Seed Mixes

Wisconsin native wildflower seed mixes available.

Please allow 3 days for order processing in addition to shipping times.

All seeds are gathered from wild plants, under production, that are native to the Upper Midwest with Wisconsin genetics. No horticultural varieties of listed wildflowers or NON-native Wisconsin flowers or grasses are in the mixes.

Larger square footage custom seed mixes are available. Call or e-mail for pricing and seed availability.

PRAIRIE MIX DIRECTIONS:

*No pretreatment or cover crop necessary for Grass Mix* 

Pretreatment of Seed to Break Dormancy (For quicker germination):

Combine a quart of moist (not wet) growing medium (ex: sand) with the wildflower and grass seeds. Place the mixture in a zip lock bag or Tupperware container in your refrigerator (NOT freezer) for 6-8 weeks prior to planting. *NOTE: DO NOT put the cover crop in refrigerator.

Inoculum:

Legumes need to develop an association with the soil bacteria (Rhizobium) to grow. Inoculating achieves this and assures a much higher survival rate. Add inoculant to seed mix after stratifying and shake to coat before planting.

Site Preparation & Planting:

Preparation of your ground is important to the success of your wildflowers. A garden that has been worked for some years should already be relatively weed-free. In the case of lawn sods or old abandoned farm fields, we recommend “over-seeding” without tilling. DO NOT TILL: Tilling brings additional dormant weed seeds to the surface to germinate. No-till preparation minimizes weed problems and erosion risk.

First, start by cutting and removing thatch or dead plant/lawn material. Second, when the area greens up with new growth, carefully and selectively spray  unwanted vegetation with an herbicide (ex: Roundup). These two steps should be repeated a second time approximately 4 weeks later to ensure that unwanted vegetation has been killed. 

Spreading Your Seed Mix:

Mix pretreated seed mix and add the cover crop with a gallon of weed-free compost before tossing over the planting site. Toss pretreated seed mix and cover crop over prepared site then lightly rake in. You do not need to bury wildflower seeds. The annual cover crop helps protect seedlings the first year and provides color while you wait for native plants to bloom.

Maintenance:

When conditions are ideal your seedlings will germinate. If things are not right, wildflower seeds will wait until conditions are suitable. Be patient and do not disturb your soil for two seasons. Even though their roots will be very long, prairie seedlings are tiny when they first germinate.

The perennial native flowers will establish themselves over the first few years.

The best way to control weeds is BEFORE you plant. Trying to pull weeds will disturb the developing roots of wildflower seedlings. To minimize prairie seedling loss the first year, weeds should be cut off at or just below the soil surface rather than pulled out. 

It is not necessary to water a new planting regularly. However, some moisture will help speed things along. DO NOT FERTILIZE! The wildflowers are adapted to garden conditions as they exist and fertilizer will bring up more weeds.

If cover crop is included: Annual cover crop helps protect seedlings the first-year and provide color while you wait for native perennials to bloom.