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Wildflowers replacing hrads #868337

Asked May 14, 2024, 9:07 AM EDT

Do you have to remove all grass to plant wildflowers? Have a huge ditch that would be too expensive to kill using black tarps and can’t remove sod as it is near a lake. Will they grow if spread with black dirt?

Stearns County Minnesota

Expert Response

Good Morning Judith, 

Thank you for contacting the U of M Extension Service. 

From viewing your photos, you have a beautiful, sunny site to plant many natives for the pollinators. You might contact the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District. Here is a link to their website: https://www.stearnscountyswcd.net/

You could request a site visit and they could also advise you about your site. If you want the native wildflowers to thrive, you will need to eliminate the grasses. They may have grant funding to assist with the cost.  

Here is a link from the U of M Extension Yard and Garden website: https://extension.umn.edu/lawns-and-landscapes/flowers-pollinators about plants for pollinators. 

If you would like to turn that expansive lawn into a bee lawn, the pollinators would love it: 

https://extension.umn.edu/landscape-design/planting-and-maintaining-bee-lawn

I have attached a pdf doc about installing a bee lawn. 

I personally installed a pollinator garden and a bee lawn last summer. Although it is work to get it installed, it is now beautiful. The natives are coming up and some of the spring plants are already blooming. 

Good Luck!

Maureen Graber Replied May 15, 2024, 8:32 AM EDT

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