Can I grow Wildflowers on a bank

[JeanW]

Hi
We are having a new driveway built into our farmyard and there will be two large banks flanking the entrance. Will we be able to establish wildflowers here and when is the best time to sow them?
Thanks
Jean

[Grassman]

Jean
You most certainly can grow wildflowers on a bank, in fact banks have produced some of the best wildflower habitats I have seen in recent years. The main reason being that grasses do not do well on the free draining slopes giving wildflowers the space to get really well established. I also believe the unnatural gradient makes the very best of available sunlight. Personally, I would try and create some sort of soil tilth over the next month or so before sowing around mid march when temperatures are up a little. The sowing rate for wildflowers is quite sparce at 3g per sq metre but this again is to give the more delicate species space to establish. Broadcast the seed mixture onto the surface very gently rake them in. Wildflower seeds need to be on or very near the soil surface to germinate and many will fail if they are buried too deeply.
All the very best with your project.

[JeanW]

Thank you for the quick reply. I will follow this up shortly after the contractors have finished making my life a muddy hell.
Jean

[paul_in_somerset]

Hi there, I have a related question to wildflowers on a sloping bank. I have just bought a house with a very large garden, and a paddock of approx. 0.2 acre in area (which used to have a couple of goats grazing on the grass). The problem is that the paddock is on a steep (about 40 degree) slope and the grass now pretty much covers that entire area (with a few nettles, docks, etc.). What I'd like to do is to make this paddock area as low-maintenance as possible with (if possible) the least amount of labour(!). I had an idea to sow masses of wildflower seed over the entire grassed paddock area to turn the area into a pleasant-looking wildflower meadow. I don't want to keep animals on the paddock, and I'd like the area to be self-maintaining, though I expect I will have to keep the height of the vegetation down with a trimmer several times a year. Because it would be a nightmare to mow with a mower (because of the slope, even if do mow lengthways), I think sowing with wildflowers would be a good idea.

What does anyone else think? Is this a good use of the land? Will the wildflowers establish themselves into an already-well-established grassy area? The paddock bank slopes toward the north but gets quite a lot of sunshine as the sun arcs around the land throughout the day. Any people's views, tips and advice would be most welcome!

Thanks to all in advance!

With best wishes,

Paul

[Grassman]

In brief:
You will need to cut the existing grass back very hard, almost to the crown (growing point) in order to expose some bare soil and thus allow enough room for wildflowers to establish from seed.
Regularly cut the area for at least 12 months to prevent the grasses smothering emerging wildflower seedlings then reduce cutting to 2 - 4 times a year thereafter.
Grassman

[paul_in_somerset]

Cheers, Grassman. Thanks for your reply -- I presume it'll be OK to sow the seeds just after I've cut the grass back to the soil level.

With kind regards,

Paul