How to get started growing with seed balls
Creating a pollinator garden with our wildflower seed balls is a wonderful way to attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Choose a sunny spot: Most wildflowers prefer full sun, so make sure you choose a location that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
- Prepare the soil: Wildflowers prefer well-draining soil, so make sure to loosen the soil and remove any grass before planting.
- Scatter the seed balls: Gently scatter the seed balls over the prepared soil and lightly press them into the ground.
- To water or not to Water: My best advice is to let Mother Nature take over watering.
- Be patient: Wildflowers can take some time to grow, so be patient and don't be discouraged if you don't see any growth right away.
All seeds have different requirements that kick-start them into sprouting. Some need fewer requirements than others. The purpose of these requirements is to ensure the survival of the seed by delaying growth until optimal conditions are present. Some species of Milkweed for example need freezing temperatures before they will begin to grow.
I don't know about you but in early spring I love to hand water. But it never fails come late August I'm so over it!! When people tell me they don't have a green thumb it's normally because they forget to water or didn't make a water plan!
Let mother nature water.
The easy route would be to allow mother nature to do her thing. Remember that wildflowers grow on the side of the road with no help from a person every year. So if you want a low-maintenance garden, then allow her to take over. Throw your seed balls out into your garden area and resist the urge to water them. Let Mother Nature water them and they will grow. It may take longer this way but in the long run its the easiest way to grow a pollinator garden.
But I'm so excited! I'm ready to water them!
If you are like me and love to hand water, and are a little impatient then you can water your seed balls once or twice a day for the first 3 weeks. Yepp, that is a lot of watering! You want to make sure they stay wet but not soggy for the first couple of weeks while they are germinating. If they dry out the seedlings will die! ( Don't worry just the seedlings that sprouted will die not the seeds will sprout at the same time.) After the first couple of weeks, you can taper off your watering schedule to once per day. Be sure to set a timer, write it on a calendar or add it to your daily routine so you don't forget!
Hacking your water plan
One of the best things I did for my garden was buy a hose timer! They are super easy to use. You can attach them to a soaker hose or a sprinkler and they will just run on autopilot. They will help you save water because you can set them to run early in the morning. I just want to remind you that you want to make sure every speedball gets a little wet. So if you were using a soaker hose you could put the seed balls close to the hose. You can always move the hose later after your seed balls are established.