grass is used so to answer the question again YES all our mixtures can be supplied with grass seed, but are you sure you need grass seed?.

Throughout this web there are references to the merits and de-merits of not using grasses with wildflowers. It depends on what seed mixtures you are sowing and what you wish to achieve.

One recommendation that we always make is to sow grass seed with wildflowers on pathways through the meadow. Use 50% grass - 50% Flora.

Where a lawn meets a wildflower meadow the front part of the wildflower meadow needs to be kept looking very 'Grassy' green to match the lawn, in such cases we suggest using our low growing wildflower mixture with 20% grass.

A wildflower seed mixture can be supplied mixed with grasses or packed so the grasses are kept separate. Advice should be sought according to what you wish to achieve.