There are many good reasons for creating a wild meadow: Not only is such a flowering carpet a very pleasing sight, this meadow also offers an ecological shelter for numerous endangered animal and plant species. Natural wildflower meadows have become extremely rare in our industrial agricultural landscape - and are therefore all the more important for the local flora and fauna.
How do I create a wild meadow?
To create a wild meadow, prepare the ground by removing grass and roots and loosening the soil. Then sow the special wildflower seed mix on the leveled surface. Press the seeds lightly and keep the soil moist.
Wild meadows want to grow undisturbed
Wild meadows have a very high biodiversity - more than 100 different flowers and herbs can thrive in a poor meadow. However, this only applies if you leave the meadow largely alone. Poor meadows in particular should not be fertilized or cultivated in any other way; only mowing once or twice a year is appropriate. Wild meadows need a lot of peace and quiet to grow undisturbed - after all, they are “wild” crops that are not used to all-round care. However, you will need a little patience until the newly created meadow is transformed into a lush sea of flowers. On average, the plants need between three and five years to establish themselves in their new biotope. Until then, you may have to reseed from time to time.
Preparing the soil
Creating a wild meadow is easiest if you don't simply sow the seed mixture on an existing meadow or lawn - grass is extremely assertive and will repeatedly displace the more sensitive wild plants due to its rapid growth. Therefore, prepare the soil as follows before sowing:
- Mow the grass area as short as possible.
- Remove the top layer of soil, for example with a flat spade or by milling.
- Carefully remove any roots you can get hold of.
- Dig up the soil.
- If you want to create a poor meadow, you must also thin the soil.
- For this purpose, mix additional sand into the soil.
- Acid soils are neutralized with lime.
- Rake and rake the area nice and flat so that the topsoil is as fine as possible.
Make sure that the location for the future wild meadow is as sunny as possible.
Sowing flower seeds
Once the preparations are complete, you can start sowing the wildflower seeds. Most wild flowers and herbs are light germinators, i.e. H. They should under no circumstances be covered with soil, but should simply be pressed down a little. On the other hand, many wild plants belong to the so-called cold germinators, which do not emerge within a few days after sowing, but only after winter or a longer cold period. When sowing, proceed as follows:
- Mix the usually very fine seeds with a spreading aid (e.g. fine sand).
- This allows for better distribution of the seeds.
- Spread the seeds widely.
- Press the seeds well into the soil using a harrow, the blade of a hoe or boards tied under your shoes.
- Keep the meadow area as moist as possible.
If possible, do not buy standard wild meadow mixes from the garden center. These seed mixtures usually do not contain any wild plants, but rather a colorful mix of cultivated plants - most of which are not even native. It is better to use special seed mixtures (which often even correspond to the regional flora) from specialist retailers.
Tips & Tricks
Approximately one to two grams of seeds are calculated per square meter. However, it is better to sow more seeds, because the germination rate of wild plants is significantly lower than that of cultivated plants.
