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Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
Wisconsin Office
17921 Smith Road,
P. O. Box 256
Brodhead, WI 53520
Phone: 608.897.8641
Voicemail: 608.897.4898
AES Fax: 608.897.8486
TCRN Fax: 608.897.2044
Info@AppliedEco.com
Illinois Office
120 West Main St
W. Dundee, IL 60118
Phone: 847.844.9385
Fax: 847.844.8759
Kansas City Office
1904 Elm Street
Eudora, KS 66025
Phone 785.542.3090
Fax 785.542.3570
Minnesota Office
21938 Mushtown Rd
Prior Lake, MN 55372
Phone: 952.447.1919
Fax: 952.447.1920
East Coast Office
1100 E. Hector Street Suite #398
Conshohocken, PA 19428
Phone: 610.238.9088
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Instructions for planting your Applied Ecological Services Native Prairie Wildflower Mix seed sample.
If you are reading this, you probably received a small packet of Native Prairie Wildflower Seed Mix from Applied Ecological Services.
First, understand that when we say “Native”, we mean the genotypes are native to North America and, more often, specific areas of the country.
Second, AES Native Prairie Wildflower species are hardy and tough, and can often survive droughts and floods that would have other plants giving up the ghost, so you don’t have to baby these babies – at least within reason.
Third, prairie plants must end up outside. Do not cheat and try to keep them indoors; you will only end up killing them. By their very nature - and one of the primary reasons native prairie wildflowers (and all other native prairie plants) are so good for stormwater management - is the fact that their root systems go waaaaay deeper than most domesticated plants. Think of the “iceberg” system. For however much of native prairie plants you see above the ground, there will be from three to fifteen times that length below ground. For that reason, if you have three inches of seedlings showing in a 6” deep pot, it’s time for them to be transplanted outside.
Step 1: The first step in any planting is knowing the right “timing.” Just as vegetable seedlings should be transplanted outside only after any danger of frost, Native Prairie Wildflowers also have their seasons. Luckily, you have from end-of-frost to early fall to plant them outdoors. But still, don’t start the seeds indoors until two weeks before the end of frost season.
Step 2: Soil preparation. If you are planting indoors, good quality potting soil is fine. Use a regular 6” diameter pot minimum, and not the shallow style (the depth is more important that the diameter; deeper is better. Remember the root structure of prairie plants). If you are starting your plants outdoors, wait until there is not chance of frost. Kill and remove any grass sod. Till and rake the soil into an even surface.
Step 3: Planting the seed. Planting Native Prairie Plant seeds is like planting most other kinds of seed ¬– the smaller the seed, the shallower you should plant it. A good rule of thumb is to plant it the same depth as its length; for instance, seed 1/16th of an inch long should be planted 1/16th of an inch deep. Keep the soil moist, but it’s not necessary to keep it soaked. If seeding outside in later fall, a thin layer of light straw mulch is a good idea.
Step 4: For seeds started indoors only. When your plants grow to around three inches tall, it is time to transplant them outside. Kill and remove any grass sod. Till and rake the soil into an even surface. Planting should be done about two hours before sunset (to keep from shocking the plants with a full day of harsh sun). Break them apart at the roots and space them out, but plant them in the same general vicinity. For the amount of plants you’ll get from our free-sample pack, keep the plants within a three-foot circle or square. Set the plant at the same general depth as it was in the pot. Pack the soil lightly around the root mass. Keep the plants well watered (damp but not muddy) for the first two weeks. After that, a light watering during extended dry periods is all your plants need.
Step 5: Once the plants are established, they require minimum maintenance. Remove any large weeds (since these seeds are for flower plants, you can probably see the weeds a little easier). If weeds become a problem, you can mow or cut during the first two years to a height of 10-12 inches; this will benefit your perennial Native Prairie Wildflower plants by providing more sunlight. Don’t worry if the flower patch looks a little sparse. Your plants will drop seed every year they bloom and the year after, you’ll have even more flowers. (If you want your Native Wildflower Garden to fill out even sooner, you can order more seed from us.) When the butterflies start showing up, you’ll know you did good.
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