Many of you children of all ages took Seedles that were being given out at the end of worship last Sunday. I wasn’t to make sure you have the details on them, straight from their website, in order to plant them correctly. There is a saying here in the Midwest: Plant after Mother’s Day to avoid a frosty surprise!
Q: Do I really just throw them on the ground?
A: In short, yes.
The optimum planting time depends upon your climate and average rainfall. In areas with colder winters, spring or early summer seeding is best. Spring plantings should be done as soon as the planting area can be worked, but after the last frost. Early summer plantings should only be done if rainfall patterns are anticipated or supplemental irrigation is available.
Q: What are the optimal growing instructions for Hummingbird & Butterfly seed balls?
Site Preparation (Plan, Prepare, Plant, Grow)
Plan:
Check for your last frost date and plant after this has passed.
Choose a spot on your property that gets 6 or more hours of direct sun a day (unless you are planting a Partial Shade Mixture).
Prepare:
Prepare your soil by clearing the area of all existing growth. Simply dig up everything that is growing, turn the soil and rake the area flat. If this is an area that has never before been gardened, you may need to till the area up to remove growth.
Plant:
Place Seedles halfway into the soil, so the top half is sticking out of the soil and the bottom half is seated nicely into the soil. Do not bury. Each Seedle can provide up to one square foot of flowers, so plant them 1-3 to a square foot.
Grow:
Water so that the soil is moist, not soaking wet, until the seedlings are about 4-6" tall. After that, the seedlings will survive on natural rains. If you are experiencing very dry weather, we recommend watering occasionally.
Enjoy—and thanks for caring for our pollinators as if our lives depend upon them. Because they do!