Growing Backyard Bird Lover's Wildflower Mix

Start by identifying your soil type, since sandy, loamy, and clay soils each need slightly different preparation. Sandy soil drains quickly and benefits from added organic matter and supplemental watering during germination. Loamy soil is generally the easiest to work with and needs little amending. Clay soil holds water well but can drain slowly, so working in compost or a cover crop before planting helps improve structure. Clear the planting area of existing vegetation before seeding, whether by smothering with black plastic for a season, repeated cultivation, or a non-persistent herbicide, to reduce competition for light, water, and nutrients.

Because wildflower seed mixes contain seeds of very different sizes, blend the seed with an inert carrier, such as fine sand or vermiculite, at a ratio of about 4 parts carrier to 1 part seed for a more even distribution. Hand-broadcast small areas, or use a mechanical seeder for larger plantings. Cover seed no more than 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep with a light raking, and firm the soil afterward to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Planting rates for this mix start around 8 ounces per 1,000 square feet for garden-scale plantings and taper down to roughly 16 pounds per acre for larger, naturalized plantings, since larger areas need proportionally less seed per square foot.

Weed Control

Weeds left unchecked will quickly crowd out a new wildflower planting. Once seedlings emerge and are large enough to identify, remove weeds by hand-pulling, spot treatment, or trimming, checking roughly once a month through the first year. Overseeding bare patches the following fall or spring, along with the increased density of an established planting, helps naturally crowd out future weed pressure.

Post-Planting Care

Keep the planting consistently moist for the first 4 to 6 weeks to support germination across the many species in the mix, then gradually reduce watering as plants establish. Expect seedlings within about 2 weeks and the first blooms in 6 to 8 weeks, with additional waves of color arriving throughout the season as different species reach their bloom time. In dry climates, an extra half inch of water per week can help extend the display. Once flowering has finished and seed has set, usually by mid-October in most climates, mow the planting down to 4 to 6 inches to help scatter seed for next year's blooms.

About Backyard Bird Lover's Wildflower Mix

This mix was curated specifically for backyard bird-watching, combining wildflower species known to produce seed heads and nectar sources that attract songbirds throughout the season.

Blending annuals, biennials, and perennials gives the planting both immediate first-year color and a growing, more established presence in subsequent years.

Left standing through fall and winter rather than cut back, the dried seed heads continue to provide a natural food source for birds well after the blooms have faded.

Tips From Our Gardeners

Leave the seed heads standing through winter instead of tidying up in fall. That's when the birds get the most use out of the planting, picking through dried flower heads for seed long after the color is gone.

- Jerry Sawyer, True Leaf Market Writer

Backyard Bird Lover's Wildflower Mix Coverage by Package Size:

• 4 g Packet - Covers approximately 10 square feet
• 1 oz - Covers approximately 85 square feet
• 4 oz - Covers approximately 400 square feet
• 1 lb - Covers approximately 1,900 square feet
• 5 lb - Covers approximately 11,750 square feet (about 0.27 acres)
• 25 lb - Covers approximately 1.65 acres

Non-GMO Backyard Bird Lover's Wildflower Mix seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.