Wildflower seeds and mixtures from wildflowersonline.com.

Determine the seeding Rates. Carefully measure the area to be seeded and check your seed package for the seeding rate, such as one ounce seed per 100 square feet of area. Check each package or species you purchase as coverage can vary considerably. Be sure that you have enough seed to cover the entire area all at once.

Make good contact with soil. We can't overemphasize the importance of seed-to-soil contact. Be sure that the surface is clear of vegetation and that it is roughed up a bit so that seeds have direct contact with the soil.

Distribute seed evenly. As mentioned previously, our seed contains wildflowers only and does not contain expensive fillers or carriers. Therefore it is important that you distribute the seed evenly over the planting area. It is often helpful to mix the seed with sand or vermiculite to help spread the seed more evenly. Usually a mixture of one part seed to two parts sand is best, although more sand is fine. Mixing with sand also helps to mark the area that you have seeded. Divide the seed/sand mixture into two equal parts and apply one half of the seed in one direction over the entire area and then the second half in the opposite direction over the entire area. For small areas, seeding by hand will work, however you'll need to use a hand-held rotary spreader for larger areas. For very large areas or slopes, hydroseeding or drill seeding is the best method. Consult a professional contractor for more information.

Add grasses to the mix. Planting such fine-textured, non-aggressive grasses as hard fescue or sheep fescue with your wildflowers creates a beautiful, natural-looking meadow effect. These grasses mix well with wildflowers. The recommended seeding rate is 1/2 pound to 1000 square feet.

Cover the seed. Once the seed has been broadcast, the area should be lightly raked with top soil to cover the seed. The seed should be covered with no more than 1/4 inch of soil. Problems with germination are typically the result of burying seeds too deep.

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