How to Replace Grass With Wildflowers

Prepare your wildflower meadow for planting in October by killing weeds in late summer. Spray the future wildflower area with a glyphosate-based herbicide beginning in August. Follow directions on the label for proper application rates and instructions. If grass is not visibly dead a week after spraying, repeat the application.

Till the treated area seven to ten days after spraying with herbicide. Prepare for October planting by tilling no later than mid-September. Treat with herbicide again if weeds re-emerge and allow another week for the plants to die. Till the dead plant matter back in to the soil if it is a significant amount.

Prepare the soil for seeding by raking it to a depth of about half an inch. Select a seeder that can handle irregular sized seeds, or mix the seeds with equal parts sand by volume so they are less likely to bind up in the seeder. In October, use the seeder to distribute seeds in large areas and seed smaller areas by hand. Roll seeds into the soil for better contact using a lawn roller.

Maintain a wildflower meadow by mowing annually. Pull any weeds by hand that may appear. Reseed wildflower meadows as plants age. Provide irrigation during hot summer months until plants are solidly established.