HAVING TROUBLE GROWING WILD FLOWERS?

There's a popular notion that you can sprinkle a packet or two of wildflower seeds around on the ground and then let nature do the rest. But, if you've tried that, chances are that you were disappointed. "It works for Mother Nature", you say, "so why not for me?". Aside from the fact that this is the arid southwest, the biggest difference, is that nature scatters millions of seeds just to get a plant or two. And, often, the seeds must remain viable for many years, awaiting the right conditions for germination. Unless you are also willing to waste a lot of seeds and wait indefinitely, you will have to give up the idea of growing your own wild flowers or find a better way. The first rule is: If you won't or can't to the work required, don't bother buying the seeds. To be reasonably successful, you'll have to work at it for one growing season. This means soil preparation, sowing the seeds, watering, weeding and other assorted tasks, until the wild flowers become established.

If it's a wildflower garden you want, then you'll be wise to till and add organic mulch to the soil, the same as you would for most other flower beds. Most wild flowers, even those that tolerate poor soil, are more apt to flourish in good (not necessarily rich) soil. Unless you're going to do an area so large as to be too expensive, it will be worthwhile to till water absorbing co-polymer granules into the soil along with the mulch. These granules will last up to 10 years and can increase the water storing capacity of most Dammeron soils by 400% to 500%. The recommended distribution rate is 5-lbs. to 10-lbs. of co-polymer per 1000 sq. ft.; the cost ranges from about $35 for a 5-lb. lot from Star Nursery in St. George, to less than half that from Granite Seed in Lehi, UT (address below). On the other hand, if you're going to plant in a natural setting amongst the sagebrush, you'll probably have to work with the native, untilled soil. Although plants nearly always do best in loose, well-draining soil, tilling around the sagebrush might not be practical and it could delay your project for a season while you get rid of weed seeds that will surface. This applies almost everywhere in Dammeron, but especially to the disturbed areas that were once cleared for farming or that were cleared and neglected. If you want to plant amongst the sagebrush in a highly compacted area, such as over an old trail bed, there are a couple of things you might try before deciding to till. Since water expands when it freezes, this natural process can help you loosen the top few inches of soil during the winter. If nature doesn't supply adequate moisture, soak the area using a garden hose or watering can. Let the water penetrate deeply; do it on a day when the temperature is above freezing at a time when the nights are expected to be quite cold. If it gets cold enough, the soil will be loosened to a depth of several inches, which may be sufficient; otherwise, soak the ground again in the spring and loosen the soil with a forked spade, without turning the soil over. If you till, you may save yourself a lot of work in the long run, if the first season is spent just getting rid of the weed seeds. You can do this by tilling, watering until the weeds germinate and then tilling again before the weeds have a chance to flower. This may have to be done several times before the soil is relatively free of unwanted seeds.

If you intend to plant on much of a slope, the land should be contoured to prevent the seeds from washing toward the low end.

When you buy seeds, they sometimes come with instructions regarding the best time to plant. If not, or if you gather your own seeds, a general rule for cold climates (there are a number of exceptions) is to sow the seeds of summer-fall blooming perennials in the spring after the danger of frost is past; sow the spring bloomers in the fall-winter, after the first frost, for germination the next spring. Spring blooming perennials represent the great majority of wild flowers in this region; so, they give us the best opportunity for variety. Unfortunately, Dammeron is frequently visited by late spring frosts which can kill germinating seeds. Even so, the damage is usually limited, making fall-winter seeding well worth the risk. One of the main reasons for sowing seeds in the fall-winter is to provide a winter chill that many seeds need in order to break dormancy in the spring; yet, this can be simulated by cold stratification. One way to cold stratify is to spread the seeds out in an air tight plastic container between two layers of moistened (not wet) medium and store in the freezer for two months. A good medium to use is commercially prepared potting soil, because it is sterile. Not all spring blooming perennial wild flowers need this full treatment or will be helped by it, but if they are hardy enough for Dammeron, none will be harmed. In certain cases, soaking, abrading or some other treatment works best, but if you have nothing else to go on, try cold stratification first. One of the side benefits of cold stratification is that you'll be able to sow the seeds in the spring, when you are most apt to feel like planting something.

Once the soil, seeds and climate are ready, the seeds can be broadcast by hand over the soil surface. If the area was tilled, rake the seeds into the top 1/4" of soil, but if not, leave the surface undisturbed and top with about 1/4" of mulch. If you make your own mulch from manure, grass clippings and so forth, be sure that it is well composted. Mulch is important because it will help keep the germinating seeds from drying out and will eventually enrich the soil a bit. Beyond the nutrients provided by composted manure and the like, fertilizers aren't usually necessary for native wild flowers. If you do fertilize, it should be a light application.

