Why Weeds And Wildflowers Compete For Sunlight

Weeds and wildflowers are natural enemies because they both compete for sunlight. The first to catch the rays is the winner in this competition. If you are planning to plant wildflowers as part of your landscaping plan, make sure to give them a head start. Once the weeds begin to grow, the flowers may struggle too much for the precious rays.

The first step is to create an environment conducive to growing and this means proper preparation of the wildflowers’ bed. It is extremely important to keep the bed as free of weeds as possible. This can be accomplished by thoroughly tilling and raking the soil to remove all of the plants in the area you intend to plant the wildflowers. One thing to remember: only rake a depth of one inch or less. Treat the soil with an anti-weed agent like Roundup to kill the roots of the existing weeds.

Some recommend repeating this process after letting the soil sit for a few days to insure that you have gotten rid of all of the weed seeds in the bed. I am not one of those people. I am way too impatient to rake, wait and rake again before planting my seeds. This is not always the best approach, but I have not had too many problems with weeds in the past. However, you may want to repeat process a few time to keep the bed pure for your wildflowers.

Another thing to consider is when you want to plant your wildflowers. You may find that waiting to complete the process again may interrupt the ideal time to plant the wildflowers. If you miss the targeted time, the wildflowers may not have time to grow and the weeds may conquer anyway.  
There’s good news for procrastinators like me. Wildflowers love warm soil, so it is best for those of us who live in regions that have the full range of temperatures associated with the four seasons to plant the seeds later in the spring rather than in the beginning. A good frost can interrupt the growing process.

I have found that wildflowers are very tough once they have established themselves in the garden. They are natural survivors and if you give them an adequate head start, they will flourish. However, you have to be patient. They tend to flounder the first year, but they thrive during the second season. Good things come to those who wait, and the beauty is that they come up year after year.