Bee Feed Wildflower Seed Mix

Description

Bee Feed Wildflower Mix helps attract a wide range of pollinating bees to your vegetable garden, fruiting trees and shrubs. It provides feed stock for beekeepers and those concerned by the decline of our bees. It has flowers in bloom from spring until fall and supplies pollen and nectar for native bees, honeybees and other pollinators. The flowers are suitable for short-tongued and long-tongued bees. There are annual and perennial flowers that bloom spring, summer and fall in this mix. Create a permanent pollinator preserve by planting this with native grasses and blooming trees and shrubs. Over time pollinator preserves will lessen the need for renting bee hives.

Consists of: Baby Blue-Eyes, Bergamot, Blue Flax, California Poppy, China Aster, Chinese Forget-Me-Not, Corn Poppy, Fleabane Daisy, Forget-Me-Not, Globe Gilia, Indian Blanket, Lance-Leaved Coreopsis, Lavender Hyssop, New England Aster, Plains Coreopsis, Purple Coneflower, Siberian Wallflower, Sweet Alyssum and Tidy-Tips.

Planting rate = 6-12 lbs./acre,
5 oz./1,000 sq. ft.

About Pollinator Wildflower mixes

More than one third of the food we eat needs to be pollinated by bees. There are over 4,000 species of native bees in the United States. When planting a pollinator preserve try to avoid using herbicides and pesticides. Inter-planting native grasses with our pollinator mixes provides a more diverse habitat.

General Growing Information

When to Plant

The best time to plant in your area depends on the climate and rainfall patterns as well as the species you are planting. In cool climates, plant annuals, perennials or mixtures of annuals and perennials in spring, early summer or late fall. Fall plantings should be late enough so that seeds do not germinate until spring. Perennials can also be sown in early fall provided that there are at least 10-12 weeks of growing time before the plants go dormant for the winter. Late fall plantings are advantageous when supplemental irrigation cannot be provided and adequate rainfall is anticipated in the spring. In mild climates, plant during the cooler months of the year, fall through spring, for best results. Fall plantings done prior to periods of rainfall will insure an early display of flowers the following spring.

Site Preparation

Prepare soil like a vegetable garden. Remove vegetation or spray with an herbicide. Follow directions on label of herbicide if used. Loosen soil 2″ deep and rake smooth.

Sowing Seed

Broadcast seeds evenly by hand or with a grass seed spreader. Mixing seed with sand (use clean builders sand, not play sand) or vermiculite facilitates even distribution. Rake seeds lightly into soil, about 1/8″ deep.

Water and Fertilization

Keep consistently moist 4-6 weeks, then gradually reduce water to 1/2″ per week. Do not water fall plantings until spring. If soil is poor, apply a 5-10-5 fertilizer.

Maintenance

Pull weeds as soon as they can be identified. In late fall, cut plants to 5″ tall to assure continuing color. Consider overseeding every year for maximum bloom.

What to Expect

Wildflowers can provide an excellent, low cost landscaping alternative. However, during their initial establishment period, wildflowers require as much maintenance as traditional plantings. A wildflower planting requires the same weed control measures as traditional landscaping.