To prevent the soil, seed and mulch from blowing away, it's a good idea to use a binding agent (sometimes called tackifier). The cost is less than $3 per pound and the benefits well worth it. The recommended spread rate is 2-lbs. or 3-lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. and it is available from Granite Seed in Lehi, UT and Plants Of The Southwest in Santa Fe, NM (Addresses below). The binder is to be sprinkled evenly on top of the mulch, or on top of the soil if the mulch was tilled in. If you don't till, you can mix the seeds, mulch and binder all together for broadcasting. This can be an advantage if you are seeding irregular areas, such as amongst the sagebrush, that are hard to keep track of. If you broadcast the seeds separately, you'll have better control if you mix the seeds with about four parts dry soil or sand. This will help you avoid sowing too many seeds in one spot. For a carefree natural look, try scattering the seeds in drifts. If the seeds are sown in the fall-winter, don't use any more water, at that time, than is necessary to wet the binder.

In many parts of the country, spring rains are almost a certainty, but not in Dammeron. Historically, our annual precipitation ranges from 10" to 15", most coming in July and August. In recent years, however, these months have been unusually dry, but even had they been normal, Dammeron summers are generally too hot for emerging plants. You'll have better results if you undertake a watering schedule, beginning in the spring as soon as the danger of frost is past. Within the last ten years, the last frost has occurred as early as March 14th and as late as May 31st, but for this purpose, the first week in May is about right. Depending upon the information source, watering recommendations for wildflower seed germination differs considerably. As tempting as it is to go along with the least demanding recommendation, you must remember one thing: If a germinating seed dries out, it dies. In our low humidity area, you need to water at least twice a day (three times, if it's hot or windy) for at least three weeks (longer, if you notice that the seeds are still actively germinating); then, once a day for another three weeks. For the next three weeks, water twice a week; then, once a week for three weeks; then, twice a month until frost. When there are signs of heat stress, give the plants some extra water. If this sounds too rigorous, just envision how it will look next year and think about how easy it will be to care for. If you choose plants that are quite xeric, it will be almost maintenance-free.

Ideally, weeds should be pulled as soon as they emerge; but, in practice, this may not be possible, unless you can identify the weeds or know what the emerging wild flowers look like. Also, keep in mind that nature may have put some desirable seeds there, such as Paintbrush or Globemallow, that will come to life.

When choosing the wildflower seeds, a blend of native perennials is usually preferred, because the plants come back year after year and most will reseed; so, even many of the short-lived varieties can be enjoyed for a long time. Perennials require a bit more patience than annuals, however, because many take two years to flower or flower only sparsely the first year. Bulbs can take even longer. If desired, annuals can be added to the blend for a more colorful display the first year and, of course, some may reseed to bloom again. Native wildflower seeds are available from under $5 to over $20 per ounce, depending on the source and variety; on average, about $8 per ounce. Much depends on the desired plant density, plant size and other factors, but as a very rough estimate, one ounce of wildflower seeds will cover about 500 sq. ft. in a garden situation or, perhaps, as much as 3000 sq. ft. when planted amongst the sagebrush. If it isn't practical to buy individual varieties, try one of the standard blends that most wildflower seed companies offer. In some cases, the seeds are also available in small packets, from $1.50 to $2.50 each, so you can easily add to one of the standard blends or make up your own blend. When planting amongst the sagebrush, you might want to add one or more native grasses to the wildflower seed mix. There are a number of good choices. Blue Grama grass, for example, grows to a foot tall (1 1/2' with seed head) and is deer resistant. it also germinates quickly, tolerates poor soil and will get by on little, if any, supplemental water after it becomes established. Blue Grama and many other native grasses are available, individually or in blends, at under $5 to about $25 per pound, depending upon the source and variety. The average price is about $10 per pound. Again, as a very rough estimate, 1/4-lb. of grass seeds, mixed with 1/2-oz. of wildflower seeds, seems about right to cover 1000 sq. ft. when planting amongst the sagebrush.

All in all, growing wild flowers from seeds is inexpensive whether you gather the seeds yourself or buy them. Even if you buy the seeds, mulch and binder, you'll probably spend less than $50 per 1000 sq. ft.; half that, if you make your own mulch. And, you'll be able to grow a lot of your favorite native wild flowers, most of which, aren't commonly available from nurseries. If you have trouble finding what you want locally, here are three excellent mail-order sources:

Granite Seed, P.O. Box 177, Lehi, UT, 84043, Phone: 801-768-4422. Send $7.50 for catalog.

Plants Of The Southwest, Aqua Fria, Rt. 6 Box IIA, Santa Fe, NM, 87501, Phone: 505-471-2212. Send $3.50 for catalog.

Wild Seed, Inc., P.O. Box 27751, Tempe, AZ, 85285, Phone: 602-276-3536. Call for free catalog.

Agua Viva Seed Ranch, Route 1 Box 8, Taos, New Mexico 87571, Phone: 1-800-248-9080, Fax: 505-758-1745

Each of these three companies has something special to offer; so, if you send for all three catalogs, you'll be glad you did. Just keep in mind that not everything offered is adaptable to Dammeron conditions.