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When to sow seed

CatherineSeniorCatherineSenior Posts: 24
in Wildlife gardening
We are in the process of preparing a new wildflower area in the garden. We have done all the preliminary work and planned to sow the seed over the next few days with the weather being fine, but, early next week it is forecast to drop to +1 degree overnight for a couple of nights. Should we wait or just crack on and do it?

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,645
    Can't really help except to say I've sown some wildflower seed today in a cell tray because I can more easily control the moisture and also keep the chooks off.

    Even without the chooks I'd have started them in trays because the soil surface is already very dry here and there's no rain forecast.   Assuming they germinate and get pricked out successfully I can then hoe their new bed again before planting out and watering so they get a good start.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,262
    Frost will not hurt native wildflowers, they are used to it.  Scatter them and water them in.
  • SophieKSophieK Posts: 244
    edited March 2021
    I've sown mine direct in autumn and the seeds germinated and have been growing slowly throughout winter. I did a top up on bare patches last month and that's been growing steadily too. As Fidgetbones says, they're native wildflowers and can take whatever the weather throws at them. So yes, crack on and do it :)
  • FireFire Posts: 17,352
    Keep them well watered - don't let them dry out.
  • CatherineSeniorCatherineSenior Posts: 24
    Obelixx said:
    Can't really help except to say I've sown some wildflower seed today in a cell tray because I can more easily control the moisture and also keep the chooks off.

    Even without the chooks I'd have started them in trays because the soil surface is already very dry here and there's no rain forecast.   Assuming they germinate and get pricked out successfully I can then hoe their new bed again before planting out and watering so they get a good start.
    We've got 1.5kg of seed to sow in a very large area so planting in cells is a definite No NO.
  • CatherineSeniorCatherineSenior Posts: 24
    Thank you everyone, I now know what we will be doing tomorrow :)
  • garyd52garyd52 Posts: 51
    Most wildflower seeds (native) can be sown at any time of the year but there are more than a few that need to be sown in Autumn as they require the cold of winter to chill them and so break their dormancy , Yellow Rattle Eyebright and Hedge Woundort being just 3 .I sow such seeds in early Nov just after I cut for the last time that year .
  • garyd52garyd52 Posts: 51
    Woundwort
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