No, this is something of a misconception. Wild flowers will grow well on fertile soils. However it is the rapid growth response of other competitive species, particularly grasses that can cause problems on very fertile sites. If you prepare the site adequately before seeding you should have little problem. It is usually agricultural land which has had a lot of manure or fertilisers applied in the past that can be a challenge. It is the Phosphorus level within the soil which is the main element I test for as an indication of fertility. Generally speaking I would not attempt to convert an area with a Phosphorus Index of 3 or above (26-45 ppm in the soil), unless it was for an annual wild flower meadow (as my annual wild flower mix would do well in this situation). I have successfully created and managed excellent perennial wild flower meadows with Phosphorus levels of 2.7 and below. Other elements must also be taken into consideration in addition to the fertility of a site, such as the amount of direct sunlight it receives, how well draining the soil is etc. These all come into play as factors either favouring the wild flowers or their competition.
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About Colin:
Colin Reader is the owner of Wild Flower Lawns and Meadows and the author of this blog.
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All Blogs
- How to lay wild flower turf
- Planting a lawn with my low flowering lawn plant plugs
- How to create a wild flower lawn
- Wild Flower Turf
- Yellow Rattle seed
- I like this positive news item
- Slug and snail deterrents
- I will be back at BBC Countryfile Live again this August
- Wild Orchids
- Seeds for Bach Flower Remedy plants, Scleranthus, Mustard etc.
- See me at the BBC Countryfile Live Show
- Enhancing a grassy field using Yellow Rattle seed
- Bulbs of individual wild flower species for sale
- Artificial Grass - Perfect Turf
- Debbie and Mark take the podium
- Lesser Celandine seed
- Wood Anemone seed
- Great Dixter and Yellow Rattle
- Wild Daffodils for sale
- Bluebells for sale
- Yellow Rattle seed for sale
- Native English Bluebell, Wild Daffodil, Snowdrop, Crocus and Snake's Head Fritillary for sale as a winter collection
- A wild flower meadow I created this year
- I have plants growing that I don't think are in your mix?
- Nothing is happening in my seeded area - help!
- Wild flowers for bees and butterflies
- Moving offices
- Economy wild flower seed mixtures for landscapers
- Wild flower lawn seed mix
- Advice on creating wild flower areas
- Wood Anemone seed for sale
- Wild flower plants for sale
- What is flowering now...can be rather special!
- Wild flower turf for sale containing wild orchids
- Wild flower seed mix for woodland and shade containing wild orchids and helleborines
- Yellow Rattle plants for sale
- How to create a wild flower meadow
- Wildflower seed mixtures for sale
- Wild orchid seed for sale
- My current show dates for 2013
- A pretty hairy encounter
- A close look at Orchid seed
- Edible snails, ravens and clouds!
- One of my wild flower seed mix landscapes
- Wild Orchids and Helleborines of the woodland
- A slap in the face can be interesting
- Forthcoming Shows Update
- What do my wild flower grasslands look like in April?
- Forthcoming Shows
- 'Seedy Sunday'
- Current show dates for 2012
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